The Redesign of the Design Process

It wasn’t that long ago that we believed in a romanticized notion of the power of the talented solo designer. This individual would lean back in their chair as everyone else would await the genius idea that would emerge. “Yes! That’s it. That’s what we need to build. Thanks again, Awesome Designer. You’ve made us great again.”

It doesn’t work that way anymore. And actually, it’s clear it never did.

Today, the best designs aren’t coming from a single designer who somehow produces an amazing solution. The best designs are coming from teams that work together as a unit, marching towards a commonly held vision, and always building a new understanding of the problem.

These teams create their great designs without using any magic or special formula. They create great designs by applying their design skills to the act of designing.

Rendering Intent about Rendering Intent

Design, in its simplest form, is about rendering intent. When a person makes a choice about how they want something to be, they are designing.

Do we want the glasses in the cabinet above the sink because they’d be easier to reach? Yes. We just designed the kitchen layout. We intended easier access to common items in the kitchen and we rendered that intention by placing the glasses in that cabinet.

If we intend to create great designs, how will we render that intention? That’s the role of a design process.