We Belong Together
So, for this month's Pando Newsletter, I wanted to talk about something that has been on my mind recently: Art vs Design. Is there a difference between them, and if they are, what are those reasons?
The purpose of art could be said is to express creativity and provoke thought.
Design aims to bring artistic principles to something that already exists outside of the realm of art, while creating a more enjoyable experience.
Both art and design benefit from expressing emotions and telling stories. In fact, one could argue that this is the purpose of art. But it’s far from the purpose of design, because for designers, this is merely one tool they can utilize to help achieve a specific goal.
With that said, here are some ways that we can compare art vs design.
Art Inspires, Design Motivates
Design and art are forms of communication that share similar approaches and the goal of creating emotions in the viewer. While design motivates and inspires people to take action, art arouses strong emotions and triggers thought.
Art is Interpreted, Design is Understood
Our perspectives and worldviews are influenced by art, which forces us to examine ourselves. Design seeks to offer a single, more understandable solution. But art may send a single message to everyone, and design frequently depends on artistic principles. This intersection of design and art takes place on multiple levels.
Art is a Talent, Design is a Skill
Artistic talent is often innate in people and can be developed. But even experienced designers can pick up new techniques and understand and develop design aspects and methodologies. While having an innate sense of aesthetics gives one an advantage in the arts, anyone can learn more about and be great at design.
Art is Imagination. Design is Imagination+Intelligence
In order to accomplish their objectives of evoking specific emotions in people through visuals, both design and art make use of social behavior theory. But because they both make use of social behavior, it can be difficult to distinguish between the two.
Art is a Journey, Design is a Process
The creative process begins in the artist's mind and can be methodical or intuitive. The artist may revisit a painting later on. Through research, guidelines, and implementation, design seeks to solve problems through creativity and imagination.
Conclusion
Despite their differences, art and design have many similarities because they both express the same idea. Design solves problems and keeps the world running, while art transforms the people who live in it. This is what makes this subject so intriguing to think about and talk about because, in the end, there is no correct or incorrect answer.
JVD
* The newsletter is named after the Mariah Carey song "We Belong Together" from her 2005 album "The Emancipation of Mimi".