Design is Dirty
The process of creating things is always messy. No matter what you are making you’re going to have to make a mess before you get what you want. When it comes to design we are so used to seeing the end product whether it be the perfectly curated brand, the well-lit hero shot or the high-quality result. In order to get to that end result, there are many steps that people tend to overlook. These steps include researching, brainstorming, prototyping, and testing. They have little shock value but are the most important steps in the process. This is where the story begins. Where you can see the difference between good and bad design.
Whether you are a designer or not it is important to understand the process of how products and services end up at your fingertips. It’s easy to tell if the design solves a real problem. It’s harder to tell if the design will cause more problems down the road. We see this every day, a design that causes more problems because they were rushed to market and weren’t fully thought out. This has more to do with the bottom line of larger corporations which is understandable but you see it everywhere.
In design school, they teach you to tell the story, document everything and keep an open mind. Some students rush to the end result. They spend most of the time making their final design look amazing (usually their first or second). They draw their design, rush through prototyping and then focus on the final model and presentation. This usually leads to a lot of questions that can’t be answered and a product or service that can’t be manufactured. It’s crucial to sketch out your ideas. Any idea that comes to mind you should get it down on paper. Then prototype the ideas with the most potential. This step is the most important because it proves function and manufacturability. You don’t have to create amazing prototypes, you’re just looking to prove your point. Use simple materials and try to be as sustainable as possible. This will weed out any bad ideas or problems with the good ones. From here you can test your designs and settle on a final one. If you have a problem picking one, remember, you can save the others for another project. That work doesn’t go to waste.
Don’t be afraid to make a mess, iterate quickly and learn from your mistakes. The process will become easier every time you do it and DOCUMENT ALL OF IT.
