This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Evolution of design
The role and application of design and design principles have changed dramatically in recent years. They are no longer reserved for the creative community as they have spread to different domains.
Design used to be a separate field of expertise concerned with making products that looked good and worked well. Over time the products that were designed grew in complexity. The design of an iPhone or an online shop requires different methods and skills than designing a poster or a chair. Today design is used to offer better experiences and services and solve complex problems. This has redefined the role, application, and value of design. LXD is a clear example of this development. It is a design discipline that has emerged to meet the demands of today’s expectations and challenges.
Design ethics
The work of today’s designers impacts our lives on many levels. It has improved how we work, communicate, re-create, socialize, and learn. Successful designs can have both upsides and downsides. For example, you can design a mobile game that millions love to play. At a glance everybody is happy. Your game makes you money, and players are enjoying themselves. But what happens when your gameplay is a bit too addictive?
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Players may spend way too much time on their phones neglecting other people and responsibilities. Kids may take all their allowance or use their parents’ credit card to buy in-game purchases. Every design you create is an intervention in someone’s life. As a designer, you should be aware of the consequences and take responsibility.
This responsibility underlines the importance of design ethics. Understanding the ethical aspects of your designs is vital to being a successful contemporary designer. You could say design has evolved from the aesthetics of design to the ethics of design. A great design looks good, feels great, works well, and has a positive impact on the people you design for and the world around them. LXD fits perfectly in this evolution of design as the goal is to contribute to people’s development and well-being. The impact of a well-designed learning experience goes beyond reaching a learning objective as it aims to bring about positive change in the life of the learner and the world around them. Taking on this responsibility is what many love about LXD.
Role of the designer
As design evolves, the role of the designer changes. It has become less isolated and more versatile, demanding, and challenging.
Several design disciplines have crossed over into other fields of expertise. For example, game designers have entered the field of healthcare. Designing a game to improve people’s health requires a multidisciplinary team with designers, developers, and medical specialists. Each of them has their own perspective. The role of the designer is combining these different perspectives into a game that is fun to play and does what it is supposed to do: improve the players’ health. The designer plays a central part in guiding the multidisciplinary team toward a successful outcome.
Within multidisciplinary teams, we are more inclined to think outside the box while being less protective of our own field of expertise. This open-minded attitude is also necessary for being a learning experience designer. In essence, LXD is a crossover from the field of design into the world of learning. Being open to other perspectives and feeling comfortable in a multidisciplinary environment makes you a better learning experience designer. Having different types of designers crossing over into other areas of expertise has helped to pave the way for LXD.