What Is a Designer: Things, Places, Messages

by Norman Potter

Combining a wide-ranging discussion of the major issues of design with detailed and practical information, Norman Potter looks at the possibilities and limits of design, considers the designer as artisan and as artist, and "What is good design?"What is a Designer prompts its readers to think and act for themselves. The work adds up to a powerful and endlessly rewarding resource for students of all ages. First published in 1969, the book is now reissued to present the enduring core of Potter's arguments. An afterword by Robin Kinross sets the work andits author in their contexts.

Genres: Design, Nonfiction, Art Design, Architecture, Norman, Art

184 pages, Paperback

First published January 29, 1999

Reviews

[Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, but sadly it has way too many drawbacks to recommend. Granted, this was originally written in 1969, so of course it runs the risk of being alienating to me as a designer working in 2010.

The book breaks down something like this:

30% - Dated, semi-interesting ramblings about design
For example, there was a portion of the book which made the case that Modernism is a path to rid the world of Fascism, which was interesting, but somewhat bizarre to read in 2010. He also has some weirdly-specific portions of the otherwise high-level book which give you lists of things to bring on-site for an architectural review — Carrier board, hardboard or ply, size to suit (25 x 40 cm), etc. — which made the book feel unnecessarily dated.

20% - Caveats for the text to come
This was the worst part of the book by far: Potter made unbelievably great points in the text, but virtually every section had paragraphs (or pages) of caveats in front of it. Just write the book, sir!

20% - Incoherent rambling
I found myself reading some passages over and over trying to understand what Potter was trying to say, to no avail.

30% - Great, pithy ideas on design
There were around 50 pages of this book which were timeless, smart, and great. Those pieces made me see why this book is still in print, 50 years after its initial publication. When the book was good, I found myself nodding my head, underlining furiously, and then I'd turn the page and it would be back to incoherent babbling again. Frustrating, but there are some gems here if you're willing to stick it out and read the whole thing.

Like Robin Kinross notes in the afterword, Norman Potter joked before his death in 1995 that if another edition of the book was ever printed, it would have to be called "What was a designer." After reading the 2002 edition, I would agree.

[Andy Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hilariously outdated design book that still included some interesting perspectives. The whole book could have been written in 10-20 well-argued pages, but the author seemed to love his ideas a little too much.

[Zack · Rating 3 out of 5]

honestly, this is an incredibly tedious read; but kind of wonderful

[Bianca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cosa significa essere un progettista, un designer nel lavoro e nella vita.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still surprisingly relevant, although a bit of a dull read at times. 3.5/5

[Fed · Rating 5 out of 5]

riesce a fondere organicismo e meccanicismo nel ruolo del designer che finalmente smette di essere elitario e ritorna ad essere il progettista, tra la sua essenzialità e il suo sfrenato potenziale.

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can only imagine this book gained its status due to the politics of higher education at the time it was written. The first 'main' section consists of 9 chapters containing little real substance. The reference section that follows does contain a couple of genuinely useful pages – but that's it, in the whole book.

I cannot see a reason to recommend this to any contemporary design student, even as text to argue against it would be lacking and brings little real light to bear on its titular question. Despite that, the couple of useful pages would make good class handouts.

That said, it is amusingly quotable in a number of places, for example:

'Our civilization has refined many hells, but in the realm of voluntary servitude it would be hard to beat the inanity of Radio 1 […].'

'In typography, can you see a Marxist concern for the just allocation of spaces? Or a Freudian concern with motivation and impulse?'

Well, can you?

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 for the white-paged sections, 4 for the yellow-page section.

[Peter Orlowsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A truly radical book from a truly radical person. Read as a how to manual for the contemporary value-added-consumer-facing design landscape it holds little to no meaning.

It does however stand very well on its own as a manual to the independent designer towards the formation of a practice in design based on moralism and the modernist ethos. It's dated singular and iconoclastic philosophy of design is sure to spook many out of appreciating the whole.

The book does present a standpoint of continual questioning and provocation that gets to the heart of what being a designer is, in that it never stoops to offering a direct answer to the titular question.