Who did what

For most young, hardworking designers, being responsible for a great piece of work is important for a few reasons.

First and foremost, there’s the satisfaction and pride that comes with getting a great piece of work across the line, and there’s the promise of being given other great briefs having proved yourself.

There’s also the potential of industry recognition in terms of awards (yes, you all think about it even if you say you don’t) and lastly there’s the theory that once you get a few of these pieces in your folio you can use them to further your career, both creatively and financially (yes, you all think about it even if you say you don’t).

This brings me to the debate that’s been raging in our studio over the past week or so. You’re thinking ‘raging’ is too strong a word. Trust me, it's not. The debate has been around the topic of authorship. A topic I feel very strongly about. Just as I abhor creative theft I have also always struggled with the idea that a designer can claim authorship of a project, having played little or no role in its development.

It’s often a touchy subject and many designers would argue that attributing ownership or credit is not as simple as it sounds. I disagree. I’ll admit there’s a lot to be said for terms like collaboration, creative direction and overseeing but at the end of the day there can be little debate over who really did what. As far as I’m concerned, if you didn’t do it, don’t say you did.

Every time a job has been completed that I’ve been involved with at some level, I have been able to easily assess whether or not I can take any credit. And more importantly whether or not I should. I find the easiest way to make this assessment is ask myself one question: was my contribution significant enough to help shape the outcome of the job?

If it wasn’t then I don’t take any credit. In fact I try to avoid it. If I deem my contribution to be vital to the projects final form then I will take credit where it’s due. How do I determine the significance contribution? Easy. I ask myself whether or not the job would’ve turned out much the same had I not been involved. If it would’ve then I simply can’t lay claim.

‘But so much design is about collaboration!’ I can hear you all roar. Yes, collaboration is common within design but with the exception of those massive, year long projects, most jobs only pass through a small number of hands (and heads). Often really small jobs, such as identities or posters, will be the handy work of only one or two designers.

Three at the most. Even then I’d be surprised if all three designers would claim authorship. Still it’s not uncommon to find the same logo on three different designers’ websites under the heading ‘work.’ It is indeed someone’s work and I’d love to know whose.

Credit is a little trickier to attribute when creative direction or overseeing have been part of the process. Still, I’d argue if more designers were honest and unselfish then attributing credit wouldn’t be so tricky. Having made the transition from being overseen as a junior to now having to oversee designers myself I’ve never really had any trouble with giving or taking credit. In my first job, like most juniors, I was often heavily directed.

The ideas weren’t often mine and the visual direction was usually the product of my creative directors’ vision. I was learning a lot but it was frustrating as I felt the work wasn’t truly mine. As a result my folio was quite thin for the first couple of years of my career. And if I ever had to show anyone my work I was very clear about the role I had played. What this made me do was work harder to get my ideas across the line.

Slowly this happened more and more until I got to the stage where I had a selection of work that, with the exception of a little guidance, I honestly felt responsible for.

Now, as I’m overseeing more, the roles have reversed but my approach is still the same. If I am overseeing a junior or mid–weight designer on a job and they manage to crack the idea with little or no intervention then the credit is theirs. No question. Having been in their position I understand the frustration and desire to ‘own’ the work. For me, being able to step back and oversee someone solve a problem, albeit with some guidance, is more satisfying than getting another piece of work in my folio.

Maybe it’s just me but I think we need to be more honest and unselfish about our output. Websites should be annotated to include details about team–based projects and designers promoting their work should at least attempt to credit those who have made significant contributions.

Designers being interviewed need to be very clear about what role they have played in a projects outcome. They need to be as confident and sure of what they have done, as they are about what they didn’t do.

By the way most of the blog was written by my friend Dave. I just changed a few words.

(I wish I could say that bit about my friend Dave writing the blog was my idea. But it wasn’t. It was Dave’s. Ironic huh?)