Q1) What is design?

What does this design depict?

5 Things About Design




As an aspiring designer, I have my own outlook as to what design is. Each designer has their own style, their own brand of design work, which is derived from several influences around them. Here are a few of mine....

• Design is to see beauty in everything. 

Every line, curve, shape, and color - design is all around us. Whether it's a picturesque sunset with peachy hues, a fluffy cloud pattern which resembles a dog, the spiral whorls on the bark of a tall oak tree, or the jagged surface of the face of a mountain. If one cannot appreciate the designs in nature, how can they create a piece of their own?

• Design is to draw inspiration from what's around you. 

Some of the most abstract thoughts and designs can be influenced by a simple object, person, or elements of nature. Salvador Dalli simply depicted melted clocks - an object we see so frequently and take for granted. 

• Design is to pay attention to the little things in life and the finer details in design.

Elements of design can reveal themselves in the smallest of ways, for example, the polka dot pattern on the back of a red ladybug, or the intricate carving on a wooden button. One should develop a sharp eye for small details in their work. Sometimes, the littlest things or moments can have the largest impact on your life. This thought can also be applied to the context of design. 

• Design is creating something new with intention and purpose. 

There is a reason for everything to exist - to facilitate some process or action. This is innovation, as every design comes with practicality. Take DaVinci for example, who was a brilliant designer - of products, inventions, architecture, and paintings. There was a method or science behind what he created. This intention is what matters. 

• Design is a passion for the arts, science, and common sense.

With every design, there is a bit of science and maths involved, like the "Golden Ratio," or a bit of psychology, like how the color yellow depicts vibrancy and warmth, and simply using logic to conclude whether the design is garish or pleasing to the eye. If one feels that they are capable of drawing a leaf, that does little to prepare them for a graphic designer's work. Design is interdisciplinary, and a loathing for one of the subjects can kick your design work off balance. In order to love design, one must embrace all the knowledge of design.

American art director Paul Rand spoke my mind when he said:

“To design is much more than simply to assemble, to order, or even to edit: it is to add value and meaning, to illuminate, to simplify, to clarify, to modify, to dignify, to dramatize, to persuade, and perhaps even to amuse. To design is to transform prose into poetry.”