Learning from the Past & Mastering the Present

I totally agree with Meg and I have a little to add to her post. I studied fine art before I studied design so I learned a decent amount on how to become an "artist" which, as we all know, is very different than being a designer. To become a fine artist, like a painter, one must first study and learn the fundamentals of art: composition, hierarchy, layout, color theory, anatomy, proportion/scale, depth of field, etc. Once these fundamentals are mastered the student focuses on technique, mediums, styles, etc. Over the course of time the student will master both of these skills and focus on mastering a technique that, usually, is modern for the time. Once mastered the student start developing and mastering their own style, eventually the artist becomes known for this style and becomes a master themselves. If you look at the history of modern art you will see this progression in artist like Picasso, but we all know this.



In design I have tried to follow a similar path and I think most designs would benefit from doing the same. Mastering the fundamentals of design, mastering the equipment then mimicking the styles and techniques of great designers whose work I/you admire, all with the hopes of developing my own style and like Picasso or David Carson it is original and perhaps game changing.



So, I find it very important & beneficial to refer back to super-star designers like Bass, Rand, etc. to learn about what made their work great. I think it is even more important to see what today's great designers are up to. Look at Neville Brody, Stefan Sagmeister, Paula Shor, Micheal Beruit, etc. to see what's hot and what styles are popular.