Design vs. The World

I’ve followed Scott Berkin’s work for a while, so it was a treat to see him speak at Leading Design.

His key points were:

• Make sure that we talk outwards rather than inwards – stop making diagrams! (it doesn’t help that whoever makes the diagram also tends to put their discipline either in the centre or encompassing all the other areas)
• Look to older texts: for example Vitruvius, Designing for People. (Jared Spool has spoken to this as well – “If you want to learn a new trick, read an old book.” )
• Question values, for example what is meant by innovative. Get used to saying “what do you mean?”
• Use Dieter Ram’s 10 principles to question products
• Understand different leading names in respect to design:
  • Dreyfus – consumerist
  • Fuller – salesman idealist
  • Papenak – purist (also Joy Mountiford, Brenda Laurel, Susan Kare)
• The real designer is the person who has the most power to make decisions