Gordonated

Indie Design.

The Artic Monkeys, started off as an indie band and make it big time through Myspace. Coblie Caillat was discovered via Myspace. Or perhaps maybe what Pitchfork & Merge Records did to Arcade Fire? Earning them the front cover of the 4th April 2005 issue of Time magazine. The list goes on with bands like The Decemberist which released a protest music video via BitTorrent, because they have more faith in it compared to the ever-popular MTV.

With the power of the internet, driven by users, anybody, including your next door IT consultant, gets the advantage of self-promotion (thats what I call it here); where he wants it to be, how he wants it to look like, who he wants to impress (I’m pretty sure its some girl), etc. This of course applies if you are the kind of dude who’s really into Friendster, Facebook or Myspace. But my point here is that everybody now has a very accessible tool in hand.

Alike individuals; companies, professionals, bands share the same venue and motives. How about designers then?

Youtube can make Psycho Bob (do check it out!) an overnight celebrity. Myspace can help Maria Digby’s version of Umbrella be played on air. I won’t be suprised if one day, some designer gets famous via Devaintart. Or perhaps through Gfxartist. These do-it-yourself platforms are evolving into something which we can’t just simply ignore for that fact.

Its just that now, they are only equipped with a gallery to exhibit their works. Some lack the value of real world work. Some lack the advantage of having feedback from clients. Most are generated out of the artists or designers personal taste. Something they do past 7pm. Or perhaps as a hobby. Something that can be categorized under “self-expression’. Eventhough some among them stand as professional work but the categorization of the works under a virtual artistic community generalizes these beautiful works under what is called indie design.

If anybody can start up a blog now. It won’t be long until anybody can design anything. They might not even need the professional tools that designers have.

The whole DIY culture might just creep into the design world very soon. But in fact, it already has. Just google “indie design“.

But the thoughts I have:

Does the advantage of the diversity in designing without the attachment of being in a large industrialized business effect the way you design?
It’s a tough question yes. An example will be something like if someone with an account on Gfxartist gets a client and recycles a specific design he did before from one of his works for the client. Then what if the indie designer made it big into the mainstream scene? Will they be like Radiohead? Bringing the ‘alternative’ or ‘non-mainstream’ stuff into the commercial world? Then if the indie designer has a proper avenue with a proper business plan, commercial value attached to it, will he or she still be labeled as an indie designer then?

Do you have more ‘freedom’ then? Can you be more creative or crazy over a layout or an identity?

Then, how about royalty then?
Or is there such thing in the indie design world as royalty? Can someone sue another for publicly using a certain design almost similar to the one he/she did before on his/her/ Gfxartist account?

Okay, then what is the market value for all these indie designers?
Imagine a scenario where a client pops into one of those online virtual artistic community sites and likes the work of Rockheadman07. I wonder will he be hired to do the job. It gets really dangereous when the client starts comparing works, maybe Cuteangel69 has a better touch.

How about style?
My guess is that indie designers might not have a fixed style throughout. But a safe bet would be all the heavily photoshoped images, layouts and logos will remain. Sad. But that doesn’t mean that there are some good stuff out there.

Design education?
I doubt if there will ever be an art or design school for indies. Its against the whole DIY culture. Then, they will have to find out about Alexi Brodovitch by themselves. Wait. My previous design school didn’t thought me that.

Will there ever be a concept in indie design then?
I’ve seen corporate people with good ideas. Sat down and spoke to salesmans who have creative strategies and ways to sell a product. I won’t be suprised if these guys can come up with good stuff.

To those who want to go indie designing, I recommend you this:

Ellen Lupton’s DIY. There’s a web addition to the book online!

To all designers who are reading this, I recommend you this:

Beware, the attack of the indies are coming.