what is design?

What is design?

I enjoyed this entire video, however the highlight for me would have to be shinichi takemura’s ‘Tangible Earth’ – the interactive globe that allows the user to engage and fully understand the impact he/she has upon the Earth. For me, it really hit home the power good design can have and encompasses all that Bill Moggridge covers about what design really is.

The globe was not solely for the needs and desires of (designer), but for the users – the international community, so that they may fully understand all that (designer) is trying to convey in a tangible manner (hence the title).

Although inly 1.2m in diametre, the globe shows the impact of the international community at a intimate and personal scale. This is a perfect example of Moggridge’s ven-diagram of environmental (the world), social (domestic community) and personal

Moggridge talked about design process, which he divided into two categories, sophisticated prototyping and understanding people. In this process he described peoples needs and desires through three main factors: people (desirability), business (viability) and technology (feasibility). He explains the when these three factors marry together you have successful innovation.

Moggridge talks about the subconscious mind being the most important consideration for designers because the initial feeling and intuition is the base for your design.

His process for this is:

Learn: Analyzing the information you receive

Look: observe what people really do

Ask: enlists people participation to elicit insights.

Try: create simulations to help empathize with people.

He talked about prototyping being and important aspect when trying to research and develop a product or design. Prototyping can be anything from a sketch, enactment or building. It can be physical or software.

He describes the process in three phases:

Inspire

Evolve

Validate

Moggridges design process was split into 10 steps:

1. constraints

2. synthesis

3. framing

4. ideation

5. envisioning

6. uncertainty

7. selection

8. visualization

9. prototypes

10. evaluation

The talk was a great insight of what is to come and what steps need to be taken to achieve further success in design. Everything is designed.