In this article, Rutledge goes on to explain his concept of creativity and its distinction from design. Creativity is not at all self-expression, but rather, it is a filter through which perception and output pass and it is technical and analytical. According to Rutledge, the only contradictory to what you may be taught in elementary school, believes that this design based definition is the only one worth focussing attention on. Creativity is an inborn capacity for thinking differently than most, seeing differently, and making connections and perceiving relationships others miss. But most importantly, it is the ability to then extrapolate contextually useful ways of employing that data. He believes there are four main disciplines that few posses which advance ones creativity even further:
- ongoing curiosity,
- the desire and habit of looking more deeply into things than others care to,
- the habit of comparing stimulus with result, and
- a habit for qualitative discrimination.
Furthermore, constraints and limitations posed by external forces are in fact the basic groundwork for design because it is from those constraints that we as designers are posed with a problem for which to develop a solution. Without them, creativity is irrelevant. Lastly, our intuitive, subjective design senses are relevant to our work. Competence demands that we understand the difference between what we prefer and what we know what will work best. We must filter purely subjective data from sympathetic, fundamentals-based creative work in order to be successful.
Andy Rutledge is currently the principal and chief design strategist for Unit Interactive LLC, a successful design firm that works with web design, branding etc. Additionally Rutledge manages his own website for which he writes articles critiquing, exploring, and discussing different aspects of design. His experience in the field has definitely lent him high credibility and status as a designer and critic.
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