80 Works for Designers

Find Out For Yourself

"If you want to study something, it's better not to know what the answer is."

I was reading the essay "Find Out For Yourself" by Shunryu Suzuki today when I was struck with a sudden thought: we can be better designers when we don't know what we're doing.

Many of us were attracted to the field of design specifically to make art. Then, somewhere along the way -- especially after having so much energy placed in making artifacts, not art -- our perception of what it meant to be a designer broadened. We became competent in creating specific kinds of artifacts. We mastered specific domains of expression.

But that didn't mean that we designed better artifacts. It's human insight that grounds and infuses design work that creates meaningful change in our society.

Making is not a direct substitute for generating meaning in design. But the process of making can lead to meaning, and our minds must be open to receive it. I've heard this described as "abductive" design thinking -- which in plain English boils down to being able to extrapolate solutions from limited information.

You can seek out that insight before creating your design, if you have the tools. If you don't, then you can start designing. But if you want to use your time wisely -- not efficiently, mind you -- you should practice agile design.

How Designers Can Think Strategically

Last class, I made good on my promise to describe how to properly frame a design problem. And while all of you said that what I was describing wasn't "new" in any sense of the word, there was some good dialogue about what does and doesn't fall into the realm of a designer's control when you're working through a project.

One of the last things I touched upon in our discussion and drew on the board was a rudimentary version of the following chart:

When clients meet with you to discuss their needs, they're often thinking solely about tactics. However, good designers know how to rise above the tactics and describe how their actions impact business goals and marketing goals beyond making a good logo. These designers get a seat at the table with the CEO and are more likely to retain their clients in the long term -- provided that their design work is well-executed and on brief.

If you find this topic of interest, feel free to read further in this 6-part series from last year on ChangeOrder.