A great article by Michael Bierut about how things have changed in the world of design since the incorporation of the computer. An excerpt:
Design work that would have taken me a week in 1980 can now be done on a personal computer in less than an hour. Cutting and pasting, when needed, is done in the basement, often by interns. I get the impression that this kind of work, to which I once applied myself with the pride of a master chef, is now viewed as a chore like dishwashing. (The New York Times)
image via threedots
scott hansen ???
we’re waiting to meet you in london ??/ london
I think it’s truly a sad statement about the design work that we now consider physical layout and paste-up work to be “busywork” that gets shipped off to the intern. When I get off the computer and actually work with my hands and tools, I have a much greater sense of satisfaction and connection to the finished product. It’s really sad that most designers I know would be lost if you gave them an assignment and a set of drafting tools.
I agree. At school we’ve just been given an assignment along these lines, and I felt completely helpless without my computer. I felt like I was on stage with a left handed guitar. It was really depressing to basically get sent back to square one. No idea what to do at first! I guess I got into design well after the computer became the dominant tool, so I never really had much experience working with my hands. It’s been great so far but it sure took some getting used to.
That photograph is a thing of beauty… great find Alex!
It really makes you wonder how much of us would actually be doing our respective disciplines: Video, Design, Photography had computers not come along and made everything much more accessible and much less of a time commitment.
I think i’d be way too ADD to actually “photo-shop” my negatives.
And I suppose in another 60 years or so people will be saying, “Oh man, I remember the simple days of InDesign, Quark Express, php, mysql, css, xml, Illustrator, Photoshop, Flash, Dreamweaver, javascript, Cold Fusion and alcohol.”
Clint makes a good point. I probably wouldn’t be doing photography. I’d probably be doing something bad ass like data entry or retail.
Funny that you post this…one of my favorite essays talks about this very subject, but also applying it to Film and Art. Here’s a link to it:
http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/ge/benjamin.htm
Best thing about it is that it was written some 70 odd years ago, and it still holds very true today. It’s a good read if you have the time.