I was speaking to a fellow copywriter the other evening about my love of great designers. She couldn’t see it and wanted convincing. So, in the space of a couple of minutes, I listed and explained five reasons for my affection.
My friend smiled and said I should write a BuzzFeed-style list. “It might help you bring more writers and designers together,” she said, “like you’ve always wanted to.”
So, here’s the list. And here’s hoping.
- Words speak more powerfully with great design. Once you’ve nailed the meaning as a writer, there’s no greater pleasure than seeing a skilled designer communicate that meaning to an audience.
- They’re inspired by so much of what they see. Walking around cities and nature with a designer is an education. Rooftops, trees, drain covers, menus, raincoats. You name it, a good designer will find inspiration.
- We can geek out together over type. A few years ago, I went on a guided typography/lettering walk around London. I fell in love. Now I like nothing more than talking serifs, glyphs and kerning with designers.
- They read like I read. Ever since I studied English at uni, I’ve dissected books – not just for meaning, but for appearance too. Skilled designers do the same. They dig deep until they understand the look and feel of a sentence.
- I learn as I go. My best friends are now graphic designers, creative directors, animators, illustrators and lettering artists. Every time we work (or drink) together, I learn something that helps me write better for design.
Rob Self-Pierson is a copywriter. He often teams up with designers to produce writing that has a greater impact.
- Design disciplines in this article
