Designing Through Time: A Designer’s Guide to Memetic Theory
DESIGN POWER MINDSET #9: KNOW MEMETIC THEORY
Mirror the Past, Mold the Present, Design the Future
Design, intrinsically, is a response — a response to a human need, a cultural moment, a functional gap. It’s a process steeped in the practice of observing, absorbing, and then transcending the familiar. René Girard, a sage in the realm of human sciences, illuminated this with his theory of mimetic desire, which posits that our wants are often reflections of what others seek. This insight is not merely academic; it’s the heartbeat of user-centric design. By understanding the roots of desire, designers can craft solutions that resonate on a deeper, almost instinctive level.
The Truth of Cultural Adoption in Design
Cultural adoption in design isn’t just about trends; it’s about the collective subconscious, the shared experiences, and desires that bind us. When we recognize the memetic nature of our work — how the solutions we devise are often remixes of what already exists — we unlock a more profound, empathetic way of designing. This isn’t to say our work lacks innovation; rather, it acknowledges that innovation often sprouts from the soil of the familiar.
Deepening Our Understanding of Memetics
Girard’s insights encourage us to look beyond the surface of what is mimicked and ask why certain patterns persist and how they evolve. It’s a call to appreciate the threads of continuity in design and to weave them into the tapestry of contemporary human needs. It is this dance between the old and the new, the tried and the experimental, that propels design forward.
Questioning as a Pathway to Innovation
As designers, questioning the commonplace isn’t just an act of rebellion; it’s a pursuit of clarity. When we examine the standard navigation bar, inspired by the analog Table of Contents, we are invited to ask: does this serve our digital, function-rich environments in the best way possible? It’s a question that doesn’t seek to discard the old but to challenge it, to adapt it to the evolving landscape of user interaction.
Embracing the Memetic Journey
Our role in the cycle of imitation isn’t a passive one; we’re not just duplicators but interpreters and innovators. By understanding and embracing the memetic pathways of culture, we position ourselves to craft designs that are both inherently understandable and freshly innovative. It’s not about shunning what came before but about using it as a foundation upon which to build the exceptional.
The Evolution of Design
As designers, we have the unique privilege of shaping the interface between humans and their world. By diving deep into the currents of cultural adoption and memetic theory, we can emerge with designs that not only serve but inspire. Our work then becomes more than a function; it becomes a story, a piece of the cultural fabric that both honors its lineage and writes its own chapter. This is the undeniable truth of design: it is both a mirror of our world and a map to where we could go next.
