Philosophies for design
June 23, 2015
Designing often necessitates considering the aesthetic, functional, economic and sociopolitical.dimensions of both the design object and design process.
One example is the First Things First manifesto which was launched within the graphic design community and states “We propose a reversal of priorities in favor of more useful, lasting and democratic forms of communication, a mindshift away from product marketing and toward the exploration and production of a new kind of meaning.
The scope of debate is shrinking; it must expand. Consumerism is running uncontested; it must be challenged by other perspectives expressed, in part, through the visual languages and resources of design.”
In The Sciences of the Artificial by polymath Herbert A. Simon the author asserts design to be a meta-discipline of all professions. “Engineers are not the only professional designers. Everyone designs who devises courses of action aimed at changing existing situations into preferred ones.
Approaches to design
A design approach is a general philosophy that may or may not include a guide for specific methods. Some are to guide the overall goal of the design. Other approaches are to guide the tendencies of the designer. A combination of approaches may be used if they don’t conflict.
Some popular approaches include:
- KISS principle, (Keep it Simple Stupid), which strives to eliminate unnecessary complications.
- There is more than one way to do it (TIMTOWTDI), a philosophy to allow multiple methods of doing the same thing.
- Use-centered design, which focuses on the goals and tasks associated with the use of the artifact, rather than focusing on the end user.
- User-centered design, which focuses on the needs, wants, and limitations of the end user of the designed artifact.
- Critical design uses designed artifacts as an embodied critique or commentary on existing values, morals, and practices in a culture.
The intellectual activity that produces material artifacts is no different from the one that prescribes remedies for a sick patient or the one that devises a new sales plan for a company or a social welfare policy for a state.