Previously on Mastering Mediocrity, our host Zeeshan featured two of the best designers in Colombo: Akila Weerasinghe and Tuan Shehan. Both these episodes had its similarities in terms of the guests’ opinions and perspectives on the design industry of Sri Lanka. Here are a few things we were able to learn from them both cohesively.
A key issue the design industry faces is the lack of inspiration and knack for creative thinking. This industry is all about being able to think outside the box and giving it your best shot. Present-day learners are more focused on mastering the software than putting their best foot forward in terms of creativity.
In Episode 6, Akila spoke about how many graphic design mentoring institutes mainly focus on teaching their students the theory of using the respective software instead of the practicalities of it. There are certain aspects of this industry which cannot be simply taught, and that’s, how creative your design could be. Agreeing to Akila’s statements, in Episode 12, Tuan explained the significance of paying attention to detail and that although they mostly go unnoticed individually, those minute details accumulated are the ones that make your design stand out of the crowd.
Today, we see graphic designing as a mere money-making profession and not one done for the love and passion for it. That itself has had its fair share of negative effects on the designs we see. The best designs do not need much effort put into it – rather, the simplest ideas with a few words can sometimes have the greatest impact. Tuan described the originators of such designs as the “geniuses in bad design”, as they have the power to make something so simple yet so memorable.
One of the main concerns both Akila and Tuan voiced are the exponential rise of graphic designers in the past few years. Now that we live in a world of technology and anyone can learn anything on YouTube, this has in turn has led to the increase in the number of “amateur” designers and has saturated the entire market. Yet, it is also believed that this rise would not last as long as the original designers keep up with their standards.
The phrase “every day is a chance to learn something new” can be primarily applied to any growing industry which evolves on a day-to-day basis. Akila believes that one can only feel satisfied with their job when they tend to learn something new regularly. He also believes that people need to work towards defining themselves through their unique set of skills than who they work for. Tuan, on the other hand, set out to prove that being lazy is not a negative trait, as the best ideas can come at any time. Designers need to be patient and not rush into any design due to time constraints.
Laziness is the greatest form of creator’s block, but sometimes a little procrastination, mixed with some patience, may be all you need to get your best ideas out there. Design can be art, design can be aesthetics. Design is so simple, and that’s why it is so complicated.
Transcribed by Amani Najumudeen
Episode 6 : https://youtu.be/5xDDaszS94M
Episode 12: https://youtu.be/fn2I9MWQRsQ
Listen/watch the episodes on YouTube, Spotify, Google, and Apple Podcast and don’t forget to subscribe!
