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Writer's pictureCallie van der Merwe
Apr 22, 20222 min read

What is Design then?

Designing for Human Behaviour.

Part 3

Designing for Human Behaviour. Part 3 Designing for Human Behaviour. What is Design then? It's about understanding the problem, immersing in empathy, and finding solutions tailored to human nature. From Problem to Solution As we established yesterday, design is not a stage of a project. It’s the beginning, the middle, and the end, and some would argue that there is never any end. The exact meaning of the word "design," however, depends on the context and can mean different things. There are many forms of design, but every type exists to solve problems. To solve problems, you must first see them, and to see them, you need to collect all the data. That’s when real problem-solving, and thus real design, starts. It's neither art nor science but a careful blend of the two. “Design is a solution to a problem. Art is a question to a problem.” – John Maeda Unlike art, design doesn’t need to be original. Designers are not inventors—they are problem solvers. For every problem, there are often many tried and tested solutions, whether inside or outside your design category. Design can be styled for broader or lesser visual appeal, and this holds true for furniture, architecture, a space, an object, and user interfaces. So how does one go about problem-solving? It starts with understanding the problem first. Why does the problem exist, and is it worthy of a solution? Can it be solved with existing solutions, or does it require a new approach? The answer lies partly in empathy—immersing oneself deeply enough, long enough, and sincerely enough into the problem to understand the true responsibility and opportunity at hand. A problem can only be solved when one starts asking the right questions. New approaches should only be implemented if you are 100% convinced that existing ones won't work. With this understanding, one must also be mindful that human behaviour is difficult to change. The best design solutions are found in designing for how humans behave naturally in a specific context. Designing for human behaviour is, therefore, almost always better than designing for behavioural change. What does designing for human behaviour mean? More in the next Article.
 

Designing for Human Behaviour. What is Design then? It's about understanding the problem, immersing in empathy, and finding solutions tailored to human nature. From Problem to Solution


As we established yesterday, design is not a stage of a project. It’s the beginning, the middle, and the end, and some would argue that there is never any end. The exact meaning of the word "design," however, depends on the context and can mean different things. There are many forms of design, but every type exists to solve problems. To solve problems, you must first see them, and to see them, you need to collect all the data. That’s when real problem-solving, and thus real design, starts. It's neither art nor science but a careful blend of the two.


“Design is a solution to a problem. Art is a question to a problem.” – John Maeda

Unlike art, design doesn’t need to be original. Designers are not inventors—they are problem solvers. For every problem, there are often many tried and tested solutions, whether inside or outside your design category. Design can be styled for broader or lesser visual appeal, and this holds true for furniture, architecture, a space, an object, and user interfaces.


So how does one go about problem-solving?


It starts with understanding the problem first. Why does the problem exist, and is it worthy of a solution? Can it be solved with existing solutions, or does it require a new approach? The answer lies partly in empathy—immersing oneself deeply enough, long enough, and sincerely enough into the problem to understand the true responsibility and opportunity at hand. A problem can only be solved when one starts asking the right questions. New approaches should only be implemented if you are 100% convinced that existing ones won't work.


With this understanding, one must also be mindful that human behaviour is difficult to change. The best design solutions are found in designing for how humans behave naturally in a specific context. Designing for human behaviour is, therefore, almost always better than designing for behavioural change.



What does designing for human behaviour mean?

More in the next Article.


 
COOOP. Design for Behaviour. COOOP Design Studio is an award-winning design collective of Architects, Interior Architects, Engineers and Service Providers under the creative and technical direction of Callie van der Merwe, Marcus Wilkins, Roberto Zambri & Calvin Janse van Vuuren

We apply predictive human behavioural knowledge to design and curate 

highly successful social spaces within the built environment.



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​​​​​​​© 2022 COOOP ™.  All rights reserved. 

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