Typeradio Topic Number 10: House Industries
As much as I enjoy House Industries, and as much as I enjoy picking the philosophy out of and making connections to those being interviewed, these clips felt like a waste of my time. Not only did the House designers express displeasure at the nature of the questions asked of them (I agree with their opinion) but they also narrowly avoided turning the interview into a pot of useless dribble.
In their defense, the speakers for Typeradio.org could easily be pressed to actually create engaging experiences that require an intellectual presence, for once. Instead of asking questions such as: "Do you collect porn?", "Do you have a driver's license?" and my personal favorite: "Do you use drugs?" I find myself wanting answers pertaining to the design, philosophy, interests and incidences surrounding a professional organization I hold in high regard. Donald and Lisa have let me down.
Despite this, House did manage to touch on one point that struck my muse: the perceived role of graphic designers. As House Industries eloquently puts it, "Our parents have no fuckin' idea what we do." Normally I would take this opportunity to admonish the potential for design in the world and all that it may achieve, but if the previous two paragraphs weren't enough of a clue- I'm feeling kind of pessimistic.
I am motivated after attending tours amongst very talented Grand Rapids design firms VisualHero and Conduit Studios, and I am more than a bit jealous of the ease and confidence with which they carry themselves. These are designers who know precisely how and where they fit into the creative community. And yet many of my acquaintances still fail to understand what a design firm does, and what our industry is capable of.
I become offended when people who are close to me tell me that my job is to make them money, or churn out "pretty pictures" without even offering up the 2 calories it takes to do a google search about design. I am sick of being offered 200 dollars for a lithographic-quality design project (including the cost of printing!) by clients who expect 300 pieces, and who assume I am doing wrong by recommending the Ferris State Copy Center. Even my own parents can't be bothered to understand why this industry is so important.
Yet all my negative impressions push me to become a stronger designer. They make me want to stand up for my work, my ideas, and my craft as any professional stands by their creation. No, I will not print your t-shirts for fifty bucks. No, you can piss out your own logo for your own FAIL-lane RSO. I will not accept these offers; I will not become that designer. I take pride in the fact that I am a creative individual. I refuse to idly accept this blatant insult to my talent and the ignorance of my industry.