Designers and their professional self-absorption

"Never delegate understanding"
Charles Eames

Designers love design methods, process charts, diagrams sketched on moleskins, ontologies, frameworks, being right in discussions about how to conduct xyz method, attending design conferences, geeking out with fellow designers about computer design tools, etc..  The obsession with the design practice per se is so intense that sadly, many have forgotten to understand what happens in the world around them.

It is like a carpenter who obsesses about his wear, the tools, the nails, the kinds of wood, etc.. but never learns to understand the context in which his furniture would be used. Where is the understanding of the places where people are supposed to live? Where is the insight that will allow them to adapt to current living patterns their existing array of furniture they know how to build? The same happens to designers who hang out with designers, are exposed to designers' media, and live designers' lives: professional self-absorption. 

A true designer who cares about changing positively the world would be curious about other topics, other disciplines, and other people orders of magnitude less edgy and elitist as they are. Design has to break the cocoon and open up to the real world. Research field trips in which 10 people are interviewed in their context and few photos are taken are not enough to truly understand what is going on. Design consultancies can do this because clients are paying them to get a fresh point of view, but if designers are willing to become useful in an organizational environment that has direct impact on people, hey have to drop the we (the misunderstood designers) vs. them (corporate hacks) attitude and start collaborating as peers with those colleagues.

Just because design thinking now has all the press and praise in any article that touches on innovation, this does not mean suddenly every company will put designers in control. No. This means that design thinkers and design doers are now invited to the party (something that was ignored 10 - 15 years ago) and what is expected from them is not only to bring the creativity but the deep insight that comes from truly understanding the problem.

And product development is not the only place where design thinking can be used: take any step in the value chain of any company and I guarantee you that designers can have a massive impact on the final product by applying the same and unique skills they have: marketing, go-to-market, customer service, logistics, human resources, etc

Where are the designers that are willing be true to their idea of applying design thinking to change organizations and change them from within? Where are the designers that want to apply their unique secret sauce to solve problems of organizations that have been overlooked for many years by creative people? Are designers willing to get out of their comfort zone and tackle real problems that have real impact within organizations? Are designers being sincere when they talk about how willing they are to join a business environment and willing to teach others design by doing alongside them?


Photo: "Snakes" by Guido Mocafico