Q. Is it more or less difficult to effectively gain the attention of an audience who already has a high exposure to digital technology; and specifically the programs you use as a designer?

A. I think it’s easier to design for an audience familiar with the medium, whether it is digital technology or not. If they are familiar with it they will have developed certain patterns in interacting and decoding the message and the designer can make use of these patterns in conjuction with a visual language to ensure the audience will interpret the sign in the intended way. Whether the message is enguaging or not really depends on the content of the message and how appropriate the execution and medium is for the target audience.

Q. Is it necessary to challenge the conventions of digital technology in order to create a unique experience for the audience?

A. Definitely — I think if you want to create something innovative you need to avoid conventions and approach the execution or idea from a different perspective. Working on something innovative is, perhaps, one of the things I’ve most enjoyed about being a designer. Not every piece of work demands, or has the budget to create a unique experience though.

Q. How do you effectively achieve innovation across your work when audiences are becoming increasingly acclimatized to what used to be considered radical?

A. It’s easy to follow trends, for example Web 2.0; widgets, user-generated content, mobile/web integration, and believe you are creating an innovative piece of work because you are using modern technology, when really you’re not pushing any boundaries at all. This might been seen as innovative if you are bringing these concepts to an industry that hasn’t used them before though. I think developing truly innovative ideas with digital technology is a collaborative process between many professionals, often designers, developers and programmers. The key to innovation is not to restrict the process of idea generation, it can be a great start to include a diverse range of people with a multitude of experiences, or if this isn’t possible trying to adopt some methods that allow this like Edward de Bono’s hats, or IDEO’s method cards. Sometimes a great idea may come from someone who has never worked in design or technology and therefore has no pre-concieved ideas.

Q. How has the industry changed since you first became a designer?

A. When I started in web design in 1997 there were hardly any ‘designers’ in the industry, with most web designers being programmers or people who had never had to consider how an audience might interact with their content. The technology was far less sophisticated and we were very limited with what we could do, dictated mostly by file sizes. Advertising agencies seemed scared of using technology as a medium. Now, web designers must have experience with design as a priority, and technology secondary. Advertising agencies have integrated with digital, and digital designers make up 50% of their designers, if not more — with this figure continually growing. The industry was quite small and quirky with very little written about it as a profession back in 1997, it’s now much larger and taken more seriously. Though it’s still fighting to be seen as a professional and independent and often borrowing theory from related fields such as writing and communication.

I‘ve discovered a collection of short documentaries created by New York designer Hillman Curtis on some intriguing designers, artists and studios (he’s also created a number of other short films and documentaries on a variety of other topics too).

What got me most excited was the two on Sagmeister, one which was even filmed this year. While I think this later documentary conveys a slightly pretentious message (which I think Sagmeister isn’t at all) and is also based on the quotes he wrote that summarise things he’s learnt in his life (which seems to be the only information you can get on his current work), it’s still worth watching for any fan. The other Sagmeister documentary should appeal to any designer who’s interested in how a small studio operates and an alternative, interesting approach to the design process.

Some other films worth watching for anyone interested in ways other successful people approach their work are: David Carson, Pentagram, and a more recent one too (though best to skip the first half where they maniacally try to explain the history of the company!) and Joshua Davis. I’m sure there are more in there too!

Jason Smith of Font Smith has just launched a new typeface for Mencap as part of their revised branding called FS Mencap. The face involved close development with focus groups over a 3-month period to ensure people with learning disabilities can see it clearly and are able to easily read it. I like that it has a really approachable, soft, friendly personality while not looking too childish or comic-like. I really like that there is a lot of research behind all of the design decisions made too. The shape of each letter is unique with each having their own defining feature, meaning it’s easier to tell them apart. The letter forms are all in their simplest form and dotted letters and punctuation have comparatively large dots to ensure clarity. I’m not sure about the actual new brand mark but Font Smith weren’t responsible for that.