Change by Design Reflection
I consider myself rather new the graphic design community and particularly new the different discourses and concepts associated with graphic design. Until now I feel like I’ve been playing catch-up learning the tacit skills and “rules” of the field. So, now to be exposed to the explicit knowledge of graphic design is captivating. The concept I found most intriguing is the concept of design thinking presented in the Tim Brown and Barry Katz article “Change by Design”.
In his article “Change by Design”, Brown discusses some of the changes in the corporate workplace and the role of the designer within it. Brown’s main argument is that the skills and the knowledge had by the designer needs to be circulated throughout companies. Clients are facing designers with more complex problems. In the past, designers were brought in to help enhance an already developed idea or concept. However, according to Brown “… the most progressive organizations are challenging us [designers] to create ideas at the outset of the development process.” [1] Simply put, non-designer businessmen and accountants need to start thinking like designers. By doing this, companies are embracing the design process and all departments are working in unison. Brown also introduces designer tools he calls “three spaces of innovation”: inspiration, ideation, and implementation. These are skills and tools designers use to aid in creative problem solving. If these tools are move “upstream” to the executive suites the larger and more complex problems will be feasible.
I find this concept to be an interesting one. While I have not had much experience working as a graphic designer, and none with working within a larger corporation or organization, I did work with a smaller clothing line that embraced this method. The owner worked closely with the illustrator and was very involved with the design process. The owner was not only concerned with aesthetics and the look of the final design, but he involved himself with inspiration, ideation, and implementation as well. As a result, designs could be completed much faster than if the designer and owner worked unconnectedly.
[1] Brown, Tim. Change by design. The Journal of product innovation management 28.3 2011: 381-383. Blackwell Publishing. 17 Sep 2014.
