An interesting article from the website of Danish Design Center points out that designers have special capabilities. The article states:
…but why the focus on design processes? For several good reasons: First, and mostly, because designers in light of their educational background, methodic approach to problem-solving and ability to innovate and visualize possibilities are apt at defining the context in which solutions – i.e. answers – appear.
Designers are also comfortable considering solutions that aren’t based upon ‘technocratic’ adaptations of existing scenario. They are namely able to relate to innovative and radical models – designers pose, in other words, ‘strange’ questions that can lead to a better understanding of an issue’s complexity and potential. The designer acts, in this regard, as catalyst.
And there is yet another fundamental trait – designers are to a great degree familiar with the idea of solving problems based upon underlying values, such as economics, feasibility, sustainability, production conditions, user experience…and ethics…
I think the article articulates and old-fasioned view on what a designer is and capable to. When giving a picture of the designer as a gift from God to mankind you close down other perspectives in problemsolving. And in fact - you are not helping the designer.
Designers as we now them today, as we know they are educated, are for sure an important element when asking the right questions to find the real problems. But giving a picture that they should be – are – the only ones creating the right solutions, is not the picture that I’ll – as a managing consultant at DDC – will give the world.
How do you see the future role of design – who will be the designers of tomorrow? Any perspectives?
4 comments so far
The following is an extract from an article I wrote earlier this year for Mac + Design Magazine [Shanghai, PR.China]…It explores some of the ideas being developed by groups like Next D
Designers may have to face up to the facts that we are not necessarily the one’s who will forge the future as leaders. There is a lot of evidence to suggest that other professions are acquiring the edge with leadership. At the minimum, they are learning new leadership skills that we may be ignoring or simply not seeing. This is kind of challenging to think about. After all, aren’t we the ones with all the ideas? Well - maybe not. Is this a problem – or is this a big opportunity? Despite the tendency to think of ourselves as leaders maybe we do not think of design as leadership.
What is required of us in this new context? What is design leadership? How can we be involved in the process of leadership? These are important questions.
It is in fact all about increasing the scope of design – expanding our notion of design and what this ‘mysterious’ activity called design really is.
In traditional design education programs, we have tended to focus on the “how” of design. In other words, we have been focusing on tools, techniques, acquiring software skills, mastering the tactical responses that a designer can employ to solve discipline specific problems. This has evolved to include in higher-level programs, design management and planning for recognizable problems within the general terrain of the designer. However, we must now question whether this is adequate. The situation definitely suggests a renewed emphasis on the “how” of design - the processes and skills that enable designers to solve problems and generate innovations.
Hi Hans,
Though I didn’t get the sense that you did that the article was necessarily suggesting that designers are the only ones that have those traits, it did seem to imply that they have them. But those traits are certainly important ones that designers and others should have.
The key challenge that those in traditional design roles face right now is how they might contribute to new areas or types of problems. On the one hand, they need to be able to adapt and expand what they know to these new areas and problems. On the other hand, they need to find ways to engage in design with others in these new areas and problems.
It’s an interesting time for designers right now…
Rick – your are right, it’s very interesting times for designers these days. It’s interesting times for companies and the managers running them.
Ian – I think you’re right. It’s about leadership. It’s about involving people. Not only because the decisions wouldn’t be taken otherwise, but also because the decisions taken will be the right ones.
Management MUST turn to leaders, coaches, being able to act multifaceted and with rapid speed, sometimes in chaos.
As I see it, it isn’t much about design as the traditional discipline that we know today, it’s more about how we as individuals, teams, companies will turn from inside out to outside in……reaching out for perspective.
What do you think?
/Hans Henrik
