Hello, it’s my third year in Id in school and I have problems with fellow classmates. I’m in a class which is designed for ID’ers and Graphic Designers to work together and create projects. I have nothing against Graphic Designers but they seem very bossy. They want the products their way, and I get the feeling they have no idea what ID is all about. I’ve tried explaining it to them in simple forms, but it’s a waste of time. We’re constantly arguing, they want everything their way and we explain to them is not ergonomical, manufacturable, or even possible ect. I pissed them off by telling them products are not design around their taste or their graphic design.
So my question is, in the real world what is the role of a graphic designer and an ID’er? Any advise?
What type of graphics? What type of project? Are you talking about graphics in terms of a brand identity system, a Graphic User Interface as part of a product, or packaging/advertising graphics?
In the real world all of these things tend to be on different time tables. Identity work is often done upfront and can be done collaboratively with the ID work, sometimes by the same team. A GUI is often done at the same time or a little later, while packaging/advetising is often done much later and closer to a product’s launch.
Traditionally there is not as much interaction between the two disciplines, but increasingly the marketplace has been demanding designers that can both understand the product end (manufacturing, usability, materials, experience, 3d design) as well as the graphic side (developing a brand identity, designing relevant product graphics, GUI’s, packaging, advertising and web concepts).
I would learn what you can from working collaboratively and integrate that as much as you can into your future work. Be as well rounded as you can.
as to your original post, are you asking if graphic designers are the bosses of industrial designers?
Yo’s right, ID and GD rarely cross paths. GD is usually ‘downstream’ of the development cycle. Typically you design it, they support selling it (via package design, advertising, trade shows etc.)
I’m afraid you’re learning a universal truth about Industrial Design: everyone thinks they can do it!
The best way to win respect is to prove your worth. Focus on what you bring to the table and what you can do that they just can’t (think and draw in 3D, make models, consider usability etc.)
If gnawing my own arm off doesn’t work I go with a quick smack to the larynx… OK, I just nod my head and smile too… while daydreaming about the day the world switches to metric time…
Thank you guys for the input. Well I had an idea of how product development and GD run. At times I thought it was very illogical, GD’ers telling us what to do. Plus the teacher is GD too, so yeah, that doesn help. And yes I did prove to them wrong by doing mock ups of their “ideal products” and compared it to the more logical; “Actually Possible” concepts I created. Not to rub it in but there facial expressions were priceless.
And yes my original question was in concern towards GD’ers having a say in product development. They telling us what to do when they only work with 2d, font, and colors. I imagined it was marketing, engineers, ID’ers, scientist, and business people. Advertising and graphic design would come later after the research and product was done. I’m I right?
In addition, I do not want to sound like a GD’er hater or anything near that but I’m getting close. (Some of you guys sound like you all ready do) I just believe it was unfair, and abnormal. I do have much respect for what they create and portray, but products it’s a whole other story. However, I do believe there major is much easier, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe it’s just that class. I just hope it won’t be similar after school.