MA Exercise: What is Design?

We were tasked to prepare our own definition of 'What is Design?'
Looking at design (past, present, future), the role of a future designer, difference between design thinking and designerly thinking, I asked some of friends what exactly does design mean to them, the most common answer is: Design is both aesthetics and usability.

Design is many things to me.

Design is experimentation. Design is intuition. Design can empower change, make a difference and help others in our communities. But Design is also complication.

Every time when we produce or create something, there is an unwanted impact or side effects which often lead to unexpected complications in the long run.

Ideally, a design should serve a meaningful function without compromising on other factors, but this is almost impossible to achieve. Aesthetics aside, even when designers are able to create useful and effective products that serve a function, it could be at the expense of something else.

For instance,
We create clothes for modesty and protection but after we add design to the equation, fashion is now the 2nd most biggest polluter of freshwater resources on the planet. (Forbes, 2015).

Fig 1: Landfills and pollution (Luevo 2013)

Fashion's vicious cycle:
Design > Demand > Consumption of designs of waste (objects that are only intended for one time or a season)  > Satisfy trends / modernity > Consumers get bored / tired > In need of new designs

Design leads to consumption > Consumption needs constant renewal > Results in over-production, textile waste & pollution.

Fig. 2: Million tons of fabric waste in landfills (THOS 2018)

Fig. 3: Fabrics being dyed in factory (Florence Dugué/EyeEm/Getty Images)

As the world advances, I feel that designers should plan for multi-functionality to conserve resources - Products that can serve multiple functions for one or for multiple users. 

Design is to design a design to produce a design - John Heskett.

What if commercial sharing bikes like OFO, Mobikes etc, had an additional function? We know the main function is convenience and they are everywhere, so could it be more? My mum feeds neighbourhood stray cats and picks up leftover food after them every night, it's tiring and time-consuming for her, she doesn't mind but we worry as her age is catching up. Can commercial sharing bikes be automatic cat feeders at the same time? We know the answer is no, its not a practical idea. It will lead to more problems such as hygiene and logistics but its something to think about for multi-functionality.

We can also look other existing examples,

• Saltwater Brewery created an edible six-pack ring carrier that is completely safe for fish and turtles to eat if it ends up in the ocean. its also 100% biodegradable and compostable. This is a great design solution as we know that plastic waste is killing many marine animals.
• Multi-functional furniture designs and foldable space-saving cabinetry in Hong Kong as solutions to lack of space.
• Multi-functional or transformational clothing that can do more with less, garments that could be worn in multi ways - reversible, removable, attachable components, suitable for different weather seasons.

I am guilty of many things - using plastic bags, using disposables, emotional purchases, consumption of goods and services, etc. It's a tall order to lead an ethical life without causing some measure of harm to others and the planet. The idea of designing and building physical environment while understanding social and ethical responsibilities is not new but we are definitely more urgently in need of responsible designers who recognise the consequences of decisions and actions now more than ever. As designers, before we create anything new, we should learn to be aware of possible consequences. We cannot avoid design activities completely but we can try to minimise repercussions. We must be accountable for our actions and design decisions. So to me, Design is mindfulness. Design is responsibility.

A responsibility to the future

"We need to think long and hard about the types of things that we want to build. We need to ask ourselves some critical questions about that. Who is this benefiting? What is the impact to individuals or the community? Are we helping the few but hindering the many? The people who live on this spinning globe we call Earth will wake up tomorrow will judge us harshly for the decisions we make today. Let’s go out there and make some good ones." - Stewart Scott-Curran, 2016