Design or Copy - which would you choose.

So recently my business partner in our sister company Primal Creative and I had a recent discussion about what's the most important aspect of advertising/marketing. Is it the design or the copy that goes along with that? Check out the video above.

Of course most of you knowing me are probably guessing that I'm coming down on the design side - which I guess is pretty true. I do think design in a visual industry is the initial introduction to the viewer and for that reason alone becomes more important. That's where it stops for me. I think the copy needs to carry us through to really get your message across. Mainly though I want to emphasize that what's most important is concept. Without a real concept and a real plan it doesn't much matter if copy leads the way or design leads the way. My business partner, Rodney, argues that design can improve copy, but copy does little to improve design. True or not, it's a harsh statement for our current environment.

In today's world of 140 characters is design and concept going to trend to be more important or less? I hate to think we are going to be raising a bunch of rugrats that will have no aesthetic ability. Will this next generation suckle at the teet of technology only caring what their peers think and hollering at each other through cyberspace? Or will this next generation rebel and send the Millennial generation packing with their tweets and status updates? 

Hmmm - I know we like to think that technology only improves the world, but think about the history of communication. Think how far we've come from drawing images on the walls of caves. At what point is just emanating information not considered communication. Let us all remember that communication is a 2 way street and frankly whether it's done with copy or design it makes little difference if no one wants to listen.