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Talking to an architect the other day about careers in the design profession, he reminded me of the great disadvantage that graphic and information designers have compared to architects: there is no professional standard by which clients can judge the services they are offered. Anyone can set up as a typographer or web designer. Architects have to pass exams and belong to a professional body, regulating their practice. I hope that this is one aspect of the ‘professionalization’ of design in the post-war period that
Paul Stiff will address in his forthcoming writing on the ‘
Optimism of Modernity’. But for now, thanks to
John Boardley of ATypI, we can see
exactly what you get if you think you only need pay peanuts for design.