Design is not the same as Art

By December 16, 2016design

“Design is the process of going from an existing condition to a preferred one.” – Milton Glaser

In a talk Milton Glaser gave at the Guggenheim Museum in October he broke down the distinction between design and art. You should read the full article here, it lit a light bulb for me personally that I’ve been thinking of since.

Using his thoughts as a springboard, some of the best engineers I know are also great designers, and often delivering on the goals of the company through well thought out, well designed back end architecture that allows for increased stability and flexibility in the future. One engineer I’ve worked closely with was by far the best whiteboard strategist I’ve seen.

Part of the power of this thinking is using it to enable us to work more closely together, Product with Engineering, UX and Design, in constant communication, all problem solvers, all designers working towards the success being defined as when our customer finds success, when they are happy.

“Art’s power is mysterious and cannot be quantified,” he explained, “while design’s efficacy is measured by how well it delivers on a clients’ goal.”

Let me know what you think in the comments below.

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