Helps me think about why I hate being called a copywriter – when I trade words for money, which is pretty much the definition of one! I’ve been using the term ‘copywriting with bells on’ recently. I’m bothered about the definition of copywriting leaving out the element of design – of planning and thinking, crafting and elegantly solving a problem.

So I’ll call myself a ‘designer’ too, we can’t share our definition of what this means but we can be connected through our understanding of what it feels like to seek self autonomy.

I love fantasy; exciting conceptual stuff that is not based on reality – for their ability to generate excitement and wonder. That’s why I enjoy movies like Avatar, go to the theatre, and visit contemporary art shows. For the same reason, as you have pointed out, I enjoy looking at concept cars, show houses, concept laptops, and concept furniture.

The thing that I will point out is this: concept cars, laptops and furniture all still universally conform to the realities of the average human body. This is an immutable fact, a necessary constraint of the design profession.

Doing otherwise will make these art pieces, not design. Art is great, it frees the creators from the constraints of usability, ergonomics, mass manufacturability and indeed ethical concerns. Perhaps that is the basis of the discussion here – fashion “design” as it is portrayed on mass media is actually art, not design! Because it is based on fantasy.

A concept car designed for 6-limbed aliens would be a piece of art.

I disagree with your comment that if we remove the fantasy element, we will kill the industry. None of the other design professions out there pass off fantasy as reality like the fashion industry does. The architecture profession certainly does not base their marketing primarily on mass media-fuelled shows of concept houses designed for headless people, or Jovian atmospheric gasbags.

I am entering my 18th year as a design professional so I think I know something about product development – including user needs analysis, ergonomics, user psychology, usability, ethical production, sustainable design, and yes – fun and delight and beauty and joy.

I know there are many MANY talented real fashion designers who actually design. Is it hard for you guys in an industry where the fluffy unreal conceptual stuff seem to overshadow everything else?

and @ bridget… if all designers including *graphics architectural, and product designers* distorted their designs to fit in more detail. nothing would work correctly. your argument makes no sense. If I were a graphics designer, I would be set a format to create for… you HAVE a format to design to, you just choose to ignore it because it is not aesthetically pleasing enough… humans come in all shapes and sizes… the sooner people embrace that fact, the sooner we can all have garments that fit. regardless of whether you’re a trained fashion designer or any other form of designer. you should know the importance of KNOWING your proportions.
as Zern said “If the drawing is too small to show details, draw a close-up view at a larger scale. Architects and product designers have been doing it for ages. Some inter-disciplinary learning could be useful here.” designing to a fantasy figure will only give you flawed results. take it from a seasoned character designer… someone who knows what humans look like in the real world