In certain cases, design can be likened to a broken clock’s human-form manifestation. Some designers find themselves accidentally stumbling upon great success, not necessarily grounded in a robust foundation of accurate design principles. It could be said that these principles somehow work for them, leading to career and financial success. However, this doesn’t necessarily align with the true core of design.

Once again, we acknowledge that success, even when it appears somewhat accidental, is still a success. It’s career progression and financial prosperity. Yet, this success doesn’t necessarily reflect an understanding of the genuine essence of design. Typically, the mainstream designer undertakes on their design education primarily driven by the prospect of securing paid work. Often, this is the main or even the sole reason for their educational pursuit. Consequently, what they learn may lean towards superficial design concepts.

Consider the field of interior design, where spaces are transformed into functional and aesthetically pleasing environments. Interior designers, whether crafting comfortable living rooms or huge choice of kitchens designs, use their creativity to solve spatial challenges. It’s about creating atmospheres that not only meet practical needs but also evoke emotions. This is an aspect of design that deeply influences our daily lives, from the comfort of our homes to the productivity of our workplaces.

Graphic design, on the other hand, plays a significant role in our visual world. Graphic designers craft visual messages, whether through branding, advertising, or web design, that engage and communicate with the customers. Keep in mind, the design requirements differ depending on the industry the client belongs to. Hence, the design elements used to create branded content for a fashion designer and the elements used to create an estate agent website design tend to be very different. Graphic designers tend to do this in order to create designs that not only convey information effectively but also resonate with audiences and create a lasting impact.

In the world of product design, innovation and functionality are paramount. Product designers are tasked with crafting items that seamlessly integrate into our lives, enhancing our experiences. From sleek smartphones to ergonomic chairs, they prioritize user-centric design principles. It’s about problem-solving, improving efficiency, and enhancing our interactions with the products we use.

Fashion designing takes the essence of design to a new level – one we can wear and express ourselves with. Fashion designers embrace the challenge of combining form and function in clothing. They create pieces that not only look stunning but also fit well and serve a purpose. It’s about self-expression, cultural influence, and pushing the boundaries of creativity.

Again, I guess in the end it’s okay because it tends to work for them by way of career success and the financial success to go with it, but that still doesn’t make it right by way of the true essence of design. So what happens is that during the learning process the typical mainstream designer goes through their design education driven by the prospect of landing paying-work. Usually that’s the main reason or sometimes even the only reason, so what they learn by way of their subject matter could be focussed on superficial concepts of design.

For example, if you’re contemplating completing some course in graphic design, you would probably be forgiven for seeking to go with the cheapest one on offer if it was aimed at a specific sector of graphic design like digital logos, this of course if you were pretty much guaranteed a job with some graphic design company. While this route indicatively has its place, as is the case with the explained example, if on the other hand you were rather interested in learning the true essence of design, you would be seeking to do so via much richer subject matter.

I.e. the digital graphic design itself would just be an iteration of the underlying design principles that stay true to the essence of what design is all about.

Now as suggested by our website/blog over here, our focus is more on the digital iteration of design, but make no mistake about the fact that we are totally clued up about what the true essence of design is. Even our best web designer for example has a design background which stretches beyond the digital realm, drawing on their deep-running interior design knowledge to represent the true essence of design in any of their work, including web design.

So if we had to design shoes for missionaries for example, we would probably draw inspiration from the likes of Mission Shoe by Kaiback, simply because their mission shoes follow design principles which are based on the true essence of what design is all about. That’s meeting a certain need and meeting it well, but it doesn’t hurt if what you are designing is easy on the eye as well.

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