Designing Simplicity

Designers are not artists. Design is a form of art, but it is about problem solving and is constrained by a number of facets. Artists engage in the manipulation of a particular medium to produce an aesthetic, personal response - a situation in which there are few constraints. As such, art is valued for its originality and ability to express an idea. Design, on the other hand, must be relevant to a particular user or task and solve a specific problem. Were it an aesthetic response, it might only work for some people. Design is intended for mass production and widespread distribution, concerned with finding the best way to communicate some information to everyone and resolve any confusion along the way. Design is never evaluated in formal terms, but rather, how effective it is at solving the problem at hand.