Takeaways from the Shape of Design
I often delve into the realm of design as it more often than not poses as the platform upon which ideas are quickly validated or invalidated in the course of building products. I’m primarily a Software Engineer. This often entails that my work focuses on building what has been handed off (not usually the case for everyone who works as a Software Engineer apparently).
In a quest to get myself immersed in that world in which I’m seldom included, I found a book by Frank Chimero: The Shape Of Design. I’ve articulated some key takeaways and expounded briefly on them in subsequent sections.
Why vs. how - To be stuck on how to achieve a design piece is to be limited. A child might not be interested in the 'how' of learning, has he no clear understanding 'why' he should. Taking on a project should be inspired by what you stand to achieve.
The mockingbird - It mimics the sound of a buzzing vehicle not minding the fact that it sounds nothing like the vehicle. It leverages the tool it can afford. Tell your own story.
The Poem - Where a poet writes the first three lines of a poem and passes it on to another to complete. The second person might sway a little bit, but that there brings in mystery that in turn becomes a beautiful piece. What's more important to note is the fact that he is afforded a platform on which to take off. We should leverage what tools we already have at our disposal.
The Candle - Being lit, can lit another. It is helpful to have a goal in sight whilst seeking inspiration. While we wander, we retain our spirit and fuse it into our work. There's really no starting from scratch.
Introspection - The painter is his own critic. He draws closely to the canvas, and with every stroke contributes to what will eventually become a masterpiece. He takes a step back to view from a vantage point how each stroke composes.
The Gap - By Bridging the gap between the client and the user, the designer's devotion might be on a fence. He perhaps has to figure out a way to deliver satisfactory to whom usability should be of the most important. Design is not necessarily an anchor between between worlds, but rather a bridge.
The Purpose - of design a product is to have it do something in particular as opposed to being anything at all. They're just a means to an end. Design is a field of outcomes and consequences more than one of artifacts. Think about the result you get when you send a design brief to three different designers to design a chair.
Delight - in a delightful design piece there’s an overlap between surprises, empathy and clarity.