The learning curve
These people cross the, admittedly blurred, line between inspiration and plagiarism. Don’t get me wrong, research and especially copying is part of the learning process of becoming a designer. Every young creative just starting off has copied something, which in a sense is completely fine. It helps us learn the tools and processes that are involved in achieving a certain result, be it an impressive image composition or a certain layout.
However, we must grow out of this stage at some point. We need to learn how to take inspiration, rather than straight up stealing someone else’s work. We need to learn about context and how to explore to get the best result for the client’s needs.
When inspiration turns into theft
Take it from someone who has had their work stolen: it sucks. You put all your hard work into a project, long hours and yes, sometimes tears and then someone comes along and just takes credit for all of it. If it’s for educational purposes it might be forgivable, but what’s even worse is when someone actually takes money for the work someone else has done.
A client pays good money to rely on the expertise and solid advice of designer, while tapping into creative realms they couldn’t have imagined by themselves. This is where a designer’s passion lays and ultimately is what we are here for.
