Designing anything is a process that evolves in response to a human need, problem or desire. A design process develops a plan to make a product, service, system or something more engaging, perhaps a brand identity or a cultural experience such
as the celebration of a New Year festival.
Creativity and problem solving drive design processes. The designer responds to a
client’s brief or proposal. He or she analyses the brief, does the research, develops ideas, tests and refines them. The process often involves making a prototype or a working example of the product.
Once the prototype has passed tests the product or service is made, marketed and sold, if it is made for commercial purposes. The result could be a shoe, a paper clip, a robot used in microsurgery, an interactive game, or a website that enables people to do banking, pay bills or buy goods. It could be something strange and original that arises out of an urge to play and experiment. The possibilities are endless.
People are creating societies, both virtual and real, that are increasingly complex and technologically sophisticated. Designers push the boundaries of invention as they find solutions to an extraordinarily diverse range of problems. Thanks to designers people without limbs can compete in most sports, computer programmes are interactive and user friendly, furniture in the workplace is ergonomic, and households and work places have appliances that store food and help people keep them clean.
Design is an integral part of the culture and context within which it operates. Designers learn lessons from the past and speculate about the future. Their designs are part of making tomorrow happen. Interactive, digital services are bringing peoples of the world closer together, making communication instant across thousands of kilometres.
The study of design can also plunge deeply into the cultural, psychological, philosophical and political significance of objects, services, systems and rituals, work and recreation. So design links well with many other subjects such as engineering, anthropology, psychology, sociology, film and media studies, communication, marketing, management, history and education.
Designers have an obligation to be socially and environmentally responsible. When designing new products and services, responsible designers take into account the impact of their work on people and the environment. For example designers may consider whether the materials, natural resources and energy their products and services use are renewable. The quality and longevity of their product may be significant, and whether it is safe, ergonomic and user friendly. Global initiatives in green manufacturing and eco-design promote the design of sustainable building, electronics, packaging and many other goods and services.
INTERESTED?
Follow the link to download a copy of ‘Careers in Design’.
This excellent booklet produced by Victoria University in New Zealand contains much that is relevant & useful to potential Design graduates in Australia. The booklet is designed to help you understand the types of skills you may have to offer an employer. It also provides career information & advice about possible areas of work, personal profiles on graduates who have successfully made the transition from study to work & identifies key resources that are available to assist you.
More Info:
Website: http://www.victoria.ac.nz
Web Link:
http://www.victoria.ac.nz/st_services/careers/resources/career_publications/career_view/Design.pdf