By: Erik Vlietinck
Sun, March 02, 2008 - 10:49:00

The best Graphic and Layout Designers are today what Peter Paul Rubens used to be in his time: tradesmen who understand their tools, know how to use them and achieve desired effects, and create art. Graphic and Layout Designers would have fitted in perfectly with Rubens’ time and age in terms of what they do and why they do it: working on an assignment basis and staying within well-defined limits of taste and “beauty”.

Peter Paul Rubens, in his time a world famous painter, also was a diplomat and a spy --he was what we call today a “renaissance man”. As many of his famous contemporaries, Rubens didn’t think of himself as an artist in the sense of the word we are using it today. He was a tradesman and a member of the painters guild in Antwerp and he happened to be one of the best and most successful. If you would have asked him what he wanted to tell us with a portrait or what he envisaged with a landscape, he would probably have failed to understand the question.

Rubens and contemporary painters like Van Dyck, worked mostly on the basis of assignments. A prince or a wealthy “business man” would commission a portrait. A Bishop or Cardinal would pay him to paint a biblical scene. Painters like Rubens knew how to catch not only the visible characteristics of the people they depicted, but also their “soul”. Perhaps that is why we still call their work “art” today. One thing is certain, though: none of these artists would have liked or even valued today’s art. 

Artist or Designer?

They would probably have more affinity with today’s graphics designers than with visual artists. A graphic designer works on assignment, has to be creative and convey a vision --mostly that of his principal or employer-- within strict boundaries. Those boundaries exist on a psychological level. A children’s book cover can’t have nudity spread all over it, and a brochure that is destined to sell swimming pool water filters usually won’t depict a highly abstract painting that has no affiliation with its subject.

Graphic and layout designers not only have to work within specific limitations. Just as artists from Rubens’ era, they must know their tools. The “tools of the trade” of the modern designer may be a mixture of illustration applications, painting programs, graphics tablets, 3D programs, layout applications, and even complete editorial / publishing workflow systems. 

Whereas Rubens had to know all about mixing paint to get not just the best colours, but also longevity, today’s designers must know something about printing standards and the way the whole process from beginning to end is tied together using ICC profiles, colour management, and other technologies.

The difference with Rubens’ age is the complexity and diversity of the tools. You can create a stunning design in Adobe Illustrator, but if you don’t know how to use the program’s many features, you’ll end up with nothing at all.

Graphic and layout designers, and some types of photographers can’t create art as it is understood today. In Wikipedia, the term art is defined as “a (product of) human activity, made with the intention of stimulating the human senses as well as the human mind; by transmitting emotions and/or ideas.”

Why Worry About the Tools of the Trade

They can’t be as provocative as an artist is allowed to be because in general, their work is destined to sell products and services.

Just as painters were required to be masters of their trade in the era of Rubens and Van Dyck, designers have to master their trade.

Having said that, it is sometimes baffling to see how little knowledge graphic and layout designers, and photographers have of the technologies they need to work with on a daily basis. A common misconception in that respect is for example that layout designers don’t have to worry about colour management, or that photographers can do with their knowledge of RGB colour management, without ever having to worry about CMYK. 

Luckily, there are photographers and designers who realise such issues may crop up and are worth investigating. Usually, these people belong to the very top of their trade (think of Jack Lowe who delivers printing and comp’ing services to photographers).

Another misconception is that a layout designer shouldn’t worry about how a layout design will look on the web, simply because these are completely different technologies. Unfortunately, technologies are converging. We are increasingly seeing a need to publish to multiple output channels, with each channel using its own unique technologies (and having its own uniquely associated challenges).

Despite Adobe integrating Dreamweaver functionality with InDesign, small layout design firms do need to know at least the basics of Web presentation --including Web 2.0 technologies.

As a direct consequence of the growing complexity of the tools of the trade, many designers and photographers will “drop out”. Especially the older ones will give up learning an ever increasing range of technologies they must master to play in first league. Only the die-hards and truly excellent will be able to catch up.

The evolution won’t play such an important role in organisations where creative professionals control but a small part of a workflow where they enjoy the support of technical pros who assist them with the tools of the trade. And so, the evolution we’re witnessing today is bound to eventually lead to creative professionals working in bigger organisations and less as individuals or small firms.