Designing is the art and science of producing objects and their arrangements in a particular way so as to meet their intended purposes. A design is really just a pattern or blueprint for the execution of some act or procedure, or the outcome of that pattern or blueprint in the shape of a model, item or process. The word ‘design’ also has another meaning, which is ‘intended use’. So in this context, ‘designing’ includes the act of coming up with a suitable model or pattern, putting it into practice, changing it (if required) to bring out as near as possible the intended results, and finally carrying it out so as to meet the requirements of users. The term ‘designing’ is therefore used to refer to an act or procedure, or even the combination of these, together with its aim or end, expressed in some words.
Designing involves the creative generation of objects and their arrangement so as to meet the needs of users, for example in aesthetic, technical, functional, social, economical or other domains. It also involves the generation of knowledge in the form of designs, for example in computer science, architecture, painting, printmaking or technology education. A designer thus, not only creates things but also has to be a very imaginative problem-solver. A deep meaning behind the design comes from its ability to make things look beautiful, useful and attractive at the same time.
A deeper meaning of designing comes from the fact that it is an intensely active process, which calls for extraordinary powers of imagination and highly creative abilities. As designers are constantly faced with the challenges presented by visual communication technology, many have tried to define and describe this process in different terms. Some of them refer to it as ‘designing as exercise’, ‘designing as art’, ‘designing as work experience’ or even ‘designing as discovery’. These definitions are, however, very general and do not capture the full essence of what a designer does.
In reality, a designer has to describe every time and every place where he meets a design object, every time he uses a new technology and every time he creates a new idea. It is in this way that he becomes an artist! He is able to describe each process in terms of creation and transformation, which only means that he possesses a very rich imagination and his output is always fresh and unique. He must therefore be able to perceive, envision and imagine all the possibilities, which is not an easy job and can sometimes even become stressful and demanding.
However, there is a more positive side of the profession that most people don’t know about. Designers actually play an important role in shaping the future of industries, especially the mobile phones and electronic gadgets industry. A mobile phone is a device which is used by people everywhere in the world; it connects them and allows them to communicate with each other and with their friends. Nowadays, this device has reached almost everywhere: from our homes to the cars and from the office to the planes. The design of the gadgets and the technology inside them are constantly being changed and altered according to the latest trends and this is why designers are a very important part of this industry.
For example, the present market trend is towards using electronic devices that come in attractive shapes, colours and styles, which are created by stylists who can work wonders with different materials in order to create very unique and attractive products. In this way, designers have a very important role to play, as they can influence many consumers when they use digital products. So, if you’re interested in becoming a designer, you shouldn’t hesitate any longer and start researching on the different courses and schools offering design related qualifications.