Jordan's unique geographical position results in its experts choosing self development, which includes graphic design. Experts are also involved with developments taking place in neighbouring countries and the web was extremely useful in putting interested parties in these two fields in touch with each other and sharing possible development tools. The development of Graphic Design can be assisted by annual exhibitions and specialised conferences held both in Jordan and beyond your Arab world.
The academic and professional specialists for the foundation in developing graphic design through the forming of local learning institutions. In these institutions academics, programmers and graphical design teachers can meet with professional designers and discuss just how business is moving forward and requirements of the labour market.
Practical training is definitely the foundation of GRAPHICAL DESIGN, upon which the academic skill of the student and his creativity are designed. Employed in a design office is known as to be the most crucial and effective tool in measuring the level of academic learning. In addition, it gives a sign of the potency of teachers in producing a generation of students capable of dealing with the academic ethos and engaging with certain requirements of the profession. This training supplies the students with opportunities to polish and develop their skills by working along side established practitioners. Today's graphic design tools rely on information technology for producing visualisations of scientific developments. This visualisation requires a knowledge of the scientific theory and the visualisation tools available, which in turn relies on the expertise of graphic artists.
In this paper I will concentrate on the profession of graphical design and its development by discussing its early development. I'll review the positive and negative areas of that development and how they linked to changes on the market and how big is the market and labour force. I am going to also discuss the academic concepts, and the requirement for graduate graphic designers.
In this paper I draw from my experience of employed in Jordan since 1987 at the MIDAS Establishment and my roles in student training at Yarmouk University and the Applied Sciences University, which I have been attached to since 1999. This paper addresses many questions and aims to explore the mechanics of enhancing graphic design in the academic and professional sectors.
The historic and technical initial stages of graphical design in Jordan
Graphic design developed alongside the printing and information technology industries. Printing was taken to Jordan in the 1940s by people who had learnt the trade far away. Jordan's printing evolution was much like that of other countries. Printing started using wooden moulds, then zinc clich�s and letterpress, as well as other printing tools, symbols and shapes. It was the printing technology that restricted the scope for producing new designs. The number of items printed was limited to newspapers, cards and stationary. Printing started mainly in monochrome, and was then developed to make photo made clich�s through which the printers could actually print in full colour. Typolography, or raised printing was the primary method and continues to be used today. Offset printing enhanced the standard of production, providing improvements in colour and picture reproduction. Around the same time the role of the graphic designer was developed, involving the preparation of makettes and film montage and plates to be equipped for printing (prepress); this relied on the professionalism of the film montage technician for the preparation of backgrounds for the pictures and words. Prepress was considered the most important process in the production of the final printed article. This technique was carried out at the prepress service centre which was limited to a single institution until 1987. This centre had the capability and technology to perform a variety of techniques where an artistic touch was required.
In the late sixties, design pioneers weren't graphic artists, but had learnt the technologies of collage and calligraphy. These were in a position to imitate designs from abroad and occasionally reproduced them. Their work initially ranged from greetings cards, business cards, social stationary, letterheads and envelopes, then progressed to brochures and folders. The work was mainly limited to newspaper advertising which relied predominantly on the offset printing method. We shouldn't your investment air brush technology that provided designers with the use of graded colours, achieving three dimensional effects for a few designs, although the amount of people using this was limited.
From 1980-87 design was performed by specialists in Plastic Arts and Architecture, along with the first graduates of the faculty of arts at Yarmuok University and similar institutions. By the finish of the eighties, the computer Linotype was used as a publishing tool by newspapers to get ready text for layout and paste it on the mandatory pages close to advertising. Some publishing houses have graphic design offices which also acquired these systems to guarantee the production of books and magazines to an identical quality. Linotype was also used to prepare the design of brochures and advertising materials that cannot be hand drawn. With time Linotype was also useful for the preparation of other material by this method, including greeting cards, posters and advertisements.
