Just trying this out for size - comments....?

To design is to give shape, structure and form to an idea. Everybody designs in their everyday lives, whether they do so consciously or not.

Professional designers are trained to shape ideas in such a way that they become useful, usable and desirable to the people who will eventually make use of them. (A piece of communication must be informative, legible and visually compelling. A commercial product must perform its given function, be easy to use and be attractive to the consumer.)

This skill is a mixture of design thinking and practice. Design thinking is a particular creative approach to problem solving, typically starting from the perspective of the individual rather than the architecture of the system. Design practice is the ability to embody the value and qualities of an idea in a tangible and meaningful form. It involves a sensitivity to the experiential qualities of the end product (interaction, brand, materials).

Many designers follow a 'design process' that begins with insight into the context, idea generation and visualisation and continues through prototyping and testing to execution. This is an iterative process that helps to turn ideas into practical reality.

Many people and professions can make use of design thinking, process and techniques themselves in their own work.

Design has traditionally been about creating communication, fashion and industrial products, buildings and more recently brand identities. In the service economy it is also about creating services and experiences. Design thinking is now widely applied to business strategy and systems.

Everybody has their favourite example of something that is badly designed, or where the design of something has not been considered. Consciously applying good design practice however, can result in outputs that can increase profit and brand equity for business. When applied to the public sector, well designed services, spaces and products can help to meet targets, achieve best value for money.

The design process itself can be used as a conduit for different disciplines to collaborate on a project, and as a method for organisations to capitalise on internal knowledge and uncover hidden potential. It is a particularly accessible way to include end users and front-line workers in creation and development and to draw on their experience and interests. As the end users of products and services begin to have greater influence over their development (the 'user revolution') a participatory design approach that includes them in the design process is becoming increasingly more valuable.

As we move into the 21st century, our society is facing massive social and economic change - ones that our traditional systems and infrastructures are ill-equipped to cope with. Although design is often applied to make incremental improvements, design thinking and practice is particularly appropriate for envisioning and realising the kinds of radical transformation necessary to meet these challenges.

Jennie Winhall
Design Strategist - RED

CATEGORY: DESIGN METHODS