A Design Epistle

Design is a process. As a process products may be produced . . . or not, aesthetic elements may be included . . . or not. As a process communication will be fostered, knowledge will be promoted and truth acknowledged. Because design is a process it can be taught, measured, evaluated, owned, learned and improved. As a process, design can be applied in creative ways but does not require creativity. As a process, design also needs information and opinions from those without creative credentials but whose experience and expertise is critical.

Design as a process defines a structure, where possibilities are conceived, nested, nurtured, hatched, fed, weaned, grown, released and rejuvenated. It is where a curriculum can be developed, methods identified, exercises planned, tests given, standards met, graduate and post-graduate degrees earned. It is where certification can happen as well as accreditation, codification and preservation. Design as a process is a structure without form, agreement without capitulation, collaboration without loss or forfeiture of individuality. It is where the unconceivable is conceived and made whole.

Design as a process doesn’t limit participation, it encourages it, complements it, compels it, engages it and even permits conflicting agendas to find sanctuary. Design as a process shapes instincts into instruments, tools that produce measurable results. Art and culture are parameters of design as a process, the way love and passion are parameters of procreation. They are wants not necessarily needs. To those who understand process, how it works, the routes it takes, its elements and choices, mechanics and parameters, the advantages are available and rewards are inevitable. Define the goal, provide the conveyance and you will structure success. Design is a process. Posted by: Joseph Michael Essex at October 29, 2003 03:05 PM