Even great works of design can be ruined by committee thinking
There is one sentence guaranteed to strike fear into the heart of every graphic designer and commercial artist: “I have some suggestions to make.” That dreadful utterance usually means that a client has some ideas for “improving” a concept that a professional artist has labored over for weeks or even months. Just like that, a strong concept can be systematically weakened and watered down. Welcome to the world of “design by committee.” Writer and “all around design fan” Dom Carter decries this process in a piece for Creative Bloq. He explains:
The phrase ‘design by committee’, where lots of people chip in on an idea (often without any reason or authority), is a situation no creative director wants to find themselves in. It results in an original, eye-catching design losing its impact, becoming generic, and costing everyone a lot of time.