Putting on a Show

Someone I met with recently, asked me what the essential differences were between designing for print, and for the web. Having done a fair amount of both, I began to really think about this question deeply – and these were my resulting conclusions.

As a designer, it is important to wear multiple hats in order to be able to adapt to a number of clients from different backgrounds, and also to be able to approach each project with a fresh perspective. I am inclined to think that designers are somewhat like actors in that they create an identity for a product, and put it in context – much like an actor does with any role.

Now, web and print are merely media through which a designer can express his or her ideas and aesthetic point of view. Most designers have some trademark features in their work, which is what makes their touch unique or recognizable – regardless of the medium of expression. I think that designing for print is somewhat like acting in a live theater production, and web design is similar to being part of a TV series. My analogy might seem a bit out there, but let me explain.

Most designers have some trademark features in their work, which is what makes their touch unique or recognizable – regardless of the medium of expression.

With a print design project, you are given a timeline during which you can make all the modifications you want, and exploit the design brief to its maximum potential. You have a certain space within whose dimensions you have to confine your work, and once you decide to send to print, there is absolutely no way to make changes (without spending a lot of money of course, because nothing is really impossible!). Think of a theatre performance – the production can undergo any amount of evolution and changes within the practice and preparation timeframe, and there is a stage within whose set dimensions the production has to function. Once those curtains go up, you get only one chance that day to put your best forward, there is no way to go back and correct or change anything while the performance is in progress. A print piece is tactile, and so are the performers in a theater presentation – you can meet and speak with them if you so choose, after the curtains go down.

In the case of a series for television, there are a few characters whose circumstances change dynamically with each episode, and the series is constantly evolving to include new characters and situations. Should a member of the cast drop out, the script can be tweaked to alter the course of the series. To me, this is very much like building and maintaining a website – we start out with a sitemap that has sections whose content evolves over a period of time, new sections are added and design modifications can be made ongoing. In a way, there is more flexibility with what you can do with a website as opposed to a print piece. Sure, web design is somewhat limited by constraints on the development end, but technology is evolving so rapidly that these constraints are diminishing a bit more with each passing day.

Basic principles for effective design are applicable in both situations – it just depends on what the designer finds more exciting – the thrill of live applause, or bringing screens alive with their magic!