Understanding the Similarities of Writing and Design Leads to Success
Communication is a vital part of my life. It’s useful for anyone to develop the ability to express themselves, however, I found it necessary to advocate for myself from a young age, which made communicating clearly with others my most prized skill.
Thus, communication design intrigues me because you have the opportunity to impact people through your work to persuade them to believe in an idea or change their point of view on an issue or product. As the adage goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, but it is also fair to say that a picture means nothing if it’s meaning is derived differently by all who see it.
Both articles by Rizwan Javaid and Stella Lincoln questioned the intersection of graphic design and writing. Each concluded that you have to be able to write effectively as a graphic designer. But I’ve never struggled with this concept as I view both graphic design and writing as modes of communication necessary for a clear understanding of your message.
I started working in the graphic design field during my first year in high school with my school’s literary and art magazine. I’ve always correlated writing with graphic design because they are not separate entities on a page when a person is taking in a spread. Instead, color, tone, topography, and style blend together conveying the message that the viewer perceives.
In tandem, writing and design can seamlessly translate your ideas to the viewer who subconsciously absorbs the information. Lincoln wrote in her article, “Why Writing Skills Are Essential For A Designer,”
“Both designers and writers work on a perfect pattern to satisfy their customers with a tailored approach for each deal.”
Whether the project is writing a paper or designing a logo, I keep in mind who my audience is and what I'm trying to tell them.
Writing plays another important role throughout the professional writing and design process by helping throughout the preproduction process. Rough drafts in both writing and design processes are my best friend because they allow me to improve my writing and my final product for myself or a client. In his article, “Design + Writing = Power. How I became a better designer through writing,” Javaid writes,
“Ideas are rough when they first come out. By writing them down I can revise and organize them to uncover their true potential.”
The true potential of an idea, in my opinion, cannot be realized without revision to provide clarity to the viewer. There's always room to improve, even in things you consider finished. Therefore, the more rough drafts, the better the final product.
Recognizing the similarities between the writing process and the design process is crucial for understanding why they intertwine. Designers need to know how to write to communicate the message alongside our design work. Understanding each mode of communication maximizes their potential to reach people and speaks to the designer's dedication to their craft.
Works Cited