My Product Design class was blessed to have Darrel Rhea as a guest speaker. He was truly inspirational. I’m still at awe, confused, moved and inspired all at once from all the ideas he brought up.
The one that stands out the most to me was the idea of the “user profile.” During his lecture I couldn’t possibly explain my thoughts without sounding disturbed and unorganized.
But now, four hours later… the question that keeps resonating in my mind is “how to find balance between designing for a user profile and being true to your own design principles.” In hindsight I wonder how many designers look back and think, “how much of my design was influenced by the trendsetters and trend? versus the solutions to the problems I was solving?”
As designers aren’t we supposed to be the trendsetters? We don’t design for the trendsetter people we design for a solution to a problem. At least that’s what I always thought we did…
My class today opened my eyes about how much influence our users have on the outcome of our design. And its really making me question what kind of a designer I want to be? – I’m the designer that designs for a solution to a problem. But… in the end, it goes back to that idea about rhetoric. I would really need to be so damn charismatic if I’m telling people my product is cool shit.
One more thing.
If I had 20 seconds in an elevator with the CEO of the company I’m designing a product for and he asks me what design is. My response will be:
“Design is power. My team creates things, that people see and touch and in subtle ways influence their lives. It’s priceless.”
What would yours be?
Filed under: thoughts, darrel rhea, user profile, what is design
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