This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
The designer’s perspective
Your perspective determines how you observe, what you see, how you reflect on what you see, and how you give meaning to your observations.
Designers look for shapes, patterns, details, and opportunities that others may overlook. For example, fashion designer Paul Smith is always observing the world around him, taking notes, and taking photographs. What may look like a random collection of images and words is a source of inspiration for creating a new theme for the upcoming collection of clothes.
Seeing things differently
Graphic designer Paula Scher is famous for her typography. Just like Paul Smith, she uses observation as a powerful skill to become a better designer. When Paula walks around in her hometown of New York, she sees typography everywhere. These everyday
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observations feed her creativity. She gets her best ideas when she is in a taxicab just staring out the window and sketching. She says, “I’m allowing my subconscious to take over so that I can free associate.”
Observation is not only a great source of inspiration for designers; it is also a critical skill when it comes to creating your designs. When you are working on a design, such as a logo, a poster, a sweater, or a chair, you are continuously making design choices based on your own observations.
By looking at and analyzing the design in each step of the creative process, you decide what works and what doesn’t. The ability to look at and reflect on your own work in order to improve it is a rich tradition in both design and arts. In essence, a modern designer is using the same skills as a Renaissance painter. Back when I was studying graphic design, I had art classes, which is where I discovered the importance of observation. Later when I studied interaction design, I learned to value observation in a completely different way.
Just like musicians hear things differently, a designer sees things differently. The visual component is a big part of almost any design discipline and developing an eye for design is part of being a designer.
Focus of a designer
The work of a designer is to be experienced by people. It’s these people who you focus on and design for. Having your focus on the people who eventually decide if your design actually works comes natural to designers.
Your goal as a designer is to understand who they are, empathize with their goals, and involve them in the design process. This concept is called human-centered design. When you apply human-centered design to learning, something special happens: You shift your focus in fundamental ways.
Traditionally in education the teacher is the focus of attention in creating learning products. The teacher is provided with materials and teaching aids that support teaching. The teacher is the expert trying to transfer knowledge to the students. This is what struck me when I started working with educational publishers. Their business model is to get schools and teachers on board. Simply put, they are the ones buying their school-books, so they are the ones they focus on.
The focus of a learning experience designer is always on the learner. You shift your focus from the teacher to the learner. At the same time, you shift your focus from teaching to learning. I know this sounds obvious, but you would be surprised to see how many educational professionals struggle with this change in focus. And while it may seem like a small change, the consequences are quite dramatic.
I know many learning professionals who are expected not to focus on the learner but on the needs of their clients.