The design and printing sectors found the computer to be an effective way of improving productivity. In 1988 with the arrival of the initial design computer by Apple Macintosh, the numbers of workers in the field increased and performance progressed in the pre-printing stages such as for example film making and separation. However, the trouble of computers meant that there use was still limited. The production of computers by competitors of Apple Macintosh plus the ease with which film can be processed through its programs, created a huge increase in the number of professionals interested in graphic design. This became evident by the growth in the amount of agencies, design offices, publishing houses and service centres.
Computers affected the technical and artistic areas of production. Some production centres could actually develop their skill base and by recruiting experienced designers and developing them by organising classes. These highly trained individuals achieved high standards of work within and outside Jordan and were able to contend with others in the Arab regions and captured a share of these markets, producing many publications. Jordanian specialists became serious competitors against other Arab countries which had previously monopolised the fields of design and printing. Jordan has developed in order that it can meet up with the demand for design and printing within the country. Jordan has turned into a magnet for most publishing houses in the Arab region. Many production and publishing organisations could actually catch up to the levels of the most recent technology. There is plenty of evidence to claim that they'll develop further, using modern production tools, which will ensure there are enough local specialists who can continue to produce work of the highest quality.
The pace of technological development managed to get necessary for the academic institutions to supply the Jordanian market with the skilled workers who is able to work to the high standards required. These institutions need to continually adapt to the advancing technology as well as support the academics within their quest to enhance the artistic, scientific and technological aspects of production and publishing. Relationships must also be strengthened by co-operation between business leaders and academic institutions in order to provide the mutual advantage of improve standards, with the best aim of keeping up with both local and international developments.
The easiest way to judge the standard of design and printing in a country is through the newspapers, magazines and books published. Television also offers a showcase for visual communication through locally produced advertisements. The speed of printing development has made impositions on graphical design and the designers themselves. Designers need to continuously update their training to help keep up to date with new technology. This permits them to be at the forefront of improving quality and creativity in all aspects of production.
Advantages and disadvantages of sectors allied with graphic design
When discussing the organisations involved in design and production in Jordan you can easily become overwhelmed by the variety and abundance of them. These organisations saturate the market. One of the reasons for the number of organisations is the selection of production formats, all of which has its own structure. Computerisation has result in many operators being made unemployed.
Production sources could be divided into;
- Design
- Commercial printing
- Publishing houses
- Pre-press services centres
- Software applications training centres
They are the organisations where people often look for graphic designers, although many of them do not have academically trained staff who specialise in graphic design. Many of the people who own these organisations have chosen to specialise. Many of them specialised because the profession does not need a large capital outlay, others specialised because they had a knowledge of the tools used. Most appear to have specialised because this provides them with status within their community.
Although there are many organisations working in graphical design, the workers and owners in these establishments often lack awareness of the professional graphical design concepts as they have not studied the subject in depth. Employment opportunities for graduates only begun to develop after 2000 when some organisations recognised the necessity for such skilled workers and academic institutions could actually produce professionals of this standard. The impression of graphic design graduates has changed so companies are no more choosing graduates who studied abroad. Design establishments have noticed the high quality of products which trained graduates can produce making use of their competence and skills, and their ability to use the full range of design and printing equipment. Without this properly structured training curriculum, experience have been gained through hap-hazard face to face training.
One of many weaknesses of those producing the designs is they are not always confident about how exactly to use the latest techniques. They often times ask advice and would rather work of their comfort zones, failing woefully to produce designs that could demand a great deal of time, effort or care. Graduates are convenient with change and willing to develop new skills. There are some professionals, however, who have been invaluable in the development of graphical design by training others and developing their very own technical and professional skills. These folks have also monitored the pace of development in the fields of printing and graphic design.
Most of the professionals have established themselves thorough the top quality of the task they produce. This is simply not possible without a capable, aware and educated body of co-workers, who have scientific knowledge and so are creative rather than imitating the task of others.
The increasing gap between academic designers and employers, or art directors and creative managers is frequently due to misunderstanding the role of graphic artists. In industry, the priority of some designers or agency owners is profitability whatever the quality of the outcomes.
