Tuesday, October 5, 2010

What is Design?


What is design? 

The question seems simple enough, but the answer can be quiet complex.  Design can be both a verb and a noun.  It is a process of elimination as well as a process of creation.  What is being added is just as important as what’s omitted in a design.  If something shows up in ones design it should have a reason or purpose for being there. Design is a lot of things, but it isn’t random.  Randomness can influence ones design but it shouldn’t control the design. 

Design isn’t measured by a set of rules, but there are principles that have been agreed upon.  Certain proportions are favorable and color combinations draw in the eye.  The term success depends on your perspective.  Different societies view design differently, so a design that is successful in one culture may not also be successful elsewhere.  Design is defined by constraints.  The success of the design depends on how the designer dealt with these constraints.  Design is a broad subject that can be studied and critiqued for as long as our civilization exists.  Even after our civilization has ended design will still be a pertinent subject in the future.  Design is a survival tool that takes many forms.  It can have rhythm and harmony or it can be abstract and chaotic, it all depends on perspective.

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