Are Your Fingerprints Felt? Developing Your Design Signature

Nearly every day we see the lines blur between art and design more and more. The debate continues from within the community as to just where exactly those lines are drawn in the first place. So as designers set out creating stunningly aesthetic solutions for our clients needs, we can see similarities between the art world and the design world. And just as artists develop a signature style which tends to be easily recognized by the public, designers can effectively do the same. Leaving their fingerprints lightly on the design.

First off, let us clarify, this is not a recognition kind of thing. Just as artists sign their paintings, designers will often be credited as well on their designs. This is more about that unique style and flair that you develop which devotees of your work can pick out at a glance. As you look back through the ages, you can see this stylistic signature in some of the most celebrated artists of the art world. O’Keefe, Pollock, Kahlo, Van Gogh and list goes on and on. And today, you can see it happening among some top designers.

So what about you? Are you more a trend follower, whose style mixes with the non-constant waters only to be washed away from the memories of those who cross paths with your work? Or are you developing your design signature so that you know your fingerprints are being felt? Below are some tips to finding your own way to this virtual fingerprinting.

Do Your Own Thing

First and foremost it is important for you to step away from the crowd and do your own thing. Not just a variation on what everyone else is doing. We are not saying that trends are the enemy, or anything like that, but they are also not your best friend. In the design world, you see many who become virtual slaves to the trends that steer the industry. They never break out and dare to strive beyond.

Find Your Individual Voice

The key to this is to do just that. Break out of the confines of the trends that move through the design waters and find ways to your own sense of style. Trends can be great learning tools along the way to your voice, but we are meant to learn from them and move on. To dissect them. Learn the various techniques and the different solutions for certain design concerns that they have to offer, and adapt elements of them into our own style.

Oddly enough, trends are meant to help us find alternate perspectives and solutions. To help us see and work outside the box. But unfortunately, all too often, we end up allowing these trends to box us in. Our thinking becomes geared more towards ‘how can we fit these trends into our work’ rather than allowing the design to find these techniques organically because they are what satisfies the design’s objectives.

Nurture That Individuality

Another task that becomes paramount is to find ways to nurture this individuality. With clients calling the shots, straying from trends and getting them to accept this new direction is not always an easy thing to accomplish. And if we work for a firm, then our bosses may also not be that comfortable with this approach. There can be an assembly line mentality that drives the industry at times as clients, enamored with these new trends, push for their inclusion.

So we have to keep up side projects and work on design in our time off so that we can ensure we have the ability to work however we like. When we call all the shots, we can work on nurturing that individuality that will take us to that signature style of our own. Trends and boxes be damned, we have nothing standing in our way but design problems that need creative solutions. And there are no limits or specifications on how we must proceed. Innovation is our only guide.

Be Consistent

Not in deed alone, but in design. If you are going to find a design signature then you are going to have to maintain some level of consistency in your work. Not that there has to be an underlying theme, but something that ties them together stylistically needs to be present. If you think of the work of James White, you can understand what we mean here. His work tends to have a signature style that remains consistent across his body of work.

Tread Lightly

Now though consistency is key, you have to tread lightly as you effectively fingerprint your work. Whatever your signature style ends up being, it needs to be balanced just like all design. Something subtle enough to not detract from the overall piece, but recognizable enough to be picked up on. Your style needs to be able to have broad enough application throughout the design industry to make it truly effective.

Good or Bad?

Now we divert for a second to ask what we feel is an important question. Is having this sort of stylistic signature a good or a bad? It is always good to ask just because we can do something, should we? That is what we are attempting to do now. While some might argue that we are limiting ourselves and have simply created our own little box to work from, we don’t necessarily see it that way.

Having our own style does not mean that we have a certain mold that all of our designs will be created from. It does not mean that we have created our own little trend that we are following. Having our own signature style still allows us to approach each design with a fresh perspective, and does not dictate how we approach the solutions any design needs to address.

And as long as this does not impede on the design or your ability to keep it effective, then we say this sort of virtual fingerprinting is a fantastic way to establish yourself in the field. To stand out from the rest of the masses. To develop your work and your following at the same time.