I will look at the theory and research being done by many research professionals which are key to understanding the industry and the problems it creates; define what design is and discuss theories such as adaptive design and provide reasons why this could be a practical solution to design problems. Furthermore, the essay will outline the importance of the user in the design process and why empathy and user-centred design is a principle rather than a method of good design. The importance and nature of accessible design are explored. Finally, the role of content in communicating with your audience is explained, with specific reference to storytelling.
From this process I learned that:
Design is a term that is used in many fields but I believe that design should be about people and should “transform their existing situations into better ones” (Frascara, 2017). This means that it should be a solution to problems they face every day, big or small. Empathy and user-centred design is a principle of excellent design. Adaptive design, where you design a product to change to the needs of the user is a far more inclusive and practical method of design. Accessibility design is not only for the disabled but improves the overall experience people have with the design. Content creation is more than just making amazing visuals, it is about creating relatability, telling a story that people want to hear and can understand.
From my influencers I learned the importance of participating with communities, the importance of never compromising and the importance of how to tell your story. I learned that the people you are designing for has the problem, thus they should be part of the design process to create the solution.
One thing all these brands have in common is how they communicate stories or concepts. It is all based of research. People say you should make things off universal messages, but I feel this needs to be specified. People are different. What seems to be a universal message to you would not be so universal to someone else. If you make something you care about and make things people like you care about, then you will make amazing things.
I am not a witty person. I will never be able to work for Nando’s but I would love to work with people who make documentaries, health and educational materials. But the research I need to do for these projects are hard. I do not have the knowledge to make some of my ideas because I am not a teacher or someone who knows about certain topics, theories and academic knowledge on hard topics. There is only so much I can learn, but so much more I want to make.
I feel this is where stories come into the picture. One thing that I find fascinating is how anyone can tell the same story if he or she has the right materials (a book or scripts, for instance). One thing I learned from my experience this year is that I do not only need to be able to tell my story but to be able to tell another person’s story, be it more literal in the sense of a video or animation or more metaphorical through their brand and website. By doing this I can change my ideas into projects.