Design Too Tech?

Hello Creatives!

Many designers today use technology to create and consider most of their work to be digital. Portfolios are on the web and social media is the new marketing; is design becoming too tech?

Digital Portfolios

Portfolios are now digital; every designer and artist has a website showcasing their work. For those who are not apt for web design, there are host sites optimized for portfolios such as BeHance, Dribbble or SquareSpace. For those who are more tech-savvy, there are fully-customized WordPress sites.

Portfolios used to be saved onto discs and then mailed to potential hiring managers/prospects. Now, the entire process is streamlined with a few simple clicks of a mouse and an email.

With this comes new expectations on presentation. Depending on your expertise, is the portfolio displayed to the best of its ability? Is it modern enough? Does the site allow the work to be the centerpiece? Presentation takes time and refinement. Many creatives' portfolios change in the presentation over the years so it can look as best it can to receive a job or get a referral for new clients.

Tech Tools

For many years, there have been a multitude of tools creatives, designers and illustrators have used to create their work. Adobe was and remains the top provider of digital tools. Adobe went from downloadable program discs to becoming fully digital with the CreativeCloud service. With the emergence of dgital apps, there called for new hardware to support the new software.

New products became available to keep up with the new software such as iPad and Galaxy tablets with programs like Procreate and powerful laptops including Macbook Pro, HP and Acer.

Other advances appeared on the scene to take creating further with the release of the VR (virtual reality) headset. Augmented and virtual reality technology has entered into the design world recently after being introduced into the gaming scene.

V.R.

Virtual reality has become more prominent in the last 20 years and has recently crossed over into the design world after having success in gaming. Virtual reality is an environment created in a digital space through the use of a headset. Many may remember the popular Oculus Rift, acquired by Facebook, which launched a new way of experinecing the world of gaming by becoming completely immersed.

Virtual reality migrated from game users to becoming a tool for architects, medical staff and designers. It became a digital space where the user could create models, environments and realistic design renderings while interacting with it at the same time that surpassed 3D. The HTC Vive headset rose to be a prominent tool for designers, architects and illustrators to create their media and experience their creations in real time.

With all of the new technological tools, who knows where design, learning and architecture will go next. Regardless of what is used to create the work, it has never been a more exciting time to be in a creative field. Is design too tech? We'll never know until we hit a technological ceiling. Keep creating in 2D, 3D, VR or otherwise.

See You Soon Creatives!