The Abstract Wor(l)d of Design

Introduction

I've always been amazed by how relatively simple things manage to remain hidden before our very eyes. Once, I was doing some research for a training course I delivered at work; one of the topics, intended that the audience became aware of the difference between abstract and tangible, and I used several different concepts to express that difference (the actual goal was to reduce the level of assumptions we make while trying gathering software requirements).[caption id="attachment_128" align="aligncenter" width="584"]

Is the word truth: abstract or not?[/caption]In my presentation (for the purpose of telling my story) I mentioned that a concept leans towards the abstract side when everybody knows what something is, but at the time of describing or defining that something, many of the answers differ among the people being asked.Let me give you an example: Think about the word truth.Get in a room with 10 people, and ask them to write in a piece of paper the definition of truth. Two things are likely to happen.

1. People would smile or even roll their eyes at you whilst making the assumption that the task at hand is relatively simple.
2. When facing the problem, people would not only make, most likely a mediocre effort at describing the concept in a few words (as me and my group did), but also, the answers would largely deviate from the dictionary definition (this point may not apply if you include philosophers in your group).

Now, keep thinking about it for a second, and before you read the definition below, write your definition down, take your time, and compare it with the one below.Oxford Dictionary of English says:

truth |truːθ|

2. that which is true or in accordance with fact or reality.

There is another word, which happens to be in the same category as truth, and that is design.

What is design?

Before I started writing this post, I knew what design was (at least I thought so); I do it for a living. Every day, I sit in front of my computer and design User Interfaces for a software company, I design how documents flow, processes, code, even the header of this blog or its logo. I love design, I've always done it, but sadly, I didn't know what was its actual definition.There are two definitions that talk about design according to the New Oxford American Dictionary.

design |dɪˈzʌɪn|

1. plan or drawing produced to show the look and function or workings of a building, garment, or other object before it is built or made.
2. purpose, planning, or intention that exists or is thought to exist behind an action, fact, or material object.

The one that I'm interested in, and the one that adheres closer to what my daily routine is the second one. Design is not a thing or a deliverable. Design is what happens before the thing, it is hours of assigning purpose and intention to an idea yet to be conceived, to then plan and finally execute.

The role of design in UX

Today as a UX (User Experience) Designer, the intent or purpose of my role is to reduce the friction between the users and the devices they use and I am supposed to facilitate people's (say customers') understanding of the problems they face, and that sometimes, that the solution they have envisioned is not what they actually need. A UX Designer lays out the strategy to understand and decompose problems (discovery) to facilitate the design process with the intent of reducing the gap between the solution and its audience.I only mention UX because, within my profession, UX is deeply linked to intent and purpose like design is, and it would almost make you think that by setting design in motion the first question that would come into the designers head is about intent or purpose, but rather odd, it may not be the case.

Conclusion

Whilst thinking about designers one tends to think about somebody with converse shoes, jeans and t-shirt with funky looking specs and messy hair with a laid back attitude, creative type and versed with the pencil.The text above helps me argue that a designer should be somebody that works relentlessly to solve problems with a great ability to focus on the big picture and the message to convey. And it is my appreciation that the vast majority of people would differ if they are presented with this hypothesis upfront.To prove my theory, I asked a colleague at the office to draw a designer. That was it. No further description; this is what he did:[caption id="attachment_132" align="aligncenter" width="584"]

The Designer in Hugh's mind[/caption]You can see the glasses, the messy hair, the stretch jeans and the laid back attitude. Which makes me think that my perception is shared by at least one person, if not thousands.Furthermore, the wide variety of definitions of design that exist from head to head, make the whole concept and its world word an abstract one.