The first line of the Healthcare Vision statement sparked an interesting discussion among the studio members last month. Is "design" a noun or a verb? Is it aesthetics only? Is it "applied"? Is it something that we just do at the beginning of a project? The debate was lively and far reaching. We all know what design is, right? After all, we are "design" professionals. There were as many definitions of design as there were people in the room. Each individual defines the elusive term based upon experience and perspective.
According to Merriam Webster, design, as a noun, is defined as “the arrangement of elements or details in a product or work of art." When viewed in terms of aesthetics only, design may be viewed as something added, something perhaps unnecessary, and too often costly. It may not appear to add value. It is an unfortunate, but all too often common viewpoint, that design is superfluous. Drive down any freeway and look at the back sides of buildings that face the road and it is apparent that aesthetic is not valued.
Design as a verb, however, is the very essence of architecture. It is the process that architects, as design professionals, bring to projects. We are creative solution seekers to complex problems. Design thinking is now considered an asset to business school training. How Business is Adopting Design Thinking
(http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/sep2009/id20090930_853305.htm)
It is the way in which we approach a problem, our mindset in defining the issues, in understanding the context within which the solution must reside, the testing of variables against a set of defined elements and the ability to push perceived boundaries out of the way for a moment to imagine the possibilities. It is creative, explorative, imaginative, and innovative. Design thinking takes the courage to explore outside of the norms but also the discipline to know when to bring the seeking to a fruitful conclusion. So much of the world is defined as faster, cheaper, better, just get it done. Design lives in a world of ideas--many identified, some explored. As design professionals, we have the unique training and talent to start with an idea, explore, test and create a building. Our skills are applied throughout the entire project process, from big conceptual ideas down to the detail of a handrail.
Design as a process, the critical thinking and explorative nature, brings to light the essence of an idea, the nucleus of a solution and the value of innovation. It is what moves our profession and civilization forward.
Design is Everything. Everything is Design.
Comments
Beth, thank you for breaching the discussion of design. We are often faced with the question in our educational studio of what is a "world class" school and or the 21st century school? A design question that we find very difficult to answer. However, we have, in many of our most recent designs created exciting, functional, sustainable solutions that improve learning, attract the best in teaching professionals and keep students in school.