Design has shaped everything I do, how I live and operate in this world. It has given me a keen eye for detail, which allows me to see what most miss. It shapes my environment in terms of color, form, and content. This environment includes the digital experience.
Currently, I teach a Marist College in Poughkeepsie. My favorite class is Digital Toolbox, which includes Adobe, WordPress, Gaming, etc. Intro to Design allowed me to share years of experience, that I took for granted. The fabric of my world is second nature. It’s not something I spend time considering these days. Teaching has brought this back. Now I can show my students how to affect their world, and shape it for their own.
My own schooling taught me how to set up a letter using a typewriter. Today, we have email. I notice there is little attempt to structure or space content for readability or attractiveness. This is just a symptom of what goes on in “Digital Land.” Facebook, and Twitter are shaping our delivery of content. These brief, quick encounters are not held to any clear form or accuracy.
It is time we step back from our work and examine what we are putting out into the world. Teaching Toolbox allows me to impact students who have no inclination to be designers. They often don’t consider themselves to be creative. What I emphasize is structure. This comes into play when they learn logo and magazine design. The program Illustrator is an open canvas, thus it’s up to the user to provide form that the eye will be drawn to and appreciate. InDesign is used for publications, like magazines. It is inherently architectural in nature. The better your base of margins, columns, and grid, the more professional the document will be. Students learn the value of form and details. This is what needs emphasis.
What I want students to take away from my classes is a new sense of visual awareness. When one takes pride in how their ideas and creations in terms of presentation, it adds value. These are times when a bit of professionalism can go a long way. Does this mean we all need to be designers? No. But, knowing the basics is effective in building credibility. Just basic structure and arrangement of details is all that is needed. Understanding simple form and visual balance enhances our lives, and how we function within them.
When you pay attention to details, it has a great impact in all you do. I invite you to step back from the simplest things and really SEE the form, and placement. Does it work? Or, is it out of balance?
You might think you don’t have an eye for these things, but you do. If it feels out of balance, it is. Trust your eyes.