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FASHION INDUSTRY
Zharylkasym B. - ZHT-21-5K2 group`s student
Kozhanov S. – teacher, master
The Meaning of Design: What Design Is and Why It’s Important
What is design? Most people think that design is about making things look pretty – a decoration. Art. But design is as
much an art as it is a science. Cold and calculated process. Sometimes the detriment of pretty. Yet, the design is not allowed to
fail. Design is for everyone and no one in particular. Website and mobile app design, as well as design in general, is a complex
yet
subtle process, it’s more than making things pretty.
Humans speak through languages and things speak through design. It seems today that nobody claims to speak a foreign
language they haven’t studied but everybody thinks they know design.
Let’s dive deep into the world of design and try to understand why it is so important and what purposes it serves.
Meanwhile, the meaning of design depends on the context and can also mean a variety of other things. Design is the
creation of an experience. It’s also the process of the said creation and how well it’s organized. On
top of that, design is the
result, i.e. the
things we see, hear, and feel.
The meaning of design is so multifaceted, to the point that you can no longer say if a universal definition is at all
possible. You can, however, try to look at the sum of the parts to come up with a more realistic picture. So, Charles Eames said
that design is all about purpose. Let’s dive deeper into this idea.
The purpose of design
Every type of design exists to solve problems. To see the problem and find a solution, designers rely on data. So the
toolset of the
designer is based on research, not prettification.
Your design doesn’t have to be original
It’s a common misconception that novelties and hype in design will sell a product. The only reason conventional and
textbook design patterns exist is because they are tested, proven, and they work. According to Jakob’s Law of Internet User
Experience, users spend most of their time on other sites, so it makes perfect sense to design for patterns for which users are
accustomed.
We only implement new approaches if we are 100% positive they are better than the existing ones. This alone comes
from a great deal of research.
Every time you make a user think through an ‘innovative’ navigation pattern or an unorthodox menu placement, it’s a
chance to lose them. Not because they are dumb but because we gravitate to familiar things more than we do to the unknown. If
we do go for it though, we make sure everything about the new design is bulletproof.
Designers are not like their users
Everybody has biases and it’s okay. Cognitive biases reduce the load and help us stay sane. That being said, it’s
important to know whether your bias is damaging your design work.
Designers and owners know their product inside out. Their bias is called the Curse of Knowledge. It’s when you find it
extremely difficult to think about problems from the perspective of lesser-informed people. On top of that, your goals are entirely
different from those of the people you are building for.
What makes us different? If you are reading this, you are top of the food chain when it comes to computers. Most people
are not and they don’t care. They don’t know what it takes to build a digital product just like we don’t know what it takes for our
computers to work off the power line. Everybody knows something no one else does.
Oddly enough, the more employees a design company has, the stronger their detachment from real users. No matter how
good they think they are. Ask Google about Buzz.
That is why it’s vital for design agencies to keep it humble and always research their users, study their goals and pains.
The more we know about our users, the less biased we are. Eventually, people will have their own habits and biases about our
product. But we have got to convert them first.
Usability is about making a product for people to accomplish their goals. UX design is a lot more robust than just that. It
brings delight and meaning to ordinary things. Good UX design matters because it makes every step enjoyable, even
the negative
ones. If there is no network connection, the website should not die. If a page doesn’t exist, the 404 should not be a bummer.
That’s a UX design job. It goes further beyond the familiar definition of user experience.
Why UX design is important and what makes good design:
Good design will crack you up. User satisfaction is no longer a goal. It’s a default every design solution should be in line
with. However, the fun and delight are the goals. The hard sell times are past. Modern design seduces and brings pleasure.
Good design will eat your money and make you feel good about it. Practical value is only a part of what people are
willing to pay for. Another part is happiness. If your design
makes people feel good, they will forgive you for technical issues
and bad updates. How to make them happy? Be genuine and honest about your work. Listen. Change.
Good design feels like a person. For people to care, they have to empathize with something. If a product is designed in a
way that favors everything, it favors nothing. You make a social impact by having a strong distinctive voice, promoting the right
kind of values, and identifying with your audience. No matter what type of business you do, there has to be a human side to it.
Good design has meaning. Meaning connects people with objects. If that connection is meaningful, it will stay for years.
The design should empower people to establish the connections they need
to feel free, capable, and enlighted.
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