What is "Art" to you?
I asked this question to a few people today after seeing Mr. Alan Cooper's brief thread of thoughts on the role of art in design, or the lack thereof. The answers I heard back aligned with his definition of art being personal expression.
“If you think there is a component of “art” in the job of the interaction designer (or UX designer) then you and I have two different world views of what this whole profession, discipline, practice is about.”
But what of art's relation to design; is there no place for personal expression—aka art—in experience, product, or service design? Is it that this idea, as Mr. Cooper states, essentially distracts from the true needs of design work?
I'm on the fence of agreeing here, but by the time I'm done laying out these thoughts, I may find my side.
On one hand, the argument makes sense that user experience and interaction design should be focused on function, purpose, consistency, and usability than personal expression. I feel this is especially relevant where personal expression would otherwise break any of those various tenets at the detriment of conversion.
We could say that primary goal of UX design work is not to make something beautiful, but to make something that helps a user achieve their goals, which in turn beenfits the business. This is true of most products, services, or touchpoints found within them.
On the other hand, I have this nagging feeling that saying there is no component of art in the job is too black-and-white. Is there no possibility or justification for a designer or the business itself purposefully looking to express their brand values through their designs?
Art is subjective. If there’s one absolutely true statement amongst all of this, that had to be it. How that art is perceived will differ from one person to the next.
A novice or legendary painter could both place a red dot on a white canvas and see it as art, perhaps even their masterpiece. How well the public will appreciate or value it will be unknown until the artist sees whether they emotionally react and connect to it. Not all emotional reactions to a piece are good.
Mr. Cooper goes on to say that art doesn't play a role in making users happy.
However, given that art has the potential to evoke a positive reaction as previously discussed, then it stands to reason that the perception of an artful touch in an interaction design could equally play a contributing role in user happiness.
All in all, the value of any design is ultimately determined by those consuming or using it; reactions could be positive or negative. What it boils down to—the key question to answer—is what is the goal of art in design.
If a product is designed for personal appreciation, such as a souvenir mug from a memorable holiday, its design—its art—is what will make or break both the sale and its usefulness at home. An ugly mug might never get chosen for the morning coffee, but perhaps its purchased purpose was to be a fun reminder of a trip worth remembering.
And what of the checkout flow? I see no reason to say there’s no room for art along the way. An expressionistic online shopping experience can be just as influential as the delivery of that mug itself in shaping the customer’s overall satisfaction with a brand.
A public art sculpture of two intersecting arrows (stock photo courtesy of https://pxhere.com/en/photo/709321)