It’s a question that likely everyone starting out with digital art asks. Coming from design myself, I’ve wondered when people see some of my design work, are they seeing it as art?
Before getting to my views and rationalizations, it’s worth noting that I’ll be taking a few things for granted. For example, that you are aware that the tools and processes, and so on, involved in digital art and design are that. Not going to delve into the expertise level and influences of it all. It’s to keep this piece on point and not have to go off on tangents that won’t help answer the question.
Let’s get to it, then.
Table of Contents
What is digital design?#
To answer that question, we need to first understand what the word “design” means;
A design is a plan or specification for the construction of an object or system or for the implementation of an activity or process or the result of that plan or specification in the form of a prototype, product, or process. The verb to design expresses the process of developing a design.
Wikipedia
Interesting…
Working as a digital designer, on the web side of things, for as long as I have, you get to see the nuances that come with the job.
One in particular that non-designers can’t seem to get a grip on is what design actually is. Most see it as something creative. Which it is, but it’s more technical and leans a lot on science and facts than anything else.
The fault here, I’ve come to believe, lies with the fact that they only get to see and experience the final work. Rarely, if ever, do they witness the entire process.
The problem is quite real, to the point that even designers themselves have to go along with it. Be it a graphic, a video, or even a website, it was their artistic sense that made the work. Completely surpassing the fact that it was the rules and the science they had to apply. The entire technical process that brought them to produce the work.
While I do try to educate my clients about this fact, one thing I’ve learned is that you have to pick your battles. It’s not worth getting them more confused or risk making them feel dumb. 🤪
Heck… I rarely use the title “digital designer” as a way to describe what I do. I usually say that I’m a “web designer” or a “designer and coder”. Both are somewhat more clear and not as ambiguous for non-designers to understand. I have to admit, though, that even with that it’s not without its problems. Anyway…
What makes the digital in digital design?#
When people hear “digital design” the first thing that comes to mind is graphic design. This, in itself, is not wrong, but it’s not what digital design is all about.
Graphic design is an important part of digital design. After all, it covers the visual aspect, but does it in a much broader way. That’s why when I included the words “video” and “website”, earlier, it wasn’t in error.
If we take web design, for example, it’s a computer science discipline. It’s not graphic design for the web, as some would like to believe. Even though there are graphical elements to the final design, it’s like 10-20% of the work involved. In other words, digital design is not a set of tasks off of a singular discipline, and the final product is not static.
If that’s the case, then does it mean that digital design is not artistic and digital art is? Well…
Digital design can be artistic #
The medium, be it vector, raster, 2D, 3D, code, or whatever, and process used are irrelevant. Something that’s designed for the sake of art, in my view, has the potential to be art or, if digital, then digital art.
I’m not ignoring the fact that digital art is a discipline or profession. What I’m trying to point out here is that, if we take the literal meaning of the words digital art, then a graphic designer, or even a web designer, can produce work that’s so creative and impactful that it can be art.
So, what is digital art?#
It’s digital design… but more creative. 😅
OK! Allow me to explain! 🙃
When shifting from design, something became clear to me. The only distinction between digital art and digital design is the focus point.
Digital art focuses on the action first, like the stylus to the canvas on the screen. While digital design’s focus is on the logistics of the actions taken first. Like creating the structure of a website before building it.
This is not to say that a digital artist doesn’t consider any logistics of the work they’re about to embark on. They can, but they can start without it. It will not have any kind of detrimental effect on the work starting out. 🤔
I don’t know about you, but, for me, this is when the line gets blurry between the two. It does seem like digital art is about the approach taken and not much else.
I’m not trying to be obtuse and ignore the end products of either work, but a designer can also create art.
Can digital art be real art?#
That’s the question! Isn’t it? I’m not too keen on going down the path of trying to answer the question of what makes art art. It’s a simple question with a difficult answer. Even Wikipedia points something out…
There is no generally agreed definition of what constitutes art, and its interpretation has varied greatly throughout history and across cultures.
Wikipedia
It’s because the answer becomes too philosophical and with art, there are no absolutes. (For majors in Philosophy, I know what I did here! 😅)
As explained earlier, when it comes to art with digital design, the medium or process is irrelevant to the question. If created for the sake of it, then it can be… but doesn’t have to be. 🤷♂️
I seem to be repeating myself. 😒
Another perspective to consider…#
A few months back, I watched a video uploaded on YouTube by Daniel Sherekin. A digital creator also known as BoroDante, where he talks about why he thinks digital art is dead (timestamped to where he starts talking about it). He puts things into perspective and poses the question, “when was the last time someone paid to see your work?” (I paraphrased).
The context here is “art in a gallery” scenario. He defines digital artists as “craftsmen” rather than artists, in this case.
🤔 It’s a good argument.
Can we assume that digital art is design?#
I don’t think it would be wrong to call a digital artist a designer or their work a “design”. The thing is, it’s not always accurate either.
I can say that the “art”, in its actual sense, is a misnomer in digital art, but since there’s no better way to describe it, “art” it is. Let’s face it, it has come to own it.
So, is it possible that not all digital art is art but design… and some digital artists are artists? Likely.
🤷♂️
Some things that need saying…#
Try not to get disillusioned by what I’ve said here (or what others have or might say). It’s important to have these thoughts and discussions. As things are not always static, it helps to develop a good foundation to any discipline by having them.
Especially in the digital realm… things are continuous and always evolve. 😬
Also, I want to make it clear that this is my rationalization and opinion of the question. You may have a different view, and that’s OK.
🤗 I’m not a gatekeeper of any kind.