Order out of chaos

Designers create order out of chaos, but design is not science – we need more than science in our quest to manipulate our environment.  My mechanical engineering education was a theoretical, calculus based presentation of concepts.  Much time was spent in deriving equations and quantitative analyses.  When I worked as a product engineer, I found that this knowledge didn’t serve me well.  I couldn’t analyze something I hadn’t designed.  Even after concepts are agreed upon, the detailed design of a part requires many decisions that allow it to be lighter, stronger, cooler or whatever the design goals are.  You had to put your best guess up for analysis.  The multiple design decisions on an objects’ thickness, radius, roughness etc. are based on having an intuitive feel for how solids, liquids and gases behave.

Typically design methodology calls for a sequence of events, which in their simplest form are the clear definition of design requirements, development of concepts, and finally engineering the final design and manufacturing approach.  However, many more ambiguous factors get introduced into the design process.  Because design is done by humans and typically for human use, a long list of factors are introduced into the development of designs, ranging from the sociological forces of group identity and organizational behavior to an organization’s politics, individual egos and ethics.  Aesthetics assert a subliminal force even on the most non-consumer design.  Moreover, technical and business issues arise to provide design direction, such as ergonomics, performance, longevity, capital costs and profitability.  Regulatory forces such as safety standards often provide some baseline for starting a design while corporate attitudes toward environmental sustainability and manufacturing preferences can suggest design approaches.

Traditionally design requires technical skills and experience to ensure that the product or system works in the way it is intended.  Therefore, product design is often left to the engineers.  However, intangible forces become integrated into the design and direct the final appearance of the design.  The sometimes subliminal forces can be brought to light through an interdisciplinary study such as occurs in the industrial design discipline. Although industrial design has technical aspects, the discipline carefully considers aesthetics, social, cultural and organizational forces -- the non-technical affairs that make a product fun and relevant.  I think all good designs have surprise and playfulness.  We all have the capability to engage many disciplines in pursuit of excellence in creating products.