New Design /

Design and the Long Tail

In my position as an editor of this website, I see a lot of new design work. It’s one of the perks of the job. That, and an endless supply of free CDs. But that’s another post altogether. Every day I’ll receive portfolio submissions from emerging and established designers from literally all corners of the globe, all looking for more attention for their work. What I’ve noticed in the past three years in particular is a dramatic increase in the number of people eking out a living as a designer. Part of this is down to the power of the Internet in making it easier for clients to find new designers to collaborate with. But there’s also little doubt that Chris Anderson’s Long Tail (a recognition that the internet has created a thriving market in which even small, niche players can enjoy a share) is in full swing.

Many of these designers mightn’t have been able to earn a living some five or more years ago. But the mash-up of new design software and the democratic nature of the web has opened up the previously closed world of design to virtually anyone with a computer.

Established designers may bristle at the trend. But they shouldn’t. This leveling out of the playing field is reflected in virtually all creative industries, most noticeably music.

The advent of new recording technology has had a profound impact on the music industry which, whilst always democratic in principle, was up until the advent of digital four tracks and, more recently, computer-based recording programs, a narrow path for any artist to make a living from. Unless, of course, they were signed to a fat cat record label.

The accessibility of professional recording technology has shattered the entry barriers to this industry, at the same time presenting more challenges for the public to discern what is good. The filters that record labels traditionally provided are no longer as dominant in determining what most of us listen to.

So how does this changing relationship apply to the design industry?

Like music, designing is increasingly easy. Anyone can create a brochure, a website, business cards, CD covers, a flyer. Not everyone can do it well, but market forces regulate that.

So is this a good thing or a bad thing? It’s both.

We need to weed through far more work these days to find the pieces that really inspire us. While you still need at least one of these ingredients, the ability to earn a living as a designer is longer restricted to those who possess all of the attributes of talent, drive, and connections.

I raised this point recently with the legendary French designer, Massin, who as a man in his 80s, is well placed to assess the impact of technology on design. He was surprisingly unfussed about the encroachment.

‘The responsibility does not fall on the computer; it is the person who uses it. In my opinion, computers have brought extraordinary possibilities, facilitating creativity and specifically enabling designers to do it faster. So I personally can’t complain about computers, which has helped me greatly. The only problem with computers is that it makes everyone do the same thing with the same software, so they do contribute to standardizing creation. But hopefully good designers can avoid this phenomenon’.

Massin recognizes that, just like the music industry, the cream generally rises to the top. The most talented designers will still be revered. The most innovative will still set the trends.

And the democratization of this once elite industry, which now provides so much more work for us all to explore, is a wonderful development that will only fuel the creative and competitive spirit from which so much exceptional work emerges.

Tagged: French designers