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Designers & Vampires – The Creative Mind

I see rather quizzical and perplexed faces. I’ve not sustained a sudden infatuation with the “Twilight” movie series nor am I about to unravel a diabolical alter-ego of myself. But I’ve a rather bizarre assertion to make. Designers are like vampires and no, I’m not kidding. Let me explain.

Justifying the Assertion

Designers (including members of the creative industry in general) are a supernatural breed. Their craft involves the production of mind-bogglingly creative elements that outlive the test of time (as the overused aphorism goes, “great designs are timeless”), outmanoeuvre the rigidity of mass standardization (designers have a ‘knack’ for evolving certain aesthetic conventions) and outperform industry competition. But the truly mystical characteristic of creative people (and this is where my vampire analogy is evoked), is that they live on the threshold of life; designers have to orchestrate visual masterpieces which ordinary people can relate to (readable content and a usable web) and yet simultaneously hint at the notion of ‘improbability’ and fantasy (for example the conceptualisation amazing reality-defying illustrations). Vampires similarly have human qualities (apart from the fangs of course, although I know some people who have teeth that resemble fangs but that’s another story altogether!) and yet they are different from the ordinary man, they are contained in a ‘liminal’ zone. What is “Liminality” I hear you ask; well I have a precise definition.

“Liminality” is the condition/situation of being at the threshold of two worlds (e.g. ordinary world and the mystical realm). Everything about ‘design’ is liminal.

A Duality of Worlds

We design for the general masses and yet we also design to captivate and dazzle the mind- it is this duality of ‘worlds’ that define creative people. Designers are expected to vacillate/alternate between these worlds (ordinary world vs. magical world) to varying degrees. Well, some of you might point out that minimalistic design philosophy, for example, does very little (pun intended) to dazzle and excite in the same way as a “magical world” would. I have to politely disagree. Its sheer functional simplicity and economic use of aesthetics is in itself a distinctive, “larger than life” characteristic. Minimalism captures the essence of extreme visual organization. Creative people (songwriters, designers etc) have to constantly toy between the boundaries of ordinary and fantastical.

Web Standardistas

Professional creatives (web designers/artists specialising in corporate branding) however usually play along a set of ‘rules’. Web usability, web standards, web accessibility and other buzzwords associated with good/efficient design practices are methods to ‘bridge’ this liminal gap between mundane practicality and the fantastical other. Adhering to certain ‘guidelines’ allows designers to maintain that relationship with the real world and yet experiment with their creative side.

Marry Shelley and the Creative Persona

The epic classical literary dramatist, Marry Shelley (see opening quote of article) uncannily reflects on the vampire-like nature of the creative spirit in her novel, “Frankenstein”. Shelly portrays Frankenstein as a deeply mature, sensitive individual who espouses many humane qualities, but brewing beneath that seemingly innocent exterior, lays a thirsty and strange maniacal desire for ‘something’ outside the grasp of human comprehension. Designers have a similar appetite for a radicalised form of ‘uniqueness’; a niche area that differentiates their work from others and speaks a creative lingo that bedazzles.

What is your take on creative individuals?