“Never tell me the odds.”
Han Solo, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
How many times have I heard a respected celebrity claim that the only reason they did the things they did was because they didn’t realize at the outset how difficult they would be? And yet, they were successful. We don’t hear about the failures.
My training as a designer—the skills, processes, techniques, tools, and talent—gives me the confidence necessary to take on almost any problem that needs to be solved. It doesn’t matter what domain I’ll be working in, who I’ll be working with, or what technology is involved. I know that, while I may not be able to solve the problem myself, I will add value, significantly contributing to the solution.
There are those who take umbrage with this attitude, claiming that it is awfully arrogant to believe that design is the answer to everything. However, this is not the claim I’m making. Not every problem belongs to design, nor is design necessary for a successful solution. I think it is fair to say, though, that design can benefit any solution.
When asked the question,
“What are the boundaries of design?”
Charles Eames answered,
“What are the boundaries of problems?”