Why do we design?

 

What relevance does design have on our world and the future? The premise of my thesis is based on a belief that design matters. Profoundly. Yet, at its core it is underutilized and undervalued.

 

This research looks at celebrating the diversity of design by exploring past, present and future notions of contemporary design practices and establishing underlining threads. It is not a straightforward outline. Instead, it offers a view of the significance and transformational nature of design as it leads us into the future. By delving into the many differing disciplines of design and working towards a conceptualization of learning about design, three questions are considered, each building layers within the others: 'what is design,' 'how we design,' and 'why we design.'

This thesis aims to explore the optimistic mindset that prevails in design and whether design can make deeper, more meaningful contributions to our lives while facing colossal system changes.