What is design?

We can classify our world into two basic parts: the natural world (or nature); and the human-made world (which was traditionally called ‘man-made’). The natural world is truly sublime, the result of millions of years of evolution. Humans cannot design the natural world because, by definition, it occurs naturally, and it would be presumptuous to think that we can improve upon nature as we have only recently begun to understand the biological and chemical processes of life on earth. But, we can and do design and construct our own environment, which we have been doing for millennia, since ancient people first began making tools that allowed them to exercise greater control over the natural world. Tools allowed us to prepare food, and to make weapons, which were themselves tools and which improved our ability to hunt and to do battle. Axes made it easier for early humans to fell trees, or to build shelters, and ever finer tools like needles were used for stitching animal hides into clothing. Over the centuries, humans invented agriculture and animal husbandry, and began to congregate in urban settlements. Our world has been radically transformed as a result of centuries of progress.

In essence, all of these human-made things, or artefacts, are examples of technology, which means ‘the application of knowledge for a practical purpose,’ for example we can say that “modern humans have technology.” But, a technology can also mean ‘something that is an example of technology,’ thus we can say that “the personal computer is a successful technology!” Note that people often say things like “Apple Inc. is a technology company,” when they really should say “high-technology” or “high-tech,” which means advanced technology. After all, an axe, a shoe, a brick, and a sewer are examples of technology too, even though they are not high-tech.

Anything that is made or arranged by humans is an artefact. Examples of artefacts are:

• products or objects that are manufactured, or made by hand;
• services that we use, such as a restaurant, a mains electricity service, or a taxi;
• and systems that organise our world, such as irrigation systems, transportation systems, communication systems, and so forth.

Human artefacts are planned first, and then they are constructed or arranged. Design is the act of planning artefacts. This sense of the English word, design, comes from the French word meaning ‘to draw,’ which came into use during the industrial revolution to describe the activity of technicians making drawings of machinery and other objects to be manufactured. To design is to make a plan to change the world. That is its definition. Designing begins with a goal to change something, and then planning how to go about it. We design to make an impact on the world, and hopefully, to make the world a better place. That is its purpose. Note that designing is not inventing. You may design an excellent irrigation system for a farm without having invented anything. Invention is something different.

There are many careers that you may pursue to become a designer.

• Engineering is the most significant, it is defined as ‘using natural science, mathematics, and design processes to solve technical problems, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve systems.’ You can study any branch of engineering that you like at university, such as: mechanical engineering; electrical engineering; civil engineering; chemical engineering; computer engineering; and biological engineering; and many more. Each branch of engineering has more specialisations.
• Visual design is another category of careers in design, which is defined as ‘applying the techniques of the visual arts to improve the usability and appeal of products and experiences for the benefit of users.’ You may study a branch of design at a university or a technical school, such as: fashion design; graphic design; interior design; industrial design; and many more. Each branch of visual design has more specialisations, too.
• Architecture is the another major field of design that you may study at university, it is defined as ‘the practice of designing and constructing buildings and other structures.’ it has specialisations such as: architectural design; architectural engineering and technology; building science; urban planning; construction management; interior architecture; landscape architecture; and many more.

Note that there are ways to have a career in design without going to university. For example, you may become a professional visual designer with a certificate from a technical school; or you may apprentice in a craft as a designer-maker of craft objects such as furniture, pottery, jewellery, and so forth. However, for a career as an engineer or architect, you must have a university degree or some form of certification that is recognised in your country.
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​​​​​​​What is design thinking?

Design thinking is a step-by-step process for designing. It has six stages: EMPATHISE, DEFINE, IDEATE, PROTOTYPE, TEST, and REFLECT. Find out about the stages by reading The Design Thinking Process Poster (IV). If you want to know how to design something, the simplest answer is to use design thinking. Design thinking is very popular indeed, it is used by professionals working in companies around the world to design almost every imaginable thing. By learning design thinking, you learn how to design, how to solve problems, and how you might make an impact on the world. Design thinking involves:

• working in teams of people with different knowledge and skills, although you can also do design thinking on your own;
• deeply studying the problem and understanding the needs of the users;
• being intensely creative in an effort to find solutions;
• following an iterative process where you try many versions of the design solution;
• building prototypes of your design solutions and testing them;
• and finally, reflecting on it all to better learn from the experience of designing.

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Discussion

• How did tools give ancient humans greater control over the natural world?
• Can you think of ways in which humans have improved upon nature?
• Can you think of significant inventions?
• Can you think of excellent designed artefacts?
• What human artefacts have been deliberately developed to make things better?
• What human artefacts have inadvertently made things worse?
• What human artefacts have been deliberately developed to make things worse?
• What is the difference between a technology and an artefact?