The art of business in art

A short article from Unbeige on  BusinessWeek editor, Bruce Nussbaum's appointment as a visiting professor of Innovation and Design at Parsons sparked some thoughts on my time in July. 

Thanks in part to Project Runway, Parsons is widely known as one of the top schools to study fashion.  Alumni such as Donna Karan, Marc Jacobs, and Anna Sui have something in common which I do not doubt was a result of their education. Business sense. It isn't enough to be highly creative; to innovate with beautiful designs using materials in ways people never imagined. You must have the ability to sell your work, to present it in a manner that convinces the client to buy off on the idea, or the consumer to purchase the goods.  Sounds like the stifling of the creative process?  Maybe, but reality requires us as designers of consumed items to take the user into account. 

The wonderful thing about Parsons is they emphasize this truth in the program and as a result graduate well-rounded, business savvy individuals.  They encourage students to develop a style and explore any direction without fear of being ridiculed. Take it as far and away from reality as you want; then reel it back in if necessary.  In addition, there is a strong emphasis on aesthetics in every step of the process. I benefited from their requirements to study art and design movements and be inspired to re-imagine them in new ways. I had not studied art history since high school and definitely needed the refresher. Then of course, the aesthetics of your creations is imperative.  But it doesn't stop there.  Presentations were scrutinized to the point of feeling like a cross between a graphic design course and a Toastmasters meeting. Their full time programs integrate business courses and draws upon resources like Columbia's b-school for collaborations such as the Corporate Design Foundation. So it's not just about making beautiful creations, it's getting them out there to succeed and allow the designer to continue and grow in the industry.

Does the art in design die a little with commercialization? Yes. But this sacrifice brings design to further reaches and hopefully instills a love of the arts to those who may not have been exposed otherwise.