I’ve been diving back into a book I set aside a while back — Where Stuff Comes From
by sociologist Harvey Molotch. It’s insightful because it’s a review of the design industry from the view of an outsider. His review of “how things come to be” dispassionately confirms many things you knew to be true but may not have heard said so simply. Some excerpts from just the first 3 chapters:
- “Most [designers] tell [clients] of past success in developing profitable goods, sometimes involving vast profit. When they are given maximum responsibility and autonomy, designers argue, such outcomes are more likely” [page 28]. What I find heartening about this is that much of my recent work has gone against the idea of gaining maximum responsibility and autonomy. I’ve been wanting to open up the design process and get more non-designers involved. It can get more messy, but the buy-in and momentum can become much stronger.
- “Rather than doing one thing really well, their special asset, designers often claim, is the capacity to combine across realms. They describe themselves as ‘problem solvers,’ ‘facilitators,’ and ‘generalists’” [page 30]. Molotch then connects this thought to some of Edward Debono’s thoughts on lateral thinking. I agree that some designers are possibly better practiced at this approach, but it’s certainly not something exclusive to design.
- “Designers say they have the ability to make things cool. “Too get cool, designers use intuition (a trait they feel blessed to possess)…”[page 31]. Sadly, this is perhaps one of the worst reasons to work with a designer and one of the biggest abstractions of what design could add, yet it’s probably one of the biggest motivators for people to work with designers. TakeSteve Jobs who told Segway creator Dean Kamen to hire a design firm to redesign the Segway before its introduction: “There are design firms out there that could come up with things we’ve never thought of,” Jobs continued, “things that would make you shit in your pants.”
- “…the referral system creates a category of design office, one that goes on–and here I speculate–to provide a kind of stamp to a large range of products that have all been designed by the same office”[page 35]. Interesting how the supply of projects can define who you are as a firm. A good reason to occasionally say no to some projects.
- “Among designers, there is little ambiguity as to who should get the credit for a modern product. They should.” [page 47]. Ha. Ego is a big part of thinking you can design something that others will want to use — but this much ego?
But here’s my favorite rationale for why design hasn’t always gotten good funding and why Molotch sees how design is, but perhaps not what design could be:
“‘Men eat before they reason,’ Marx said–and that means well before they decorate.”
