The constant refinement and alignment of forethought and actuality is known as innovation. Innovation is a goal of designers. Sir George Cox stated, “Design is what links creativity and innovation. It shapes ideas to become practical and attractive propositions for users or customers. Design may be described as creativity deployed to a specific end” (2). This is perhaps the most important aim of design. The actualization of forethought in its most accurate representation. This forethought or strategy is the reason why a designer’s most important attribute is awareness. Before actualization, intent and objective are malleable for the designer. Awareness permits the designer to see flaws with the current paradigm and conceptualize solutions critically (4). What assumptions does the current paradigm or former design make which may harm user experience? For example, let’s observe the common bread toaster. Cooking time is a variable which can be manipulated often times with a dial. However, the cooking temperature typically cannot be changed. Does this have drawbacks? Furthermore, the lever which one pulls down usually toasts two pieces of bread at once. The time typically cannot be varied between the two, and both are always on at the same time. Is this a weakness? How do people really want their bread to be toasted? With this example it is plain to see that the designer must be aware of his audience and of his environment which he wants to improve in order to make relevant decisions. When relevant decisions are employed in novel ways, innovation is consequent.

Design is human-centered, or anthropocentric. Human objectives are the target of design, which makes certain pursuits more relevant than others (2). This anthropocentric purpose is evident in the scale with which designs are conceived. In industrial design, for instance, each product is scaled relative to the human body to match the determined output of usability and efficiency. Doors are designed to be tall enough for the average human to be able to walk comfortably through, keyboards are designed for human fingers to be able to comfortably press down on each individual key. Each of these designs is intended to exist in a “goldilocks-zone,” which is convenient to the user. Anthropocentrism is not only conspicuous in scale, but in all attributes relating to the human senses. Smart-phone screens reproduce colors only within the spectrum of visible light, while perhaps another intelligent species would have to design for the purpose of differing wavelengths such as ultraviolet. Design is aimed to perfectly meld and interact harmoniously with the particular aspects that make us human.

Predominantly, art asks questions, while design is intended to answer questions. Design is created in the face of need or desire in an attempt to fulfill it in the most satisfying way possible. Art is not meant to fill any necessity, but instead to generate thought and emotion (1). One could say that Edvard Munch’s, The Scream does not satisfy any practical purpose in the tangible world. Thus, expression is often an attribute of art which some believe separate the two practices distinctly. However, design can be expressive in triggering emotions as the user interacts with design. In this way I firmly believe that the two are linked; as expressive products of creative impulses (3).

Designers continue to change our world and challenge our senses with new designs which can improve our daily lives. This important aspiration is one which should continually be refined and reinforced as we continue to strive for the ultimate user experience for humanity.