Art vs. Design: What’s the Difference? Share: Redwoods Digital Date Published 8 August 2022 Categories Blog Reading Time 3-Minute Read There are still too many of us who think of art and design as the same thing. The truth is, in various aspects, these two things have fundamental differences. Artists and designers create visual compositions that use a shared knowledge base, but their reasons are completely different. Some designers consider themselves to be artists, but few artists consider themselves to be designers. So what exactly is the difference between art and design? Well, in this post, we will present some of the basic differences! Inspiration vs. Motivation An artist always creates a work of art starting with a blank canvas without having to need a starting point in the process of creating their work. Thus, the resulting artwork is truly an expression of the artist’s own feelings. Contrary to what a designer does. When a designer produces a work, they almost always need and set a fixed starting point, be it a message, image, idea, or action. They don’t invent new things, but they help to convey something that already exists for a specific purpose. Interpretation vs. Understanding Although an artist creates their work based on their emotions or point of view, it does not necessarily make the message of the work created only have a single meaning. A work of art that is created can generate a long debate in its interpretation. In contrast, the design must be able to make everyone who sees the design, understand and have the same views. So what if there are various interpretations of a design? Then, the design failed to convey its messages. Because the purpose of design is to make understanding, not create various interpretations. Concession vs. Opinion Art is a work that is surrounded by a sense of enjoyment and cannot be separated from the recognition of many people for a work of art. The acknowledgment is in the form of an opinion generated by the feeling that arises when enjoying a work of art. While the design is a work that is judged by how many people will be interested and encouraged to do and follow the messages conveyed. If art is created from the desire to share feelings by the artist, the design is created because of the strong desire of a designer to produce the designs they make. Talent vs. Skill Most artists do have a natural ability in art, call it talent. Of course, from childhood, an artist will definitely grow up by drawing, painting, carving and developing their abilities. Another thing with design — it can be taught and learned. You don’t need to have talent to be a designer, because all you need is skill. Must have a strong desire to learn and tenacity is a must-have. It’s not talent that counts. These are some of the basic differences that we must understand between art created by an artist and designs made by designers. Hope this clears up some misunderstandings!