Learning design

How Tools and Technologies Reshaped the Creative Process.

The design has always been Humanity’s key to evolution, solving our every need based on observation, research, experimentation, and results. Although the general directives that make for the fundamental basis of problem-solving through design have been constant and consistent overall throughput history, the details of said directives which translate into a series of tasks and methods aided by tools and processes have been, and still are, in constant change and evolution as we discover new ways of understanding ourselves, our needs and the resources we have, which leads us to astounding discoveries that give us an edge over our expectations about our abilities in different fields.


Designing an object or a building and going as far as city centers and infrastructure, has always turned around the core concept of sketching, where intangible ideas, hopes, and imagination are brought closer to reality through the means of drafts using pen and paper. This phase has the very important role of visualizing our thoughts and giving them an early form and primary properties. But these ideas tend to be crude and often limited by our capabilities to visually describe what we want to design, which can also be compounded by the complexity of the object of our design, which goes to show the massive amount of work our brains do subconsciously to give the conscious mind the notion of an idea. Further, along the timeline, we have slowly shifted towards digitalizing the sketching phase of design and started using CAD (Computer-Aided Design) as well as digital sketching software on tablets using styluses which also allowed for more precise sketches, refined ideas, and allowed for the possibility of studying possibilities through the discovery of AI later on.
These tools have especially helped in the prototyping of the aforementioned sketches, further developing them in all imaginable ways, most importantly the aesthetic and functional aspects of the designs which greatly helps in the development of said designs into a more complete and useful product which has the beneficial component of being adjustable and parametric to suit every scenario that could potentially happen. Another important aspect linked to both the prototyping phase and the simulation sequence of the general design is the use of data compilation, organization, and analysis in real time, which allows for a study of the design as it, and the parameters surrounding it, evolve and shift towards a better-engineered solution.


The final step would be the presentation, rendering the solution in a more generic form that anyone could understand, and be familiar with, which is a crucial step especially when working on projects dedicated to human use or for people who aren’t interested in the technicalities and details of the product you are presenting them with.
The aforementioned process is what all who learn design nowadays have to go through to truly grasp the importance, complexity, and opportunities that lie ahead in the world of creativity, fabrication, and practical problem-solving. Whether it is in the context of a course or the professional realm, it is all the same, the only difference, which is quite a radical rift between the two practices, is that in a professional setting, you are dealing with real situations that, while being incredibly high stakes, do hold a key role of being a sample of what the current trends look like, allowing for projections that help in identifying the areas of expertise and research which deserve your attention and effort, thereby guiding your evolution and making the entire learning process massively more fruitful targeted and focused.


In conclusion, we leave you with the following quote by artist, teacher, and designer, Hans Hoffman:

“Design is the intermediary between information and understanding.”

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