The initial problem is that some of the art directors or creative managers are not aware of the importance of these position, and often the employer is equally ignorant of this. Job titles are often arbitrary so artistic or creative managers frequently lack experience and expertise.
There is an absence of a common language between academic designers and managers or employers. This often frustrates designers, creating insecurity and hindering creativity. This environment can be an attempt to reduce a designers` status and restricts him from participating in the creative thinking he would have been taught and university.
Adequacy of the professional reality
Graphic designers are distinguished from other fields by being one of the most creative professions; they work with information technology and visual communication. It also involves dealing with the business enterprise world, in which credibility and ability are essential to achieve the creative work. Qualifications and talent are essential for this.
A graphic designer isn't only an artist but additionally a technician who's able to use software and ways to tackle the project in hand. His approach is going beyond communication with the audience, to effective promotion and display. His aim would be to produce clarity and he should be able to do this from the info using the techniques open to him. The aim is to connect the data and in order to do this must understand the development and design of the program that may be used. He has to understand all the innovations and ways of designing texts.
The design sector requires professionals to have the experience to be able to select and classify information, also to create links between related elements. However, this won't be enough if they can not interpret this and change it into definite forms. Additionally it is important to understand the vocabularies of with language, sound and music as they are the most important tools of communication. Put into this, the designer must learn how to utilize the specialised design software to create texts, prepare drawings, animated cartoons and websites. The designer ought to know about design, timing, transformation, rhythm and visual presentation.
The potential of the design sector should be realised by understanding of the required theories and ways to improve communication with the audience, enrich the look proposals and understand the reflective aspect of the look process, studies and research.
There is much variation in the qualifications of staff within the look sector. It is very important differentiate between your craftsman and the academic designer. The graphic designer is really a complete cultural and intellectual entity that's noted in the sensational theory, linguistic theory, visual eloquence and the cultural history of art, literature, science, technology, industry and humanity. They can not isolate themselves from developments in theories of communication, information development, and from management and criticism. Moreover to improve the added value of the final product, all methods and tools used in production and publication should be understood. They need to understand the stages prior to the design, plus they must understand the printing process and its implications on the look.
The market is crowded with many people working in graphic design. Because of the wide use of graphic design in lots of fields of work, the widespread use of computers and availability of basic software packages there is a role for folks using graphic design without the prior knowledge. The expression of graphical design continues to be not adequately understood by some employers in industrial and commercial firms and organisations that need graphic design services.
I really do not doubt the potential of the vocational sector but this is actually the reality of graphic design. It should be remembered that well qualified people now occupy high status positions in the Jordanian market, showing its expertise and its ability to demonstrate the highest levels of graphical design.
The size of the marketplace and people working in graphic design
There are now more than five hundred establishments working in graphic design. There are several who not classify themselves as an agency, centre or office, because they have found their very own market niche. Therefore these classifications can't be meaningfully applied in Jordan.
The sector is large compared to the market. The establishment of new graphic design organisations peaked in 1999. Since that time, some have declined while others have expanded. Some have stagnated or changed management, while some have merged.
A quick consider the design sector will show that 85% of those working in the field can be classified as;
- Computer science graduates
- Architecture graduates
- Interior design graduates
- Graduates in 'Computers and the Fine Arts' from community colleges
- Fine arts graduates (both graphical design specialists and non-specialists)
- Graduates of design courses run by computer centres
- Unemployed those people who are interested in computers
University educated graphic design graduates fulfil an important role because;
- Universities produce Graphic Designers with a different outlook to those mentioned previously.
- Organisations run by individuals who understand graphic design will be better able to develop designers skills and adapt to the future
I'm concerned for students who study graphical design at university but do not make an effort to improve his rate of innovation and creativity in order to improve. This can affect whether he could be employable.
Academically and scientifically talented students will have few problems because good employers need students who can form ideas quickly, use appropriate design programs for his ideas and able to produce those. Other organisations are not useful for the academic designer. They are the push-pull level of the graphical design sector which reflects the degrees of awareness of the concepts and functions of graphical design.
