It is sometimes difficult to keep up with what actually qualifies as design – what used to be a strictly professional pursuit has become the domain of anyone with a mild creative streak and a few spare moments on a computer. More and more people are being offered a way in, from amateur photographers eagerly buying the latest version of Photoshop to newly engaged couples deciding on the particular cut, setting, and material for their engagement and wedding rings (not a commercial link). Everyone wants in on the design action. It’s a sexy concept, but it can be difficult to know where to draw the line, or even if a line should be drawn at all.
My position is that if ‘design’ continues to evolve and expand into so many areas, it risks losing meaning. ‘Graphic design’ is already losing its distinction from ‘illustration’ (although here’s a great article about the difference), and it is difficult if not impossible to have an accurate idea of what somebody actually does if they claim to be a ‘designer’. At the same time, the it is clear that there is an increasing need to expand design knowledge, appreciation, and application.
In order to really advance and make use of its growing influence, the design community must continue to refine its approach to improving performance and enjoyment. There are signs this is happening. Until recently, design has typically referred to creating a noun – an object, a product, a thing that can be pointed at and admired (successful design) or derided (unsuccessful design). But more and more attention is being given to another application – designing verbs. The formula for successfully designing verbs is mad-libs simple. Choose a verb. Any verb (“learn”). Now think about it purposefully. Make it easier, faster, more efficient, more fun, more meaningful. Make it work right. The straightforward solution is to create a noun for the verb – a tool (”chalkboard”). Human beings are great with tools, and we habitually look to them for solutions - classic industrial design. One level abstracted from this is experience design itself, where the focus is on what people are doing, and finding out whether the nature of the task itself can be altered to improve performance (”interactive discussion”). It opens up the world of immersive experience, ideally improving your chosen verb for everyone, not just the well equipped.
In its broadest sense, design simply refers to purposeful creation – it is the link between imagination, problem solving, and productivity – and can be applied to almost any noun or verb. But think about which companies and people who are making the biggest difference in our ability to get things done, and you’ll see that they are not all that captivated by nouns, and are instead designing verbs.