Design for a Changing World (7 minute read)

In the discussion about who are designers, and who are not, everyone has an opinion.

Many express that “real designers” studied design at art school or college, and possess sound skills obtained through long, formal education, certifications and experience. Anyone who did “a design thinking course of just a few days”, is not a designer!

Really? While receiving training at a design academy or university is a privilege, it still does not sound too respectful towards others who may not have access to that and who are in principle just enthused about our beautiful profession. The sentiment of “them against us” as expressed by the design establishment reveals anxiety, concerns, and apprehensiveness. Fear about future prosperity, and about the continuation of the profession that has always comforted them.

But fear is a bad counselor, and with this short article, I’d like to introduce another direction of thinking. It is not supported by double diamond models or agile processes. It is not endorsed by any council or association. It is based on a continuous adaptation to, and anticipation of, our reality: the world around us, our markets, and our clients.

As designers, we are not artists. Our work may be artful at times, but we serve clients or the company we work for by delivering upon their objectives. How this is being done, and what these objectives are, is subject to continuous change.

1994, I chose to tag my company with the slogan “Design for a Changing World”, because at that time I felt that is what I was making. I have been making that ever since, and the slogan is still as relevant as it gets, even though what I make now is profoundly different from what I made in 1994. And that is exactly the key to my success: the understanding that design as a profession changes under the influence of the exchange with our transforming environment. The understanding that clients have very different expectations than before, and that different talent and skills, as well as a different attitude, are required to be a successful designer. And on top of that: the way design is being procured has changed profoundly, too.

Design requires a different attitude, skillset and talent than before

I had to think of this again when I read a Linkedin article this week about superficial design education. "Established" corporate designers express their disapprovals with dédain: how can someone even call himself a designer after having watched a few videos on Lynda, Skillshare or Youtube! Well, let me tell you what is the secret of the “amateurs”: their deliberate balance of bold confidence (when they may) and sincere humility (when they need to), combined with investing their time in achieving mutual understanding between the client and the designer. They did their market research, and they understand the needs. They never point to the client or to their bosses to blame them for not taking designers seriously. And they have not lost themselves in what one of the CEO’s I worked with once called “philosophical bullshit”. It was one of the rare moments I could connect with his thinking. 

What's wrong with design education in the first place, when it sparks enthusiasm for our profession?

And if that is not appealing, I’d challenge you by asking what’s wrong with design education in the first place, be it superficial or not. I hugely enjoy my profession. After 30 years I still love it, and new ways of training in my field only mean that more people can enjoy the same. The amount of learning, and the ease of getting knowledge delivered to you for free, regardless of being at Starbucks, on a train or at home, are simply unbelievable today. It is just so exciting to see how one can learn now, compared to the effort we had to make to go to the library, get the right book, carry it and read it. And I do not even touch upon the new opportunities to share your learnings, discuss them online, review each other and learn even more. It all is a blessing; a gift to anyone who wants to become a designer. I do invite anyone who criticizes that for a debate over here on Linkedin. Get prepared, because I am fueled with positivism and excitement!

 Embrace the opportunities that come with change

Dear Design Establishment, that the market is flooded with “new designers” who have learned in ways that are different from your education is not their fault; it is their blessing. That new designers can now deliver in Europe while they’re based in India is not unfair; it is their competitive advantage. That they serve the clients you look down on is not to be blamed; it is to be praised. And that they use Upwork and Fiverr to sell their services for $10 an hour is not a crime; it is their opportunity. An opportunity, nota bene, to connect with the very clients who have decided not to give their business to you!

All of this is our reality. And believe me: it is not going to change anymore. The only one you can change is the one you see in the mirror. You, “old designer”, can change yourself by being more specific about what you do, how you connect, and what you deliver. You can change yourself by carving out your value space, by keenly deepening your knowledge and by broadening your experience. I suggest you actively seek new interpretations of your design abilities: how they could play out in today’s context and how they could relate to new clients, new objectives, new markets and new users of the new products and new services that you will be designing in new ways. To put it simply: get out of your comfort zone because it is getting smaller by the day. You will be successful, but only by remaining relevant. Relevant? Yes. And the one who decides what is relevant is not you or the famous art school you went to. Relevance is decided about by your clients and your prospects, and by their users and consumers. Ask the "new designers" about it.

Putting all of this aside for a moment, I have noticed that the discussion on “what is good design” almost exclusively is being held by executive designers within large corporations. The Chief Design Officers of this world (I am one of them myself) express their disapproval of “new designers” and simply seem to forget that there is a design demand among hundreds of thousands of small companies that also want to work with a designer. They just do not have a corporate framework in place, that cannot benchmark design let alone build a design culture for that matter. Or free up a design budget of the kinds you are used to.

But you know, Pizzeria Toscana also deserves a pretty and readable menu, and the lawyer goes out of business without a website. There is a large market out there, and designers in corporate offices with corporate processes and corporate politics overlook that entire world when they anxiously point at “new designers” who are “flooding the market”. Well, I tell you, design executives, you are not the only ones who perform design. And you certainly do not have a hold on the truth of it!

They'll love your stories

Change is never easy. But it gets particularly challenging and even unpleasant when you stay on the sideline only to whine. So here is my recipe for successful change in design:

Be optimistic and confident. Rather than raising concerns about â€œnew designers”, don’t forget that they all share your enthusiasm for design and that they embrace the opportunities that come with change. Demonstrate within your corporation or among your clients what specific values you bring, and how they have evolved over time to remain relevant. Your bosses and clients will love your stories!

Be an expert, and zoom into topics where you are an even greater expert. I have been quite all right as a chief design officer at some of the biggest corporations, but I truly excel as a lighting designer. This focus has only brought me success, joy, recognition, artistic freedom and even wealth. Already for 30 years, both in my executive roles as well as while creating free work for clients all over the world.

Demonstrate your sensitivity and receptiveness to the changes around you, and equally translate your observations into constantly evolving ways to design what you’ve got to design. Outpace and outsmart your competition, including those “new designers”. Invest time in the continuous reinvention of yourself. While the “new designers” are still charging $10 for their photoshop gig, you are creating new business success beyond the horizon, and you take your clients and internal stakeholders to places they’ve never seen before. You surprise them with design that truly enhances their business in new and unexpected ways. Nobody said it was going to be easy. But you can make it good fun, and interesting.

Delight end users with customer journeys that they love and enjoy to experience, and that consistently establish the emotional bond that only design can deliver. Engage your clients, so they do not only see in the slide deck what you do, but they also experience it for real. For a client, nothing is as exciting as seeing his own proposition being translated "live" into something meaningful!

And finally, let me end with three of my masters, stressing that while we may become masters ourselves one time, we all remain pupils for all of our life: Richard MacCormac, who taught me “design is good fun”. Stefano Marzano, who showed me that “we, designers, are the custodians of our brands”, and Andy Sedgwick, who saw the opportunity of change, and convinced me in 2003 to leave my "groovy office" to join the “big world of big design” on Fitzroy Street. And, last but not least, thanks Yasu, for triggering my thinking!