It is said that “Perspective is everything.” The biggest predictive factor of how our lives will turn out is, without a doubt, how we perceive life’s experiences. This is because practically every aspect of existence is governed by how we see things. Our perspective shapes how we interact with the world in every way, from the possibilities we seek to the kinds of experiences (good and bad) we go through every day.
While many see perspective as an art, some see it as an intricate scientific phenomenon. Regardless of whatever view one holds, no one can deny that each human sees and perceives things differently – from the purview of one’s internal bearings, experiences and level of education and exposure.
The world we live in today has metamorphosed into a battleground between how we evaluate things and what our physical eyes can actually see. Interestingly, to a large extent, the environment and our backgrounds mostly define how we perceive things which can impact the kind of solutions we proffer to address the problems we encounter. For a creative designer who intends to solve problems, understanding this crucial element can be the difference between creating a good and bad design while aiming to create meaningful experiences for users at the same time.
Mr. Adrián Cohán, an Argentine designer, captured this succinctly: “Designers have a unique ability to interpret reality and the capacity to look at the same problems in a different way and come up with new solutions.”
Most designers work in a box and seek to create solutions outside of it to help businesses meet certain objectives. Thus, their perspectives (works) can end up with disgruntled clients who don’t connect to the proposed design solutions.
What Every Designer Must Know
The designer’s perspective largely feeds off freedom. To think, brainstorm and create. When this is nonexistent, for instance, a designer working in a box, his/her solutions will find it hard to communicate meaning and solve the problems it intends to solve.
Surprisingly, Benjamin Spock, an American paediatrician and left-wing political activist, who has no background in design, proposed one of the most important ideas about design which is:
“Without freedom, there is no creativity. Without creativity, there is no life.”
Today, everything revolves around design. Websites, mobile phone apps, flyers, posters, branding, content management systems, user interface, clothing etc. All these cut across all industries. Subsequently, the roles of designers have gotten a facelift compared to 20-30 years ago. To operate as a creative designer today requires some skills that feed into the perspective of the designer. Hence the budding question that arises is, can the designer utilise his/her perspective to create workable solutions that are meaningful and sustainable?
“We add value by connecting the dots between what companies can make and what people need. It’s about finding the best solution between the possible and the desirable,” says Mr Adrian.
Herein lies the problem. Most designers only think about what is desirable and discard what possibilities their design could lead to because they often don’t place themselves as end users of the solutions they’re creating. With the demand for designers as high as ever today, can the space afford to harbour professionals who take for granted their creative perspective in favour of quick money solutions that
The Demand For Designers
Graphic designers are in great demand today because organisations are seeking to build increasingly complex and aesthetically pleasing visuals for their business objectives in order to satisfy their markets. This is possible due to technological advancements that have opened up fresh possibilities for creative professionals to produce ingenious and distinctive visuals without much hassle.
A graphic designer’s job requires a wide range of competencies, comprising ingenuity, aptitude for design, business acumen, and understanding of multiple software tools. As a result, several colleges now offer courses in design to assist students in seeking employment in the sector.
However, “The design profession is still a poor cousin,” noted Mr Cohan, adding that “For a handful of companies, design is core to their business strategy, but for thousands of others it isn’t,”
Design is indispensable to the marketplace, and it performs an integral part in empowering us to reinvent our communities, as well as addressing our social needs. The more designers are in high demand, the more the onus falls on them to understand how their perspectives can shape cultures and societies.
Their creativity is the most sought-after resource today – a weapon of mass communication so to speak. Therefore, they shouldn’t treat their profession with levity and trivialise their perspectives. In the words of Mr. Cohan, “Design is not an art. It’s a profession, and you need to be passionate about design to overcome the problems that arise. You need to get really involved in it if you want to succeed.”
To succeed in the design space, the designer’s perspective must be honed and fully utilised with a focus on originality and making sure it adds meaning for the end-users. The demand for design services requires such especially now that it is easy to find design resources across the internet.
As a designer, deploy the power of your perspective to “Solve your problem, solve the problem on your street and you may find that your solution is relevant to 10,000 streets. When you design for 10,000 streets, you design for no street, but when you design for your street, it could be applicable to 10,000 of them”, enjoins Ravi Naidoo.
About the Writer
Mayowa Adegunwa is a leading product designer with a great passion for analyzing and designing products that tackle real-life issues.
She excels in divergent thinking and takes pride in delivering intuitive and user-centric products.
Beyond this, Mayowa co-founded HotelO and has served many digital product-led companies with her exceptional skills.
