What does design want?

When considering what design aims to achieve, several key aspects emerge from the various perspectives on the subject:

Purpose and Goals

Design is fundamentally about creating a plan to achieve a specific purpose or goal. As Charles Eames stated, "Design is a plan for arranging elements in such a way as best to accomplish a particular purpose"2.

Problem-Solving and Improvement

Design is intended to improve situations, solve problems, and explore alternatives. It involves blending imagination, thinking, and making things while considering aesthetics, forms, and functions to create something better, different, healthier, or happier1.

User-Centric Approach

Design, particularly design thinking, is anchored around human-centered design. It focuses on the solution rather than the problem itself and emphasizes understanding the user's needs and experiences. This approach ensures that the design is empathetic and user-specific3.

Functionality and Aesthetics

Good design balances functionality and aesthetics. It is not just about making things look pretty, but also about ensuring usability and creating an enjoyable experience. Design should reduce friction, provide simplicity, and integrate visual elements that evoke emotions and meaning2.

Impact on Living Systems

Design can also be seen as a way to create positive impacts on broader systems, including the environment and society. The concept of "life-centred design" or "design for living systems" suggests that design should consider the well-being of all life, not just human needs1.

Emotional and Social Connection

Effective design creates a connection between people and the objects or services they interact with. It should empower users, bring delight, and have a meaningful impact that resonates over time2.

In summary, design wants to achieve a purposeful, user-centric, and balanced creation that solves problems, improves situations, and creates meaningful, enjoyable, and sustainable experiences.