Traditional graphic design practice will move beyond mere visual communication | Rapidly advancing technology and changing trends will require designers to adapt their skillsets | by Leysa Flores

Photo: James (@contrabourdon) and I (@leysa) in my design studio.

Graphic designers do not work in isolation and are impacted by changing societal, industry, economic, technological, and political and lifestyle trends which affect the industry in which we work, the processes we use and the designs we produce.

The ways design practice will change and be impacted by these trends

In the coming years, traditional design practice will change as designers will be required to be more multi-disciplinary to keep up with a variety of ever-changing trends. Employers will seek solutions to cover a range of problems beyond visual communication. Due to the advancement and accessibility of technology, as well as changing consumer behaviour who demand cohesive and responsive brand experiences, businesses can no longer afford to simply utilise only one channel, such as newsprint or television. Design is no longer a single visual communication touch point – it is multiple touch points. It’s a bigger-picture experience across a range of physical and digital media as the consumer encounters them throughout their day.

For example, in the course of one day, one person may see a billboard advertisement for a product, research the product online via a website or an app that provides a unique human-computer interactive experience, encounter retail signage/visual merchandising of the store’s shop front, and in-store lighting and music/sound design, customer service systems, staff uniform designs, and product packaging design. It is important to note that consumers have a lot more choice these days and so are easily distracted.

An example of this is Generation Z, whose hallmark consumer behaviour is a need for instant gratification (Hughes, 2017). In the words of Ken Hughes, one of the world’s leading Shopper and Consumer Behaviourists, “Every element of your customer journey needs to be primed and ready to respond, 24-hours, 7 days. You need to predict their needs, be there and relevant when they need you to be, and meet their needs immediately.”

To keep their attention and to win loyalty, it will be important for brands to deliver an entire culture and/or environment, plus a system that the consumer can recognise across different delivery platforms and connect with. According to Brian Collins, CCO/Co-founder of brand consultancy Collins, in an interview published on The Brand Identity website, “people now seek coherent information and responsive experiences that enrich their lives – everywhere.”

The convergence and connections which are developing between design and other industries, professions

As a result of these changing societal and lifestyle trends, the contemporary designer will need to be highly collaborative to be able work with other professional creative disciplines to create these multi-faceted immersive experiences. As Duane Bray, Partner and Head of Talent at IDEO says, “The core skill is unlocking collaboration between teams.

As multi-disciplined as a designer may be, it is impossible to know everything or to be highly skilled in many areas at once. More often, they will have obtained skills in one or two areas in particular, and so there will be the remaining skills and processes lacking that the designer will require assistance with. For example, one designer may be adept in print, web and packaging design but would benefit from collaborating with another creative who is skilled in building a brand’s value proposition and mission, programming apps or creating unique illustrations or hand-lettered typographical quotes.

The impact of these trends on the skillset and the fundamental skills (such as critical thinking, lifelong learning, design expertise, visual literacy) needed by the contemporary designer

It will also be more important than ever to master the soft skills required to be a successful contemporary graphic designer such as critical thinking skills, analytical skills, creativity skills and the ability to clearly articulate ideas, research and record ideas. As Mona Patel, CEO and Founder of Motivate Design, says, “You can have a great design, but if you can’t communicate the story behind it, it will be the downfall of the greatest designers.”

The implications for my own practice and how I have identified opportunities presented by these trends

As the definition of graphic design moves beyond mere visual communication, the implications for my own design practice as I move forward are firstly to ensure I consider how I may alter my approach to the design experiences I create. I will ask myself the questions: Is there opportunity to inform, educate, entertain or seek to provoke some sort of response in the target audience? What is the intent behind creating this design and how may it help society or the environment? Will the design(s) accommodate current and upcoming technological trends such as virtual reality, haptic feedback or intuitive interfaces using biometrics? Does it incorporate current trends rather than adapt to them? It will be important to intend to lead the way and continue to value creativity.

There is no doubt that rapidly advancing technology and changing trends will require designers to adapt their skillsets for years to come. What will be important is to continue to monitor and analyse trends and to identify each relevant opportunity for inclusion into our designs rather than be led by trends alone. Finally, to collaborate, keep an open mind-set and continue to learn and grow in our industry and in the processes we use.

References:

Hughes, Ken 2017. Forget Millennials, Gen Z Is The Future: 5 Things To Think About. Retrieved from http://www.kenhughes.info/generation-z/

The Brand Identity, 2017. Collins, Interview 33. Retrieved from https://the-brandidentity.com/feed/collins/

Matt McCue and Kiana S, n.d. The Future of Design (and how to prepare for it). Retrieved from http://99u.com/articles/54058/the-future-of-design-and-how-to-prepare-for-it