Developing new value in design: not “what” but “how”
Abstract
This study examines how designers in professional practice are evolving the concept of “value” in designed products and systems. Contemporary culture’s obsession with design, coupled with a knowledge-based economy and an over-saturated marketplace, requires designers to create and contextualize their work in unique ways if they are to stand out and attract consumers. To succeed, designers must shift their focus from creating mere artifact to developing highly complex narratives and design processes utilizing sophisticated research methods that, in turn, create new forms of perceived value. In addition, they must collaborate with other disciplines, understand interconnectivity of global systems, and adopt a “designer-as-social scientist” approach. This professional shift from “what to design” to “how to design” is radically altering design education. This study aims to provide design educators and program directors with an awareness of how they can improve their students’ preparation for entry into professional practice. It also aims to provide designers with an awareness for how they may develop and strengthen their professional practice.
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