What are Designers?

Aimed purely at the newbie’s to design. This book is an enlightening read for graduates embarking on or developing a career in design. The book introduces the target audience to obstacles and considerations that a graduate will face when thinking about taking the leap from a cocooned university environment into the harsh reality of the design world. The book features interviews with leaders of the design industry including typographer Neville Brody and fashion entrepreneur Paul Smith.

In terms of concluding or exploiting the punchy title, McCormack lets it down with the content. He doesn’t tackle the question, have a standpoint or place any personal opinions that echo or reference the title.  I can only imagine that, the title may have seemed suitable as the book touches on the surface of the practical aspects of getting on within the design industry and attempts to remove some false, glossy stereotypes of the day-to-day realities of being a designer.

The book was a bit of a let down as I expected something that was going to be a clever attempt to exploit and uncover some harsh truthful realities about design, but instead should have been titled ‘Design for Beginners’- as it turned out to be a safe surface examination of the design industry.

Vikesh Bhatt
Posted on Friday, 10th of February 2006 Permalink