Brian Reed: Everything is designed. Few things are designed well.
When hearing the word “design” we might think primarily of “designer-sunglasses”, “designer-furniture” and “designer-clothes”. This is bullshit.
Take a good look around in the room you are in. Every material thing around you has one thing in common: At one point somebody decided how it should “look”. Somebody has actually drawn or planned it. In some cases, the visual appearance of the thing is pleasing to you. It resonates with you and you think the thing or expression looks “nice”.
In other cases, the thing seems randomly drawn and produced and you are really not that excited about it. (This may be for everything from cars to postcards.)
All things have been designed at one point in time.
So – what does it mean when something has been “designed well”?
Immediately, I can think of these criteria, but there are certainly more:
- The thing is well suited for its task, whether it is of a technical nature or it is a communication task (such as an advertisement or a website)
- The thing feels good to use (for whom?)
- The thing looks nice (for whom?)
- The thing is sustainable and does not damage the environment.
ANYHOW: Good design is when one or more types of designers and product developers have been in on the process of production for the thing in question.
This link in the process represents an investment. The investment becomes visible by the thing looking proper, solid, complete and professional. One can charge more for such a thing. The sender of a proper thing is taken seriously.
Despite this, many elect to skip the step of “expensive” design.
However, it is of no use sending garbage out in the market and expecting to be taken seriously.
Some people buy garbage because they cannot at the moment afford the investment of good design. More often than not, this results in the cost being higher in the long run, because they have to buy AGAIN. How many of us have purchased something very cheap on XXXXX, just to have to go out and buy something proper just after a short while?
The total price is then the cheap price + the proper price. Next time you buy something at XXXXX, you don’t expect it to last very long. You have lowered your expectations to the sender.
Do not let people lower their expectations for you! Let DESIGN show the value of what you bring to your clients.
