Any Time Is a Good Time to Save Time
This week, we sprang forward. Whether we were dreaming, daydreaming, or problem-solving when that hour slipped away, we may be feeling a twinge at its disappearance. Although there’s never enough time, designers — being creatively minded — often start projects from scratch. But sometimes the surest way to inspiration is using a model devised by somebody else.
It may feel weird to wander into the realm of the “amateur,” where autodidacts scarf expert tips and techniques. Eric Meyer’s CSS Sculptor, for instance, simplifies tricky web layouts. Skipping the slow part can cause professional anxiety, though: Typographica commenters recently debated whether using Paula Scher's letterhead and business card templates for Adobe will yield unpolished results.
Still, it’s greater access to specialized tools — metal type, Xerox machines, GarageBand — that allows us to learn, improvise, and innovate in the first place. Students, small business owners, and nonprofits unable to hire top-notch designers often lean on available forms to get the job done. But meaning is still born. Perhaps modern creators can give themselves permission to appreciate the time and freedom gained by riffing on others’ experience. What they do with it may save some grief — and buy more joy.
Remarks 10 total remarks were added before the post was closed.
Ian
> But meaning is still( )born.
As an occasionally industrious homosapien myself, I'm all for creative tool use. However, there are risks and challenges beyond "professional anxiety" when relying on templates and boilerplate that should be acknowledged. Indeed, I feel, even in the limited space provided here.
Caveat creator, as always.
Rett
Great point! Similarly, any time I come up with what I think is a great new idea I take the time to look around to see if there's anything close already out there. It's a seemingly obvious step, but it will save you the time of duplicating someone else's efforts. I'm always surprised at how un-original I actually am :)
Daniel
I find templates are often a good place to start, but hardly ever a final solution.
They're a good way to deconstruct another designer's work - mentioning GarageBand reminds me of Nine Inch Nails recent trend of releasing GarageBand-able versions of their tracks, revealing a lot about the creative process. Is there anywhere you can get the design equivalent of this? I'd love to get my hands on some "celebrity" layout files!
Immortal
I feel that there are two ideas in this post. The first is whether the use of templates created by great designers for use by non-designers is a viable idea, and the second is whether or not professional designers should use those same templates as a starting point for new creative development.
To the first point, I feel that so much bad design exists because people who are not professionally trained are working without any proven parameters, and therefore templates might actually improve the quality of design overall. Take blogs: if everyone had to construct the code from scratch, 95% of all blogs would be unusable. The template improves the presentation, thus allowing the content to shine (or not).
To the second point, I think it's acceptable for trained designers to use the templates of others, as long as they are doing so legally, and that they are willing to push the design in a direction that makes it unique and distinct from the template on which it is based. For example, Web designers often use pre-packaged tools (polls, galleries) that work really well, but then push them to a new level with their own efforts.
Russell Yarwood
I have a really hard time with this concept.
I've always felt the attention to detail is what can separate you from the work of the hack. I find this especially true when it comes to web design. There are millions of "web designers" who rip off nearly everything they use. From CSS layouts, javascripts, design elemets, etc. There's nothing wrong with saving a bit of time and your sanity, but there is a line that needs to be drawn.
There's always more satisfaction if you've "rolled your own" as we say around our studio.
Joshua Harbaugh
Starting with tried-and-true templates (and frameworks for developers) can be freeing and it can allow the skilled designer to push the envelope even further. They did not have to start from scratch.
Admittedly, it is usually best to start from scratch on most projects, but for the occasional "quickie" it should be considered. Time is money and most clients (even some corporations) do not want to waste either.
Russell Yarwood
Joshua - I completely agree, as long as those pieces of code are yours to begin with.
Clayton Bellmor
Google Blueprint, I see.
Joshua Harbaugh
@Russell: The more projects one does the easier that is to do definitely. You build a library of resources each time you complete a project. Mine comes in handy from time to time.
Michael McWatters
Speaking of using templates, Modernista, a Boston-based agency, recently launched its new "siteless site," which relies on Google News for the news section, Wikipedia for the About section, Flickr for the portfolio section, etc.
Is it gimmicky or lazy? Or is it really smart and the future of Web design? I don't know, but I thought it made sense here because it demonstrates how you can incorporate the hard work of others into your own work in new and innovative ways.
Check it out: http://modernista.com/7/