Graphic designers, fashion designers, system designers, interior designers... They all have very different jobs, and yet we call them *designers*. Why is that? Etymologically, design comes from both "dessin" (*drawing* in French) and "dessein" (*intention* in French). So designing is visualizing one's intentions. If *designing* had a synonym, it could be "*intentioning*". What makes good design? Some might say it is what looks and feels nice. Others, inspired by Steve Jobs, will say it is what works well. I think Buckminster Fuller's idea of holistic design is the best way to approach the question of what makes a design *effective*. In short: designers should consider the entire system and its complexities to design a form that fits the context.@ Read next: [[The job of the designer]]