Anne Burdick on style

“Skinning existing formal styles can be a shortcut to instant relevance. Design annuals do their part by providing reproductions of only the surfaces of winning work, minus context, audience, or parameters. They foster an environment of superficiality. Without an understanding of the motivation behind the appearance of a piece, and why it is considered successful, it becomes much easier to peel back the surface skin and reapply it elsewhere.”

— Anne Burdick (via)