Recommended Sites
One could point to the intentions of the creator. Art may be defined as such because the creator intended it to be art, as a personal expression in the purest form, to serve themselves and not their audience. Artists are generally the authors of their own content, while graphic designers are traditionally the framers of another’s message. Graphic design may be commercially motivated, intended to distinguish a product from the competition or to instill trust in a customer; conversely, it may also be motivated by the “greater good,” and many designers feel compelled to deliver environmentally responsible and socially conscious work. In instances like this, the designer is often the author of content as well as messenger.
One could also point to the perception of the audience. Are soup cans art only when painted by Warhol, or also when sitting on a grocery store shelf? Are urinals art only once Duchamp has scrawled a name on it? Do we make something art merely by declaring we find it visually appealing? An audience can, and will, place both graphic design and art in different contexts than the creator intended, and formulate new conclusions about the nature of the work based upon those contexts.