“Design is
not art..”
“Art is meant to provoke thought and emotions, but it doesn’t solve
problems.”
“, whereas designers employ a methodical, data-driven process.”
Both art and design benefit from expressing emotions and telling
stories.
Art and design share the same fundamental visual principles. Colour,
shape, line, balance, contrast, rhythm, etc. These are the most basic
building blocks that both artists and designers work with to create
visual experiences.
both involve compositions, using physical and visual means. Both
share a base of knowledge and skill. Both involve applying
imagination and creativity to the concepts they address.
The difference between art and design lies in intent.
Where art and design overlap?
they are completely distinct practices that happen to share some
attributes
The artist shares their emotions and views through choices of color,
shape, and content. Design aims to motivate. To make the people who
view it actually do something – also using color, shape, and content
Art is Interpreted, Design is Understood
Invitation to share personal Pragmatic
points of view Design has to function
Artists primarily work off instinct Test ideas
Sharing feelings Solving other people problems
Answering personal questions Design always has a specific
Art, in its purest form, has no purpose. It must achieve a goal,
boundaries on intent. It can serve and if it doesn’t, it’s judged to be
any purpose the artist chooses, no bad design.
purpose at all, or an intentionally Design has clients, constraints,
vague purpose aimed to generate business goals and user needs.
different reactions based on Some constraints are dictated by
the viewers perspective and the client (business goals, budget,
intent. timeframe), others are imposed
Art can express the viewpoint of by the medium (technology,
the artist, ask social or political responsive design), while others
questions, or exists only for the are necessities of the customer
purpose of adding beauty to its (user goals, expectations,
environment. accessibility).
Commissioned art has a client, It must look great AND perform
but that doesn't equate to design, its intended function. Only then
because its value is still is it successful design.
subjectively measured. Design is solving a problem.
Art is raising a question Design is conclusive.
Art is an open debate Design is being an actor and
Art is writing and interpreting your following a script
own story. Design is the mind looking for
Art is the voice of the soul. solutions.
Art only needs an inner approval. Design needs a collective
Art is an act of freedom. acceptance.
the success of a piece of art Design is an act of empathy
Design work generally stems
from the need to communicate a
might be measured by its ability pre-existing message
to make people ask questions of
If a designer’s objective is to
themselves and the world around communicate a pre-existing
message, then they are
them. It exists to serve no
considering how they will
purpose but its own existence – motivate their audience
to be art. To challenge, or set Designers usually want their
people on a path of reflection. work to be clearly understood by
their audience, or clients
art tends to be an expression of a
completely new idea Design is considered a skill that
can be taught
artists tend to want to inspire
Feedback is very important
feelings.
art can be interpreted very Objective
differently and rarely has just one
meaning.
artistic ability is considered an
innate gift.
subjective
