The Boundaries of Creativity
I think that a lot of people working in the various creative arenas like design often dream about and even strive towards engaging in a world of unlimited creativity, where ideas and imagination can run rampant. Some designers may even try to make such a dream a waking reality in their every day lives.
It’s funny how quickly that dream can turn into a nightmare.
Now I’m all for creativity. I think it’s an essential component of the design process, and that we should always be looking to push forward with new, interesting and innovative designs and ideas. Creativity and ingenuity are, after all, the building blocks of progress. Assuming that progress is something to be desired, then obviously creativity is important.
But, when it comes to designing, we need to understand and respect certain creative boundaries. These may be technological, physical, cultural, spacial or any number of other types, but the important thing to remember is that these boundaries exist for a variety of reasons, none of which are maliciously intended to hold down your creativity.
Take web design for example. When creating a site for the web, a designer must work within the constraints of things like browser sizes, and standard web technologies, such as HTML, CSS or even Flash, all of which have their own sets of rules, which allow them to function in a (mostly) standardized and predictable manner.
Similarly, logo designers need to understand the way in which their design will be employed. A logo will likely be used at different sizes, so the design itself must be scaleable, with no fine details that would be lost when the logo is reduced past a certain point. A good logo design should also accommodate for both colour and black and white printing, which can have a very strong influence on the manner in which a particular piece is ultimately designed.
Ultimately, the same thing is also true when talking about direct mail. I’m sure that most of you are aware of the fact that there are physical specifications that must be adhered to. In Canada, these specifications can actually vary quite significantly from one postal product to another! That being said, it is important to recognize that they do not exist for the sole purpose of limiting your creativity.
These specifications all exist for a reason (even if that reason is not always entirely clear). Things like accumulated weight or the standard size of mail boxes have a significant impact on Canada Post’s ability to deliver the mail. If the shape or size of a package complicates or impedes the delivery of the piece, chances are that the efficiency of the letter carriers would be compromised. It only makes sense for them to try to put measures in place to prevent this.
Yes, these specifications do create boundaries of a sort, but you don’t have to see them as cruel restrictions designed to suffocate your creativity. Instead, think of them as important guidelines for focusing your thought.
A solid knowledge of what is permitted (and what is not) can help shape your thoughts and give direction to your creativity. You can quickly disregard ideas (even brilliant ones) that are unfeasible as direct mail, and work towards imagining concepts and designing direct mail pieces specifically tailored to the unique requirements of the postal system.
You can also save yourself time and money. We have seen numerous instances where a extensively designed prototype (or worse – a finished piece) comes in just out of spec. If it’s merely a prototype, the problem can usually be fixed, but this generally also means extra time and money spent on a revision. If the piece is already printed, however, it could be subject to costly reclassification and increased postage costs.
Of course, all of these kinds of problems can be avoided by knowing the limitations of a project and working within them. And that is the reason why it is so important to recognize that there are boundaries to creativity when it comes to design. They can help you get things right the first time!
After all, good design is about creating something that is effective – both in the response it elicits and the cost it takes to produce.
