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Us creative types compromise our creative integrity when we make a living doing what we love. It's a fact of life. Designers, architects and everybody in between must make compromises and whore out their creative soul to ensure that they can pay next month's rent. I've done it tons of times. We do it because we want to do what we love and there are some things we're willing to accept so we can be employed in the creative arts. I've created the most god awful brochures you've ever put your eyes on just because it's what the client wanted. Creating those brochures almost killed me, and I tried to talk the client into something a bit more sophisticated, but in the end, it comes down to getting paid...or not.
I have walked away from a job or two and I didn't feel guilty about it. I quit my last job because, among other things, I couldn't support the mission of the company. But, for the most part, yeah...I "compromise".
I think a lot of architects have been in those same compromising positions. They want to do good design, they try to convince their client that good urban design is important to the fabric of a city, but in the end it comes down to having a developer tell them what retailers want and don't want. Most developers aren't visionaries, they think in a very small (or big, depending on the development) box, so I'm sure the design process for these architects is extremely frustrating.
A lot of people are quick to blame architects for some of the crap being built in the city, but I bet a lot of those same architects are being forced to crank out some pretty crappy stuff because they have a family that needs to be fed. Developers want cheap and they want their product on the market fast. Not really a formula that inspires great design.
Today someone told me a story about an architect who refused to do some things a client wanted her to do. It was against her personal code, and she let the client know straight up that she wasn't the architect for that particular client. That takes guts and a company that will support your decision. Unfortunately, not many of us work for corporations so supportive or understanding.
As "creatives", I firmly believe part of our job is informing clients what is and isn't good design. I don't say that with conceit or arrogance, and good design is certainly subjective, but there are some basic principles to excellent design that will always be true. Sometimes we are rich, or brave, enough to fight for those principles...but most of the time, mortgage payments get in the way.
I have walked away from a job or two and I didn't feel guilty about it. I quit my last job because, among other things, I couldn't support the mission of the company. But, for the most part, yeah...I "compromise".
I think a lot of architects have been in those same compromising positions. They want to do good design, they try to convince their client that good urban design is important to the fabric of a city, but in the end it comes down to having a developer tell them what retailers want and don't want. Most developers aren't visionaries, they think in a very small (or big, depending on the development) box, so I'm sure the design process for these architects is extremely frustrating.
A lot of people are quick to blame architects for some of the crap being built in the city, but I bet a lot of those same architects are being forced to crank out some pretty crappy stuff because they have a family that needs to be fed. Developers want cheap and they want their product on the market fast. Not really a formula that inspires great design.
Today someone told me a story about an architect who refused to do some things a client wanted her to do. It was against her personal code, and she let the client know straight up that she wasn't the architect for that particular client. That takes guts and a company that will support your decision. Unfortunately, not many of us work for corporations so supportive or understanding.
As "creatives", I firmly believe part of our job is informing clients what is and isn't good design. I don't say that with conceit or arrogance, and good design is certainly subjective, but there are some basic principles to excellent design that will always be true. Sometimes we are rich, or brave, enough to fight for those principles...but most of the time, mortgage payments get in the way.
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