It's always better to have thick skin than a thick skull.
I received some nifty gifties! The Menomena poster is from
Chris Streger. And the letterpress print is from
Matt Braun.
Thanks, fellas!
-Ev
Thanks to
@BlameDesign for pointing out this awkward mess.
Sheer Coincidence.
It seems like every sunrise is met with yet another scandal involving the lifting of a creative mind's work and intellectual property. And it seems as though the Internet is downwind of this news at all times. Twitter, Dribbble, popular design blogs across the web. All full of haters and naysayers. Cynics and defeatists. Prophets of doom, and damp smelly blankets that have only just recently been removed from the dark corner of the hallway closet.
Every one of these negative Nellies is quick to point out that someone's work might be the result of conscious theft, as if the world isn't already fully aware of the concept of stealing. They are at the ready, fingers on the comment trigger, aiming at anything that might potentially win them thanks and gratitude of not only the original designer, but the admiration of said designer's friends and fellow creative brains.
And to a certain degree, that's what this business is about. It's perfectly acceptable to want to receive recognition for your efforts and hard work. And yes, It's nice to feel like you've righted a wrong. In fact, we're taught from an early age that this is the responsible thing to do. To bring justice to an unjust world.
Justice might be blind, but that doesn't mean we need to judge blindly.
In the Fall of 2009, I was contacted by a designer who pointed out that some of my work very closely resembled his own, and the work of another creative. The sender of the email, without hesitation, accused me of flat out stealing his work. And I can understand the fire and passion with which he wrote me. I too would be furious to find another designer claiming to own my original work. But at a certain point, you need to take a step back, breathe, and try to think logically about whether or not this was malicious or purely coincidental.
While this experience was terrifying and debilitating on many levels, the designer who contacted me about the work handled the affair very well. Though he was rather abrasive and quick to assume, I wholly understand why. In such an immediate world, we demand immediate answers. We assume that because everyone has just about equal access to just about everything nowadays, that it's impossible to not know you're stealing.
But some fail to realize that the Internet is fucking big. Not everyone scours the web before moving forward with a concept. Sometimes we trust others that we are collaborating with. Sometimes accidents are had, and coincidences are experienced. Good design might be seen, forgotten, then remembered later on without knowledge of the original creators. When these designs are used as inspiration, parallels can be drawn. And while mentioning these similarities publicly on the web can result in quick and immediate removal, it can also damage the reputation of someone who might have made an honest mistake. And if the misappropriation truly was intentional, the best way to handle it is not with a smear campaign, but with a respectful email or phone call.
If it's an obvious rip, people will know, and it's their choice whether to act with that knowledge in hand or not. Don't rope innocent bystanders into your affairs.
Berating someone on Twitter? Asking others to retweet and demand a lynching? That is not the high road. And for an industry and craft that prides itself on putting our best foot forward, this type of behavior is a blemish—the fugly ass cousin we don't want people to know we actually think is kind of cute.
Newsflash. It's your cousin. Even if others join you in looking past the bald spot and acne. Even if others attend your wedding or help babysit your kids. Everyone ends up feeling a little dirty, and the rest of society will look down on you for it. And they have every right.
And fuck you if you don't understand that allegory.
