What Is Design | The Power of Linkedin

"Design is not just what is looks and feels like. Design is how it works." Steve Jobs once said this, in relation to Apple product, and he was right. He still is right. As a designer, you can quickly get caught up in how something looks, whether you're happy with the design you've settled on for a client, but it is a whole other job to actually design something that changes people's lives.

Linkedin is a place to see how and where you stand as a professional, build and keep in touch with your network, and get the knowledge you need to progress. Sounds like a huge task doesn't it? That's because with something as potentially powerful as Linkedin it has to work in a way that will suit and benefit every single user.

To make Linkedin work there are a number of things that have to be the main focus -

1. A strong brand that can sit with other successful social platforms.
2. Smart user interface that is simple and easy to use.
3. A strong understanding of the human mind to give the user exactly what they will want and need.

Creating something like Linkedin, when nothing like it has been done before (bar Facebook) will have been a mammoth task. So design isn't just how something looks, but how it works too. How it works technically and how it works to benefit each and every user. What is design to you? Share your thoughts over in our Linkedin group and keep the discussion going!

What Is Design | Design Thinking

Design Thinking is a way of strategising for designers to help them solve complex problems for their clients, that put the consumer first.

Many ways of building a strategy are from looking from the outside, but design thinking is putting yourself on the inside. For example, thinking like a consumer, or potential customer, will give you a different idea of where to start than if you stay in the mind of 'just a designer'.

Design isn't just creativity and skill, it's finding a way to the desired outcome, while being functional, beautiful and simplistic. It involves both logical analysis and imagination.

Design can be, and is, applied to everything you ever see. Products, services, buildings, fashion, advertising, physical locations… anything that involves human interaction or use. It is also used for processes, which play a big part in the way we work, live and interact with others. Design is everything, and everywhere.

What do you design? Would you call yourself a designer? Leave your thoughts on www.whatisdesign.co.uk

What Is Design?

Design Force Is Changing

Like most industry professionals, we’re normally too busy doing design to actually stop and think about what exactly design is. But all that’s about to change. As are we. Why? Because after 16 years in the business, working on everything from brand identity, comms and advertising, to research and insight, strategic development and internal change, we don’t think our current name says everything we want it to. So Design Force is evolving and to help us, we’re asking the question – What is Design?

To try and find the answer, we’re embarking on a quest to discover what you think design is. Which is why, over the next few months, we’ll be asking as many people as possible to finish the following sentence:

What Is Design?

We’d love to hear what you think. Post a comment, take a snap, or scribble a doodle. In fact do whatever it takes to share your definition of design.

Share Your Thoughts

There are many ways you can get involved. Send us a quick tweet to let us know what it means to you. Get involved in our discussions over in our Linkedin group, we want to hear what it means to everyone, no matter what you do for a living!

If you're feeling creative, why not use the hashtag #whatisdesign and create a picture or video on Instagram. We'd love to see and share your work!

We can't wait to see what you all think of design!