Although design is prevalent in everyday life and features within many forms; such as brand design, web design and product design, there are a number of misconceptions about what it is and isn’t. So, we’ve explored some of the more common beliefs…

All design is the same

There are a number of different design specialisms and although they share similar aspects, they are quite different and each field has its own unique skill set. A product designer is not the same as a website designer.

Design is superficial and only concerned with aesthetics

A popular belief is that being concerned with the look of something is quite superficial. However, good design is integral to the world we live in and plays an important role in our lives. If something is badly designed, whether that’s a household object or an information leaflet, our interaction with that object is affected.

Design is less to do with making things look pretty, and more about communicating ideas and information. It addresses problems and provides solutions. Behind great design is a thought and decision-making process that has considered a range of factors so that it achieves its purpose.

Everyone is capable of design

With so many freely available tools to aid design, such as website builders and design software, many people often consider if it is worth paying a business to carry out that work when they can do it themselves. The problem is that whilst everyone can be a designer, not everyone can design. Don’t underestimate the benefits that using a creative business can bring to a company. A good quality agency or freelancer can add value and help to drive the success of a business. They will possess the skills and experience to know what needs to be done to create a brand or a website that will meet the objectives you have and to produce the results that you want to achieve.

Design is simple and easy

Don’t underestimate the amount of time and effort it takes to create great design. Whilst the final result may look simple and effortless, it’s likely that there were many iterations and concepts produced to get there. Functional design takes work behind the scenes. For example, with web design, there will be complex code that ensures the website will function as it should and any changes to that functionality require new code to be written.

Good design is absolute

Design is wholly subjective and carries different opinions, personality and ideas. The decisions made during the creative process are subjective and so are neither right or wrong. Design is as much about opinions as it is about following objective principles. Everything from choice of colour to typeface is made based on how it makes the designer feel or what they think it will make others feel.

Ultimately design is about creating something that is just as functional as it is beautiful and fulfils the purpose that it was created for. Hopefully this post addresses some of those common misconceptions but if you think we’ve missed anything, let us know!

If you’ve got a project that needs some creative design skills, we can help – why not check out examples of our work? If you’d like to find out more information, or discuss the job in more detail, please phone 01202 727070. 

Photo by rawpixel.com on Unsplash