Never design in your style only … until you can

The main difference between an artist and a designer is a shift in mindset. The artist creates primarily for himself. The designer, on the other hand, creates for his clients needs. Only few designers reach a level in their career in which they’re able to transition into art, which is why most designers should never design according to personal taste only.

My style is not my client’s style

I am a minimalist – in design and in life.

If clients hire me for a project, I think in minimalist terms to provide a solution. But before I dive into brainstorming at all, I ask myself the simple question: What does the client need?

Minimalism has many advantages, why I became a minimalist myself. But advantages can become disadvantages depending on the circumstances. Some clients simply are in need of a gigantic, almost megalomaniac marketing solution.

The best example for that is the WWE: When I was six to ten years old, I loved wrestling and watched the Royal Rumble every year. I knew it was fake, but I still enjoyed the flamboyant characters, the spectacular shows, and the all-around craziness.

Now think about working for the WWE. There are a lot of words that come to mind when we think about wrestling shows, but minimalism is clearly not one of them. Designing a wrestling character, a federation logo, or a Royal Rumble poster needs the exact opposite of minimalism.

The client’s style can be my style

The situation can change, if a designer becomes big enough to be known for a certain style. There are musicians that hire specific artists and designers to create album covers. These musicians hire them because they like their style, therefore, they expect the same style applied to the project they hired him for.

Andy Warhol designed one of the most famous album covers for The Velvet Underground:

But to be able to do it like Warhol, you need the same standing as him. Not many designers ever reach a level where their style becomes famous enough to pay the bills. Instead most designers need to pay the bill with a style that fits the needs of the client – and this style differs with every new client you get.