The Genesis of Design

Everything around us is designed. From the clothes we wear the food we eat, the chairs we sit on, the houses we live in and more interestingly the air we breathe. The invention of design was primarily made possible by the need to solve existing problems in order to improve human life. Since human life is dynamic and influenced by the choices that human beings make on a daily basis, the transformation and evolution of design is too symptomatic to human evolution.

Wainwright building by Louis Sullivan: Form follows Function

We can trace the history of design from the creation story of God as recorded in the holy book- Bible, the Precambrian period through to the modern technologically advanced times where machines are rapidly replacing human efforts. The industrial revolution brought efficiency and speed enabling mass production of design products. This was in line to the increasing population hence the need to meet human satisfaction.

Diagram showing: The Design Process as illustrated by discover designs.org

Design is highly influenced by human beings. We are at the center stage of the design field. Interestingly no design is right or wrong. A design can only be good or bad. As the 20th Century Modernist Architecture and Industrial Design principle states, “Form follows function.” Good design meets the general acceptance of the audience targeted. The designer’s audience and the product have common codecs which need to connect. This therefore raises the need for active participation by the audience. As a result the design process comes in handy to effect and achieve the desired emotional connect.

Fig 2: The SDGs: design is key to their attainment through co-creation

Primarily human beings respond to stimuli emotionally. Designs have to connect emotionally. The interpretation and reaction of human beings to design around them will always be emotional. As a matter of fact design with the end user in mind effectively achieves the objective. Design is a vital tool in shaping society and solving the social problems around us. Visually we recognize shapes and form. The application of sound design principles will surely lead to the transformation of society for positive living.