Delivery and Style: Considered

I found a blog by the design studio, DKNG, which consists of the artistic talents and visions of Dan Kuhlken and Nathan Goldman.  The specific post I read from last June about a triptych poster set they did for the band Phish's shows in Atlantic City.  The post consisted of detailed pictures along with a description of how many were being produced, where you could purchase the posters, and then they actually posted a process video of how the poster was created through Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.  Why would they take the extra time to create a video to show their audience how they made the poster and not just keep it as a secret?  They realized that their audience obviously has an interest in what they produce, or else they wouldn't be this deep into their blog.  They want to create a connection with the audience and show them that it does take a lot of talent and an IMMENSE amount of time to complete, but then they show them that the time spent was worth it in the end by showing the final product.  I've noticed that it really says something positive about a company when they're willing to let their audience in on a few secrets.

I had trouble finding a self-written trade journal or newspaper article by a graphic designer, but I did find a book by Adrian Shuaghnessy titled "How to be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul."  He goes through describing himself as a designer in the first few pages in a very honest tone.  He even cites this honesty when talking about how he was inspired to begin his own design studio.  He talks about one of his influences who inspired him to "just try to be open and forthright, and it will be interesting."  He then gets into stating his audience and purpose pretty openly.  "Designers are quick to tell us about their sources of inspiration... but they are much less willing to reveal tiresome matter such as how they find clients, how much they charge and what they do when their client rejects three weeks of work and refuses to pay the bill.  If you want to learn how to be a designer, you need to know about these and other messy matters.  It's as much a part of being a designer as knowing how to kem type or design the perfect letterhead.  In fact, how you deal with the grubby bits is how you learn to be a graphic designer" (page 11). This single paragraph reveals that he's speaking to aspiring graphic designers and he's intending to inform them that the little things are just as important as the skills related to actually creating a product.  

How to be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul

The target audience and purpose of each is different than the other, but they both have a common theme among them: honesty.  They realize that being open to the reader will not only give them a better reputation, but it will help the reader in their future endeavors, whether it be gaining some insight into the poster making process through a process video, or learning the nitty gritty details of the little things you have to do to be successful in the graphic design industry.