Thoughts:
Paul Rand’s Design and the Play Instinct is a very interesting article. The writer discusses “creativity” and the different ways such a concept can be achieved successfully. According to the play instinct, creativity is better fostered when individuals are given a set of guidelines and limitations for witch they must follow, therefore motivating them to use critical thinking and produce something more interesting. Personally I do not fully agree with this way of thinking, I understand the basic principles of Paul’s perspective and I do think that guidelines are important when assigning a project. However, I think creativity is best when it is raw. To say that by putting “emphasis on freedom and self expression, the result is apt to be… a meaningless solution (Rand 1)”, defeats the whole purpose of what art is and can do. When it comes to design, I realize that these rules and limitations are there for a reason, usually to make a design more effective and to appeal to those audiences that it may apply too. Too me that is not creativity, that is simply satisfying the needs of an assignment/customer. Yes, you can fulfill these requirements in a creative, clever, or pleasing way, but true creativity comes from the mind of an artist without a need for guidelines and limitations.
