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 would 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.

The designer then has two jobs:

1. Creating Clarity

The first job of designers is to clarify intentions.
Clarify a project's intentions for clients, for team members, and for themselves.
Clarity requires deep understanding. It requires removing the fluff. It requires to order the information in a logical way.

2. Creating Delight

Only when the designer has achieved clarity should they think about delight.
Delight can be created with great aesthetics. It can also be created by a deeper understanding of the end user.

To best succeed at the job of clarity of delight, a designer must master:

• the tools of the designer: creative techniques must be effortlessly applied so as to not interrupt the transformation of ideas to reality. You want to avoid technique to get between you and the canvas. The faster you can collide your ideas against reality, the faster you get feedback. Some examples of tools: [[The tools of the designer]].

• communication and empathy: with end users, with team members, with oneself. Non-Violent Communication (NVC) gives a good framework to approach productive communication.

• taking a step back: to see the full picture and see the design holistically, as a piece of a bigger experience