Design is about more than looks. It is about the feel, the comfort, the use, the effort, the experience and the essence of a thing. All designers, in every aspect, seek to do more than make something; our creation must do something, say something, provoke or soothe. In the result can be seen the hours that the musician spent practicing, the writer lamenting over word choice, the artists seeking the perfect shade and the architect the sleepless nights required to get the right "feel" in a space.
Outside of these obvious artistic realms there is another design that flows. That can be seen as the teacher who reaches out to students, the scientists laboriously seeking the right result, an entrepreneur creating the perfect business plan and the nurse aiding the family. Are these not also aspects of design? Are these people not also intrigued by the human state, entranced by the never ending wonders created by the experiment known as life? Design is not something to be done and moved beyond but to be nurtured, embraced and proclaimed to all.
While the musician practices and practices, rehearsing continually to perform, to move, to create something new and different endowed with her gift to be given to the world, so does the lawyer, doctor and entrepreneur seek to affect others and to create something wholly unique yet ubiquitous enough that all can understand and rejoice through it.
The idea of design, however, has been simplified to but one of its intrinsic values: aesthetics. Design is more than making something attractive or offering a point of interest to those who pass by. It is not only for the aesthete or the critic to see and tell others what is good or bad and to pass judgment for the majority. It is for the individual to seek comfort and happiness or to find that which adds to the life of the person. Design adds meaning and layers to our lives.
The realm of design has been commodified to something that anyone can claim and few control. So many items are dictated to the public now that there is little choice involved. Most cars look similar and if they don't, wait until next year when those lagging behind will finally mirror what sells today. The buildings of today are designed to look, not to invigorate, excite, calm or ease. Art is produced for self gratification of the artist or to exacerbate the already pretentious and their narcissistic lifestyles.
This has led to a decline in interest and a laissez-faire approach to the new and the exciting. No longer do people take part in what is being produced for their clothing, instead it is just bought from the rack as "one style fits all." There is little excitement over a new building to be built downtown or on campus.
What is given attention now is how the next MP3 player will look, the style of your TV or what the next cell phone will do. Only in these little areas do people seek true individuality or give more than a second glance to those aspects that they desire in these things. Once one has owned a phone, for instance, the desires and the detestable become apparent for the next purchase. However, this thought is seldom given to the locations which people inhabit throughout their lives.
We spend our lives in and surrounded by buildings and traveling in cars or public transportation, but seldom do we truly look and partake in the discussion of these facets of our lives. When was the last time you took notice of a building for more than a second? When was the last time you thought about how you felt about where you work or live? It is easy to see the exterior, to notice the grandiose façade which hides the mundane interior spaces. People spend their lives in these places and think little of what could be done to improve and even less to seek those improvements besides those that can be immediately affected and are purely selfish.
There is, of course, an answer to this: engage. Look around and think about where you are or what could make it better. Find what is wrong and change it. Embrace your innate design psyche. Seeking alternatives and solving problems; these are the only ways to create better solutions. It can't be heard if it isn't said, and shouldn't be said if it wasn't thought out.
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