The market is with the capacity of absorbing all graduates. That is dependent on the development of visual communication methods through graphical design. Such development requires the presence of skilled workers with the capacity of meeting the requirements of the marketplace. This places incentives for educational organisations that deal with design to intend to suit the graphic design market.
The academic reality of graphical design
The emergence of academic institutions that specialised in the arts started at the Yarmouk University where in fact the first arts and music department was established in 1980. This became a faculty in 2001, teaching drama, design (industrial, interior and graphic), plastic arts and music. The university awards bachelor degrees. It started in 2001 at the height of the computer revolution within the design sector in Jordan. In1991 teaching graphic design started being an independent specialisation within the Arts Department at the Applied Sciences University. This was followed by the Ahiya Amman University, the Petra University, Philadelphia University, AlZaytouneh University, the University of Jordan, and later the Israh University.
Apart from universities, during the time when graphical design became popular and a profitable profession, community colleges started teaching graphical design. more info included the Al-Quds College, Granada College, Middle University College and Princess Alya College.
The work of the universities that award bachelor degrees is similar to colleges that grant two year diplomas, because both produce students with a certificate in graphical design. However in reality where creativity and technical skills are worried we find differences. The differences are in the course curricula, you need to include understanding the production process, product identity, knowledge of software and design innovation.
There's confusion between graphic design and graphic art. These differences affect the student, particularly when he enters employment. He could be judged by both his creativity and innovation in producing new ideas and his ability to use technology which now involves the computer, the main graphic design tool.
The reason for these differences becomes clear whenever we look at the number of workers available in the market and where they graduated from. During the time that the largest amount of graduates were being produced, the highest quality graduates were produced by well-known institutions and we were holding recruited by the most successful companies.
A distinction has developed between technicians and designers. It is because some academic institutions focus on technology and the practical areas of design software, whilst others developing the ability to use knowledge and learn how to connect ideas to the psychological and social context and include qualitative studies of theories and design curricula.
The reasons because of this are;
- The lack of specialised academic experts in graphic design and the indegent quality of a few of the teachers.
- The lack of appropriate study plans for creating graphic designers
- The absence of something defining the role of universities and colleges in teaching graphical design
- The absence of entry examinations to graphic design courses, unlike courses in the art specialisations
- The absence links to the exterior world, apart from through books.
- Some universities and colleges don't realize the concept of graphical design in an industrial context.
- The lack of official government support for finding a method to set up a core curriculum for university courses.
I have taught in the art departments of a number of universities and also have assessed many graduation projects. These gave me the chance to find out about graphic design teaching, the standards of students, and showed the necessity for appropriate study plans. You will find a lack of competitiveness which may improve educational standards and there's an arbitrary usage of teaching methods. Objectives can be clear, but often mistake in not using the appropriate teaching methodology leads to them not being achieved.
So that you can develop and improve, the graphic design sector needs skilled and competent workers. The workers will not be able to respond to the changes in technology unless they will have a formal academic training. In order to achieve this advancement it is important that graduate students are used as graphic design specialists.
Conclusion
You will find a requirement in the Jordanian arena for the academic and professional sectors to review their experiences and identify their strengths and weaknesses. That is used by them to create a strategy with the capacity of giving graphical design the respected position it deserves.
There is a requirement for government intervention to provide arena where specialists in graphical design may discuss many of the concepts that help them make company owners and managers alert to how to make the very best use of graphic designers.
In addition to teaching graphical design, universities and community colleges must support the markets needs for designers and artisans within the new specialisations which need to be introduced as a way to reduce unemployment.There is a need for a specialist body in graphic design to provide support to designers, co-ordinate educational and technical preparation and to make contacts with the outside world. It is very important hold workshops and symposiums that improve the competence of teaching staff, designers and students; these should be held with assistance from international institutions which are respected in this field.
It is also important to hold national and international competitions to encourage creativity and innovation. This will create a competitive atmosphere in which graphic design can flourish.
Finally, it is important to create a national identity in graphical design, that may cement its position in the international arena.
The State Of Graphic Design In Jordan
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