The Role of the Designer

This is the role of the designer:

The Role of the Designer

What does a designer do? The answer used to be fairly simple, but no longer, according to Clement Mok, owner of acclaimed Clement Mok designs communications firm in San Francisco. The advent of the computer as anelectronic drawing board has left designers without clear boundaries -- groping in a digital world where they can manipulate type, illustrations and photographers. These days, though, almost half of his business involves “design without the smell of ink.”

A multimedia designer uses art, sound and design skills to create video, audio and animated images. Her job requires imagination and creativity coupled with technical expertise in applying a wide range of software applications. She normally works in a creative industry, such as computer or Web marketing, filmmaking or television. Graphics, audio and animation skills are also commonly applied in the fields of education, advertising and software design.

A person in this position often has background or experience in graphic design. Before the advent of computers, a graphic designer created images and developed concepts on paper. A multimedia designer typically has talents in this field that she expounds upon by incorporating sound, still pictures, animation and video applications. These projects normally include the production of DVDs and CD-ROMs.

Whether a designer works for the multimedia department at a large company or for a small firm, his/her first step in a project typically involves meeting with the project manager or client to get a clear understanding of their expectations. Once they agree on what is feasible, the designer often presents a time frame and budget for the project. If she needs the assistance of other designers or requires special equipment or materials, he/she presents her list of essentials at this time.

(The next post will have "The Role of the Client")