The ‘Open to Change’ Mentality
Originally published in the Turn The Page Issue 61, July 2017
If someone would ask me what the purpose of design is, it would be that design is the artificial way of creating a change for the better in our lives. Designers should think of their addition to this and this can be very broad: do you want to make products more beautiful or more durable? Do you want to create a change in society by putting a message into your design? All of this is a great opportunity for us, but how can you make sure that your design will actually change something. That is what this article is about.
Designing a product that carries out a new message is never the easy way to go, but when you believe that yours is worth it to send out to the world then that should never be an obstacle. How can you get people to follow your message or create awareness? Because you know that even though what you are trying to change might be good or even proven to be good, that is absolutely no guarantee for success. It all depends on your consumers being open to that change.
It seems that the good idea itself is not good enough, it needs to have a good backstory.
Perception of change
For designers change might be natural, change is necessary for progress. Why is it then that we, as human beings, often fear change? On the other hand how is it possible that the world in the past 100 years has been changing faster than ever before? It is evident that this is great for designers, but why is it that some changes are still not accepted?
We, as human beings and even as designers, naturally are animals looking for some kind of steadiness in our lives. We look for something that we can fall back on, a certain continuity in our life to make sure we are safe. Even though most people would agree to this, they would all try to distinguish ourselves from the herd if they get the opportunity. This makes sense because you want to be part of a group, but if you get the opportunity you would want to be the special one. So this already leads to two things you can include in your design:
- We want to be part of a group, that we feel safe in.
- Within this group we want to distinguish ourselves.
So it makes sense to take a look at the values of that crowd and use those to strengthen your design. Now imagine there is a need to bring a product to this group, and that product does not meet the values of this group; or imagine you want to change the behaviour of a certain group, how can you design something that will still attract them?
Design your change
Imagine wanting to create awareness in a group about environmental change, but this group has not shown any interest in this subject. How can you design something that makes them interested?
Changing the way your design makes an impression will have a big impact on the realisation of your change. Changing this impression can go in many different ways.
It can simply mean that you can bring in your design in a different context or shape, this might lower the threshold for the specific change you are trying to achieve. So if you want to sell electric cars, why would you not first start selling electric drones? You can show that your change is used already in different product fields and that might lower the threshold for new users to start trying out your new design.
Emphasising the change can also be very effective. Electric cars do not only look different because of the technological differences, but also because of the fact that the car wants to make clear that it is environmentally friendly. So depending on the message of your change, it is important to play with the appearance.
Sometimes comparing the new situation to the old situation can create awareness of why this change is worth it. Doing this will lead to a confrontation which will make the observer think. Confrontation is definitely a situation that involves risk, since most people try avoiding this. Depending on your target group, though, this also might work out for you, because a lot of people are actually searching for a change they can make in this world. How great would it be if that change would be in your design? There are a lot of good ideas for change everyday, but only very few actually make a real impact. When is an idea good enough to make a change? It seems that the good idea itself is not good enough, it needs to have a good backstory and respond to a need that is relevant at that moment. There are also tricks to make people like something that they have never seen before. If you like this layout, for example, that is probably because it is designed with the golden ratio, which has been scientifically proven to be attractive.
This trick might be nice and maybe it did not even work for you, but as you can imagine these kind of tricks might also be misleading. There is a thin line between misleading someone and amplifying some of the benefits of your change. Making a great first impression can never do any harm, but showing a realistic image of what your design will change may just set you apart from the rest. In the impression of your design, it is very important to be aware of these ethical challenges. In the end it is all about your design being accepted, so that the consumers feel that the change that your design is making has a good impact.
Designing the way you want to make a change is interesting and, with the perspective that you are able to create a change, makes you so much more than someone that draws beautiful products; seeing possibilities that nobody else does; knowing what you want to change is one of the best starting points for a new design. For me, design has always been the tool to make a difference and to have an impact by actually helping to improve our world.
This article is made up of a lot of questions, that do not have one perfect answer. So it is a good thing if you do not agree on everything being written, as long as you are open to change. I believe that making a change is the starting point for every design and I hope that when you start your next project, you can make that change.
