Discussing Design, Popular Beliefs, and the role of Art in design.
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I remember hearing the word ‘Design’ for the first time- it was when I heard someone appreciating a piece of furniture — “such a great design, so beautiful & comfortable!”. At that moment, I realised that,
‘Design’ is associated with not just the beauty of an object but the functionality as well.
I was in high school at the time and this has stuck with me since. From a mere realization to a philosophy, it has made the journey with me through Art School as a graduate, post-graduate, and today as a professional.
More often than not, I have seen people refer to a beautiful ‘art’ or craftwork as good ‘Design’. For example the beautiful appliqué work on your newly purchased comforter will elicit praise in the form of “Wow! What a beautiful design!”. But if the same comforter is not ‘comfortable’ enough due of shabby stitches or usage of rough fabric/material, can that be called a good ‘Design’? I would say NO.
Then what exactly is Design?
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For some, it is making things beautiful. To others, solving a problem. To me, design is the process of building great experiences based on the firm foundation of research, empathy, and observation- all aimed at adding and enhancing value to otherwise commonplace items and problems.
Take IKEA for example, who showed that good design can exist in something as mundane as a simple potato peeler, which looks sleek, feels good to the touch and is extremely easy to handle. Customer testimonials showed that it reduced their effort of vegetable peeling to a mere fraction of what it was before.
The reasons could be anything- from good quality blades made with the best quality steel to its ergonomic body, from the colour options to the thoughtfully placed rubber grip. But the fact of the matter is- they will never go back to their old peeler. This is good design to me- leaves a lasting impression and adds real value to the users’ lives. We are surrounded by these everyday examples of good design in our lives where we have moved to something new and haven’t moved since.
So, where does that leave Art & Crafts?
Aren’t those a kind of design as well?
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Art is more about self-expression and the ability/need to translate things as per personal experiences & knowledge. Something to look out for, however, is the ability to combine artistic abilities and design. The creation from this union is sure to stand out and can bring a special ‘zing’ into things, as long as it doesn’t hamper the experience (Remember the comforter?).
A designer should always be able to look at things from other people’s perspective, because a good design is for others to consume, not for self-gratification. That’s an indulgence for the ‘Art’ist.
“Rule of thumb: if you think something is clever and sophisticated beware-it is probably self-indulgence.”
― Donald A. Norman, The Design of Everyday Things
Is design problem-solving?
Yes. But, is the act of design always about solving problems? Not really.
A problem might not exist in daily life, unless you do something different(ly). Sometimes a solution leads to the discovery of a problem. Or I may say, the quest to constantly make things better. The discovery of fire inspired the prehistoric cavemen to ‘design’ different tools, techniques and measures to use and harness that power to their advantage.
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And in the process, changed the trajectory of human evolution. But before this, did they ever feel disabled by the absence of fire? Maybe not. They may have always witnessed the power of fire in natural calamities (as a destroyer), and stayed away from it, till someone bold enough discovered that it can be controlled too.
A designer might not always go and find a problem to solve, but rather to workaround solutions. Because let’s be realistic, solving a problem is often complex, as even solutions may lead to new problems.
We change things when we design, and we have to be aware of the intricate relationships involved in that change… Instead of trying to find ‘solutions’ to problems, we should think about creating responses to problems.”
― Andrew Salituri, Design is not Problem Solving
Having said that, designing in its true form- is a fulfilling activity, because the perfect design does not exist. But great design does. When the ‘Bauhaus’ movement flared up in Germany, it gave a push to the idea of great ‘functional’ and ‘experiential’ design, by unifying art, craft and technology.
It had a significant effect on architecture, typography, and products which can be seen even today- IKEA furniture, “Wassily” chair, Swiss Railway Clock, Porsche 911, Apple products, modern apartment and interior designs, to name a few. These were all designed or heavily inspired by the principles of ‘Bauhaus’.
Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.
— Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, Inc.
Design always finds a Way
Design can fulfil its purpose through numerous means. Be it Graphic Design, Information Design, Architecture Design, Interior Design, Product Design, Experience Design, Motion Design, Apparel Design, Packaging Design, Furniture Design, Animation & Video Design, and a lot more- where there’s Design, there’s most certainly a Designer.
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I always imagined and trained myself as an illustrator. However, I started off my professional life as a Graphic Designer, and my focus was mostly on creating digital layouts. As I progressed, I found myself getting acquainted with (and gaining expertise on) Packaging Design, Designing for Print and Digital Media, Advertising, Environment Design, Website Design, and Mobile Applications.
After 10 years of this, I find myself summing up all my work in one bucket- Is this adding any value? What value does it create? I find that this one question answers most of the doubts that are bound to occur when starting on the journey of ‘designing’ something.
I think that it is very essential (rather imperative) for a good designer to be able to differentiate between Artists, Craftsmen and Designers, and at the same time appreciate an amalgamation or partnership of all of them.
These would be my like-minded people and community, with whom and where I can constantly question the status quo and strive for innovation while keeping my inner artist alive. In short- happy to be here!
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My Journey to Realizing ‘Design’ was originally published in DETAUX (Designers Talks) on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.