The Design Process

Designing can be described as an artistic process by which an individual produces a thing designed to meet a specific or anticipated need. Designing involves the selection of appropriate materials, formulating a system or a process and determining a method of communication. A design is also a blueprint of the invention or structure of some object or machine, or for that matter the physical expression of that design or blueprint in the shape of a machine, device, article or service. The word ‘design’ can also mean ‘applied art’, ‘creative literature’, ‘experiment’ and ‘reflection’. The term to design also denotes the procedure of building a design or blueprint for the accomplishment of some specific purpose or effect, usually for the improvement of some aspect of the production process.

Designing can be visual, a practical (as in engineering design), verbal or a combination of both. A good designer must have in-depth knowledge of human psychology, mathematics, computer science, architecture, graphic design and many other disciplines. It is not enough that designers know the techniques of their trade, they should be able to justify their chosen models, at the same time having the ability to quantify them. It should be possible for them to visualize their work and describe its various characteristics and functions in a clear and concise manner. Thus, it is always important that their designs are consistent with the scientific reality and the future prospects for their inventions.

The design process can be described as an artistic process that results in the creation of a visual object as well as a successful working machine or service. Visual designers usually develop the layout and shape of the objects in advance while the conceptualizing, writing and marketing team do the technical implementation. While the industrial design team usually works on the conception of the product, the graphic design team lays down the pattern and image of the product or makes its production ready. Thus, the designer/maker has to be a master of all the skills required in the different areas. Though there are various job titles for designers, they generally fall into one of the following three categories: Industrial Designer, Graphic Designer and Interior Designer.