If we discuss design, we immediately realize that it is inextricably linked to art. It can be safely said that modern design is a combination of science and art. Modern design combines computer science, laws of basic sciences and art to create objects and ideas that surpass previous creations. With this in mind, a number of people often wonder if they should study art professionally in order to become a designer.
Should you study art academically?
To answer this question, one needs to find out what kind of designer one wants to be. If one wants to be an instrument designer, art may help but it is more important to have a clear background in general sciences, such as mathematics or physics. However, if we are talking about product design or package design, the lines blur a bit and we may have to consider the importance of art.
If we are discussing web design, the importance of art is even more evident. in short, if we are discussing design in terms of what can be viewed for pleasure or information processing, or for consumption (with the idea that it must also look good), then art is definitely very important. However, is it important for you to study art academically?
The two kinds of artists and what we can learn from them
An artist will tell you that there are two kinds of artists: those who take art so seriously (the ones who study it academically), that they stop having fun. This kind of art nerds will probably never create something like Picasso did. They probably will be great theorists and academics. The other kind of artist is the one who self-learns, experiments and simply engages himself or herself in the process of creating something, beautiful or ugly. This kind of person is the real artist and one can easily argue that professional training is not required.
When it comes to web designing or product design, art can be studied in terms of various periods. This helps to understand the design process from a linear perspective. Also, it introduces the designer to various art movements, great artists and the way they played with colors, textures, and lines. This is quite important but can be self-learned. Thus, if one has set out to become a web designer or a product designer, it is important to study art but not professionally. He or she can pick up any of the resources available and acquaint themselves with various art movements, periods and the artists themselves.
Indeed, it can be summarized that while it is important to know the various art movements, art periods and the great artists, it is not necessary to study art professionally or academically to become a great designer. It is important to tell impressionism from surrealism but it is not necessary to know how to play with the brushes or with clay. Going ahead and reading a few books on art should suffice to add to your existing design skills.
