Design to me is a possible solution to any given problem. Design is also a thought process. The process of design is the continual refinement of a thought to find the most simple cohesive solution that addresses the maximal complicacies of any given problem. Our environment is in constant flux, and as a result the problems we find around us are also in constant flux. The inherent nature of our existence in our physical construct requires a constant drive to adapt to the fluxes around us. Thus the process of designing solutions to our problems is on-going and constant.
The word design is associated with the Arts, Sciences and Engineering. In each fields of study, the word has a different connotation. However in each case the connotations and meanings of the word can be generalized to the idea of solving a problem. Framing the problem is different in each field. A painter might have a problem of depicting a concept she/he might have in mind to the piece of paper on the most direct way possible. To an economist, the problem might be controlling tax rates to maximize incentive for corporations while increasing the government’s budget. An engineer’s problem might be to maximize power output from the smallest battery to power some portable electronic device. In each case they all have problems and they are framed in very unique ways, but one thing that is common across the board is the need for a design - a solution - that produces an optimal thought process to address the problem.
Growing up, we are not taught that in every single discipline there are problems that need to be solved. As homo sapiens we are known to be the best problem solvers in our known universe. Every day every member of our species knowingly and unknowingly solve numerous problems. We can improvise solutions to problems instantaneously, we just don’t think about it much.
If this advanced primal faculty - ability to solve problems - of our species was honed and sharpened, the global output of the entire species would significantly increase yielding solutions to our most difficult problems.
Some of the biggest problems we face today as homo sapiens - cancer, racism, global warming, economic inequality, among many others - are the hardest problems we have ever faced in our existence. As a result we need to optimize our abilities of solving problems so we can quickly find solutions to prevent pain, suffering, loss and a possible extinction of our species.
Good design is the path to success for our species. Good design in the way we treat others. Good design in the way we build the world around us. Good design in the way we mentor our next generation. Good design in the way we inhabit this world. Good design will help us find the best solutions to our problems and succeed. A good design - A purified thought process that is logical, simple and optimal.