What is Design & Why am I Exploring it?
As someone who gave up on graphic design to pursue sociology at university, I never thought I’d be revisiting design 5 years later. Indeed, I never thought I’d be exploring UX as a possible career path either.
Somehow after all the twists and turns of life, I’ve ended up here. Maybe one day I’ll expand on it but, for now, let’s dive into one of the biggest questions…
So what exactly is Design?
Design is often confused with art and asking what designers think of the Design vs art debate will raise some hackles. Some say that Design is meant to have a solid plan and a purpose to benefit its users (a) rather than simply to look pretty. Artists and illustrators, on the other hand, may say that art can go deeper than just aesthetics or emotion.
My understanding at the moment is that though Design and art are certainly related and intersect, they are often used in distinct ways (b).
Design is the creation of something new to solve a problem, or an existing one in a new way, for people.
You may only think initially of your phone, apps or your favourite mug, but Design is everywhere. It’s in the way that door handles are placed, your qwerty keyboard you use every day and how your bathroom taps are labelled.
However, you shouldn’t be able to notice Design. The best design is invisible.
You only see Design when there’s an issue — when you can’t figure something out or it doesn’t work the way it seems.
This hilariously embarrassing example (figure 1) proves that bad Design can have disastrous real-life consequences — which I have experienced more times than I care to admit…🙈
Why is a sociology student exploring UX Design?
Design is a way to combine all the things that I love— creativity, social justice and impact. I also see intentional Design as a way to fight back against the increasing commodification of products due to capitalism (c).
Studying sociology at university has taught me that critical thinking produces a thousand times more benefit than going along with the status quo. Art and creativity breathe life into an otherwise mundane existence. Life coaching made me realise that being genuinely curious about people to help them achieve their goals fulfils me.
And so this is what I want to try to do going forward in my UX journey:
- question who Design, or specific designs, is for.
- keep looking at the bigger picture and systems.
- stay grounded by putting the end-user first, even when it’s challenging to.
Design and technology are constantly evolving; therefore, my understanding of Design and how I want to be as a UX designer will also evolve. I want to see Design as an ongoing conversation so I hope to document my journey here and bring you along with me!
References:
a) Looijesteijn, K., 2019. What is design?
b) Philips, M. Art vs Design — A Timeless Debate.
c) Tatulyan, M., 2021. How to build a solid portfolio system in the age of design trends.
