Traditional

Traditional Graphic Design work by Elliott Earls. This is work is traditional in that it attempts to (relatively) transparently communicate the values of a third party through the work. In the design process the flagrant agency of the designer is downplayed. “To my mind one of the major issues that clearly delineates traditional design work from “experimental” work is the degree to which the agency of the designer, is sublimated in the interests of a corporate entity (the “client”). In other words, is the agenda of the designer in harmony with the explicit goals of the client? You may be thinking, ‘Is that not a simple definition of effective design?’ While a high degree of alignment between the goals of the designer and client is what is taught in design school, at the highest levels of the design process the opposite is at play. At the highest levels of the cultural food chain there is dramatically less alignment between the explicit goals of the designer and client. Paradoxically this leads to better design. Why? You wouldn’t instruct your surgeon on how to remove your spleen would you?” – Elliott Earls