What is Design and Why Does it Matter | 449 | A Psychological Approach to Understanding the Design Industry

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design. What is design? Is design the process of finding pretty, cool, unusual things, objects, artifacts and materials and then placing them in an order to appear pleasing? Is it a method of material placement, functional arrangement or is it something else? And, why does it matter? Right about now, you might be wondering what the hell. What’s up, Josh? you good? I am. But I’ve been thinking a lot about this. I just recently completed a no code AI course through MiT. Yes, THAT MiT and while I can tell you that the math was a real challenge,, the concepts I learned were thrilling. And, it left me with more questions than answers. While everyone is talking about AI, I am hearing and seeing some things that I find disturbing. An example. Recently on Instagram, a notable personality in design was self-congratulating on the new product they created using nothing but AI tools thereby creating something that nobody asked for, nobody expressed a need for the design of this object and there was such glee in the idea that something had been created without any human influence save for the prompts used in a Midjourney rendering which was then given dimensions and finally produced. Designer Resources ThermaSol – Redefining the modern shower experience. Episode 271 featuring Mitch Altman Moya Living –  Beautiful, durable powder coated kitchen, bath & outdoor kitchen cabinetry Design Hardware – A stunning and vast collection of jewelry for the home! Okay, cool right? That is what I thought at first glance until I really started to think about it.  I started this show 10 years ago, I’ve been publishing at least one new episode every single week since 2013. I love design and I love the creatives that make up the industry. I think anyone who spends a fair amount of time around people understands that there always have been and always will be people who don’t really understand the subject matter in which they work. It’s the difference between a Bunny Williams, Alex Papachristidis or Martyn Lawrence Bullard and a designer who spends a few years designing their own home, realize how hard it is and then drop that to be a design business consultant. The industry is littered with them and ultimately, the clients they consult are usually out of the business in a few years. When I was in broadcast sales, it was the same. Someone would take a job selling airtime only to leave in a few years to start their own radio buying service. They were always a one-dimensional enterprise that would last a few years and then, off to something else.  Why am I asking about the “true” nature of design? We are at a bona fide turning point. There is an emerging technology in the form of AI that is going to change our industry forever. I think we are also in a place and time where there is a loss of respect for the creative side of the work in favor of less expensive, although it still has to look expensive. A new mentality that in someway makes if okay to take other people’s ideas and creativity and change it just enough to make it seem new. It’s not a legal question or even a moral one but a question of  ingenuity, creativity and the idea that creatives create new concepts, new designs, break some ground for goodness sake. I’m seeing less and less of this from those who are new to the industry. Designers and architects are creatives who make better the lives of those who inhabit the spaces they create. Full stop. it’s not about how many awards you win, the lists upon