Assemblages of Design Activities: From Trade to Strategy

There is no standard design method; every situation requires a distinct design process with a series of design activities that may change significantly. Design activities increase in number, intensity, and commitment proportionally to the ethical responsibility of the design and the complexity of the situation. Similarly, the design process is messier and less predictable. In this visual essay, I explore the potential core activities that designers may assemble when designing the design process. First, let’s start with the obvious activities: sketching, prototyping, and producing. In a simple design process (e.g., an industrial designer proposing silverware packaging), designers typically perform these activities. In this instance, designing is a traditional trade Fig.1. Activities focus on proposal-making, generating something that does not exist (Krippendorff, 2007). Producing an output is the goal, or what the client has commissioned for design work. Different design disciplines produce distinct outputs. For example,industrial designers create technical drawings or blueprints that are used in the manufacturing process. Graphic designers produce final art ready for print or distribution. Other design disciplines produce similar things. [...]