Antalis and The Brand Identity - The anatomy of creativity (Part III): What's design without a good idea?

The guiding force behind all of these teachings is perhaps the teachers themselves, as Open Practice suggest, "when we were studying, we were guided to what a 'good' idea was by tutors, fellow students and our design 'heroes'." To this extent, Craig Parsons, Chief Creative Officer at PARSONS, remarks that he was never taught what a good idea is at all. "I think the golden-age advertising era tried to impress that a good idea was a catchy campaign and they would build their success around those victories," he suggests, adding that "I could never get into that, for me, it's more about instinct."

Similarly felt by Glasgow-based designer and typographer Raissa Pardini, she explains that the stringent and rigid, perhaps academic, methodologies suggested whilst at university for grasping 'good ideas' left her more stuck; "whereas my mum would just teach me that a good idea is 'what you feel is the right thing to do'."

With this in mind, it brings into question whether good design can come as a result of bad ideas, and vice versa. Enebeis acknowledges that "if you define the idea as the purpose of something then the answer is yes, "suggesting" a beautifully designed object can be made with a bad or good intention in the first place." Using Enebeis's example of "the knife," it is perhaps the case of questioning whether you place the quality of an idea on intention or the purpose. "For us, if the idea is not there in the first place it makes it difficult to feel compelled to move forwards,"

White explains, "in those cases, we'll challenge the brief internally or with the client, until we extrapolate a good direction from which to begin!" Within this mindset, bad outcomes can be a resultant of good ideas, "like shoddy plumbing," White remarks, "all the elements are there, but they've just been put together in the wrong way."

Jing Sum Chan, however, challenges that good design can come from bad ideas, explaining that the query is wrong by definition. "Bad ideas won't result in 'good design' because design is only successful when the idea behind the piece is successful or with reasonable intention," she explains, adding "sometimes reasonable intentions can result in unsuccessful execution," praising the need for sketching and interaction within one's process in order to find the most successful choice. A sentiment shared with Open Practice, they explain "there are of course great ideas, which one may personally perceive as 'bad' design," produced as a result of disregard or lack of emphasis towards form and materiality – or perhaps a "breakdown in communication or lack of reflection."

The challenge for today’s designers is to "rise above the noise."

Within this context, however, Open Practice raise the question of conviction, explaining that "as designers, we have a unique skill set that can make anything look convincing with the right type of visual language and means of dissemination," producing design that can seem "dangerously alluring (good)" which importantly requires critique. It is in fact through a lens of arrogance, be it inappropriate decision making or a lack of research, that aesthetically pleasing design can have a dangerous and real-world impact. But does an aesthetic need to have research or a concept behind it to be successful? Does 'good design' need a concept behind it, or can it simply be visual?

Commenting on the role of aesthetic in relation to concept, Enebeis notes "visual is a concept in itself," explaining that "a visual is not a nothing – you are always expressing something, and any type of expression is a concept in itself." As described by Parsons; "a provocative image is enough commentary in itself when you consider its social context," leading to the issue of what we consider aesthetic and what we consider conceptual, and once again what constitutes 'good' design.

Aware of the difference between methodologies and practice, Open Practice explain how concept development is at the very core of why, how and what they do. "For us, it's the idea that defines a piece of design," they explain, "it gives it; meaning, context and a possibility to connect with people." Now placing this within the context of the eternally evolving and improving systems and technologies at the disposal of the designer – along with the ease to make something look good and the "influx of visual stimulus and accessibility to resources" - Open Practice explain how the function of contemporary creatives has changed.

"The challenge for today's designers is to rise above the noise and make something not only appropriate but meaningful, unique and impactful," they explain; placing the emphasis of 'good' design on the presence it has. For them this is achieved through a concept, adding "the exploratory strategy of thinking through making, instead of focusing purely on delivery of outcomes is a useful tool."

With greater insight and consideration not only given to ideas but also to practices, maybe 'good' design comes from more considerate designers. "It's exciting to see studios and creatives go deeper and start to consider their impact on the environment, their ethical standpoints, who they'd work for," White tells us, giving the contentious subject matter of typeface designers and who they sell their typefaces too as an example. "These are the types of ideas that I think are good and stand out in the miasma of beautiful things," he concludes, proposing a view similar to Open Practice's which focuses on "what is an appropriate idea instead of what is good."

In the end, the consideration for anything to be 'good' is ultimately down to context and subject, but there is always the opportunity to learn and become more critical of what one deems 'good'. What also factors in is the audience of design and whether the consumer need be aware of any concept behind design.