Introduction
Every human being is conditioned to design. It is deep within our genetic code and it is in our nature. We tend to notice the little things that are bothersome around us and re-design them to our convenience.
Primitive humans had trouble hunting, and they designed tools to hunt and gather food for survival. Having difficulty moving around, they came up with the seminal design of the wheel. The world around us is filled with countless examples of innovation and inventive discoveries.
I believe that to be a good designer, the following are a few of the most important traits to have. These are a few unique qualities I possess that play a major role in my design philosophy-
1. Intuition
2. Collaboration
3. Lateral thinking
4. Reflection
5. Tolerance
Qualities that reflect in my own design philosophy
1. Intuition
An intuitive approach works best when paired with a designer’s ability to meaningfully connect everyday experiences. Albert Einstein famously said, “Intuition does not come to an unprepared mind”. Our proficiency grows through observation and noticing the things around us.
“... a resultant organic unity depends upon two things, the degree of diversity and the degree of unity to which that diversity is brought. The task of achieving organic unity is difficult because these two factors tend to vary inversely and so pull in opposite directions."
-Nozik [1]
The comments of Nozick highlight the difficulty in finding an equilibrium between achieving diversity and cohesiveness between the features. Having gained experience, we should be able to get into a flow state where intuition acts as a subconscious force.
The idea is to develop novel, creative solutions to everyday problems that will not hinder the design and salient function of the product. Through my designs, I strive to achieve a point of equilibrium based on my intuitive knowledge of how the world works, derived from the details in our surroundings, and from living life to the fullest.
2. Collaboration
Collaboration has always been vital in creating captivating products and experiences. With the help of other skilled individuals around you, we are forced to consider new perspectives on a problem, as opposed to facing a “tunnel vision”- A phenomenon where we risk losing perspective if we do not look at the big picture and fixate on minute details.
“Many forms of mental activity take place in the course of design. Designers think more or less coherently; they figure, they guess, they have sudden ideas "out of the blue", they imagine, speculate, dream, let their fantasy wheel freely, scrutinize, reckon, they ‘syllogize’.”
-Horst W. J. Rittel [2]
During the design process, we tend to let our imagination run amok, which culminates in syllogizing, according to comments by Horst W. J. Rittel. This issue can be solved by collaborating and reasoning effectively with a team full of varied perspectives and opinions. Critiques from the team can help create a way more successful product.
This is why I consider it an essential skill for me as a designer to learn how to work and gel well with teammates of different backgrounds and personalities to improve my cognitive thinking.
3. Lateral thinking
An interesting reading I did this year was Vitruvius’s book- Ten Books on Architecture [3] which is a set of counsels written to emperor Caesar Augustus to construct predominant pieces of architecture. He explains that to construct reliable establishments, one should be well versed in all the fields that affect the structure allusively. He believes that good architects should have a strong understanding of history, mathematics, astronomy, political science, philosophy, music, and manual labor.
I have been preaching this attitude way before I read this riveting book written over 2000 years ago. It is thought-provoking to realize how accurate this book is even though human civilization as we know it has advanced since then.
I find it essential for a good designer to be aware and to be an expert in various fields in order to understand the universe better to design finer solutions. Therefore, I am constantly trying to discover new hobbies to stay abreast of the world around us and experience more fields outside my domain. That is one of the reasons why I try to collaborate with people outside the field, it almost always ends up with me learning a lot more than I started off with.
4. Reflection
Self-reflection is one of the most important traits of being a designer. The ability to critique yourself and be open to constructive criticism simultaneously makes us better designers and better people. It helps us learn from our mistakes and avoid them in the future, it makes us aware of our road maps and what we’re trying to achieve. And at the same time, it helps us build confidence in our skills and abilities.
However, as a designer myself, although I am great at critiquing the artifacts around me, I have a difficult time with criticism. I am very biased and emotionally attached to my work which has been the root of some issues that I have had in the past. This is a quality that I am continuously trying to resolve and improve soon.
“It depends on how much attention is given to exploring fully the underlying nature of design and how well the person is able to frame and formulate those considerations and reflections into some form of a personal, coherent philosophy of design.”
-Nelson, Harold G., and Erik Stolterman [4]
My ability to reflect on the quality of work that I deliver has inadvertently improved the way I see design and my design philosophy. I am trying to be a better designer each day by critiquing myself and by being open to other’s criticism even though it does affect me unpropitiously. In this way, I grow personally which contributes to my well-rounded design and human being abilities.
5. Tolerance
Another important aspect of my design philosophy is to be tolerant. Whether it’s tolerance towards other’s notions or your ideas. I find it essential for us as designers to be open-minded to people’s believes and mindsets. To design successful products, we need to take into account the cultural differences of every culture as well as its people. Some products do well in some countries but fail execrably in others.
A good example of that is Taco Bell’s in China did not open successfully in 2003 because they did not cater to the local taste. More than a decade later, only after they re-designed the menu with items of their local delicacies, have they been well received.
As designers, we need to be okay with the fact that we are not perfect and neither are our solutions. The worst critique of a designer is oneself and I believe that we need to be a lot more clement about that.
Figure based on Donald A Schon’s Fundamental theory [5]
The above diagram struck a chord in me when Prof. Erik Stolterman presented it to us in his class of Human-Computer Interaction Design Theory (I604). Schon mentions that there is a double loop involved in the process of learning where we not only focus on our strategies based on the consequences but also the purpose of the design. Inherently, this has kept me in check and makes me more aware of the different perspectives and ideas that are around.
Conclusion
Every designer that I have met, whether they are industry titans or beginners has succumbed to the phenomenon of “Imposter Syndrome” and wondered if they belong in this field. To be honest, this instilled confidence in my skills. It was comforting to know that I am not all alone and I need to trust the process than obliterate myself.
Design thinking should not be treated as a method of design. We must get away from usual stigmas and processes and come up with creative solutions that are off the books. You are either revolutionary or you are evolutionary in the field of design. My beliefs suggest that I fall into the second category. I am committed to evolving ideas. I trust my abilities to work on established technologies and ameliorate them based on factual proof and user emotions. I intend to change the world one design at a time.
Despite how cheesy it sounds, this course put me on the path to becoming a better designer, and in turn, a better human being, which is why I enjoy this profession and this field so much. It keeps me on my toes and each scenario is different from the last. It is of utmost fun to learn something new each day and go wild with creativity to come up with solutions for problems that we face.
Being a designer is about science, research, quality of life and more importantly about being an empathetic human.
TL;DR
References
[1] Nozik, Chapter 15: Value and Meaning, Page 164
[2] Horst W.J. Rittel, The Reasoning of Designers, Page 2
[3] Vitruvius, De architectura
[4] Nelson, Harold G., and Erik Stolterman. The Design Way, Second Edition: Intentional Change in an Unpredictable World, Page 232.
[5] Donald A Schon, Varieties of Thinking, Chapter 7: The Design Process