the evils of design

Most folks think designers are nuts when they say they love constraints but we do. Constraints are what makes designing solutions to problems challenging, fun, and innovative.

Working with and around constraints means a designer has to be very good at adapting. At figuring out ways to get around a constraint, or how to turn a constraint into a part of the solution, or how to get rid of the constaint by solving the problem a different way.

All of the paths for dealing with constraints require that the designer think "out of the box". Meaning that they think about solving problems in unexpected ways. Thats fun. It can also be very challenging.

Thats why design teachers will sometimes literally take a piece of design work - a poster or product concept - and turn it upside down. It makes you see things differently. Learning to see things in different ways is key to dealing with constraints.

Solving a problem from a different perspective can result in an innovative solution. It can be as simple as eliminating 3 extra steps in a task or opening up new opportunities for further innovation. Your choice.

Comments:

I wasn't going to comment but I find your statements too banal and obvious that I've changed my mind. Where did you learn to regurgitate such nonsense? It sounds like it came out of a glossy marketing pamphlet on design: those ones that are oblivious of any content.

Posted by Mike Lee on May 21, 2007 at 09:46 PM PDT #

LOL! Expect when the only defense is to regurgitate. Sometimes stating the obvious is done because its NOT obvious to those who are not designers. I get annoyed with people who think designers work best with no context and no problem definition. To me thats boring.

Posted by anet on May 22, 2007 at 01:18 PM PDT #

Designers love constraints.