On design
“Design”, as a practice, can be defined as ‘problem solving.’ This is a useful shorthand, not only for communicating your role to people unfamiliar with design, but also to help other members of an organization understand what value you bring to projects. A designer is a person whose primary task is problem solving. Design, as a function, is obviously not restricted to just ‘designers’ – many roles employ design as a component of their work. Processes can be designed, experiences can be designed, etc.
What is bad design? Why is there so much bad design?
Design is bad when it doesn’t solve the problem. Bad design is wasteful. It’s usually the result of bad decisions. Bad design can exacerbate the problem, or creates new problems.
There are a number of factors that contribute to bad design:
- The designer is engaged to solve a poorly defined (or undefined) problem. Without correctly knowing the problem, time spent on solutions is usually wasted.
- The problem is misrepresented, so the designer is tasked with creating a solution for a problem that doesn’t exist.
- The designer is unwilling or unable to create effective solutions to the state problem.
- Insufficient time for the project means the designer can’t
Design should be considered “good” when it effectively solves a problem. Design can be “great” with that solution is elegant, when it appears so simple that, in retrospect, the solution is seen as a foregone conclusion. It’s right. It fits. Really good design is invisible, unless the solution required the design itself to be visible [In my experience, this is rare indeed].
What are the attributes of a good (or great) designer?
A good designer creates effective solutions to an established problem. A great designer phrases the problem in a way so it can be solved. This requires understanding of the pertinent details of the project: the objectives, the limitations, and resources that can brought to bear. A great designer often creates solutions that are unexpected; taking the broad view of a problem can mean tackling it from different directions.
