Are Art and Design the Same?
Is design art? And is art design? To the average person, design and art are probably considered synonymous. Both involve creative expression and sometimes by similar processes. But if you ask a designer, you may find that equating art and design is a great way to stir the pot and get some opinionated responses that pit art and design against each other. Some say that design is not art — design has to function. You’ll also hear that art is meant to provoke thoughts and emotion, but it doesn’t solve problems. Artists are said to work off of instinct, whereas designers employ methodical, data-driven approaches.
In order to really understand the difference between design and art, we need to first define what type of design we’re talking about. Surely graphic design and illustration could be considered very similar to art. But web, app, and software design are much farther from what we imagine when thinking about art. Art and design share the same principles (you’ve probably heard of the 7 Principles of Art and Design) which include balance, rhythm, pattern, emphasis, contrast, unity and movement. They also share the same elements of line, shape/form, space, value, color and texture. Both art and design also benefit from expressing emotions and telling stories. So what are the fundamental differences?
Different Purposes
The difference between art and design lies in intent. Whereas design is almost always made for the user or viewer, art is about personal expression. The purpose and value of art is independent — it is in the art itself. It may have a clear meaning, an intentionally vague meaning, or no meaning at all. The value of design is in it’s use — the purpose that it serves for the context around it. Design is dictated by external forces, whether that be clients, business goals, or user needs, that all create its purpose.
Art is abstract. It makes the viewer think. Design is calculated. It is created to alleviate the user in their experience by making them think less. Design addresses existing challenges, improves efficiency, and serves utility.
Where art is about exploration and playfully trying new things, design is about observation and iteration. You learn design as a skill by improving and innovating on solutions.
Different Uses of Creativity
Art aims to express creativity in its purest form. It may be creative simply for the sake of being creative. And a creative piece of art is often a piece of art that the artist can be proud of simply for being creative — that is often enough to be considered good art. In design, however, not every creative design is a good design. Designers must leverage creativity to build a design that better solves the problem or serves the purpose at hand. If a design is extremely creative but does not provide a satisfactory use, it’s not really a good design.
Different Data Sources
Art is a personal expression, meaning the artist can be the sole source of inspiration and data. You are the only one contributing to a piece that is solely you. Design, on the other hand, always comes from a source that is not inherently personal. Because design is for a use, we always design with that use in mind, pulling from that data source. And because design serves the clients and the users, the number of data sources we pull from when designing only expands. Having all these data sources and various areas of input is making design increasingly more objective. Now, when a design is introduced to users, we can measure its performance and objectively conclude whether or not it’s a good design based off key metrics. Art, however, will always be subjective — what one person hates, another person may love.
But it’s not art versus design
You may have heard the phrase that form follows function, in this case, meaning that art follows design. The man who said this, Frank Lloyd Wright, believed so strongly in the unity of form and function that he changed the oft-misunderstood axiom, “form follows function” coined by his mentor Louis Sullivan to read, “form and function are one.” Really, despite their differences, art and design should act as a unit. It is the unity of the two that creates a superior design. By recognizing that art and design are not the same, great designs can be created utilizing art.
This article was written in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Fall 2020 section of DMD 3035 — Interaction Design at the University of Connecticut, Digital Media & Design Department.
