Design Vision: better by design
Life, it is an interesting journey. Interesting, because it is versatile and uncertain. This makes every journey unique. Everyone is the designer of their personal future. The question is, how do we design it, and how do we want to contribute to our own life and that of others? There is no easy answer to that question, as you fill in the answer over time, with conscious and unconscious decisions. For me, there are only guidelines that offer an abstract framework in which I can to strive for human flourishing. Be this my own, or that of the people I am able to impact with my actions.
Positivity
It all starts with positivity. A positive attitude towards oneself, and towards one’s environment. Positivity is the key to happiness. Happiness is the driver that makes one want to escape negativity or hardship. It is also the driver that makes one want to clamp on to positivity. Design for happiness is therefore an essential part of what it means to be a designer. What is happiness and how does one foster positivity without conflicting interests? Science and philosophy offer the tools to acquire the necessary knowledge to get to these answers.
Knowledge is power, but to keep that power to yourself is not the ultimate goal. It is sharing the power that makes it worthwhile. Acquiring knowledge makes you learn about life, about what works and what doesn’t, and about what kind of knowledge is there still to be uncovered. Sharing it makes it possible for people to add value to not only their own life, but that of others as well. It is by (re-)acquiring knowledge over time, that we can check what is the best for the future. It means that over time the good may change significantly, but this is not a bad thing. This is a necessary process, as not all knowledge is shared or understood correctly, and only time will let people learn.
Equality
The fact that everyone’s journey is unique, does not mean that one person is more important than the other. No, it is the collective journey that counts, and should be set out for a positive course. Everyone is equal. No-one is entitled to more than the other, and should not limit the other in their design for happiness. This is a constant conflict of progress in design and progress in human flourishing, which can’t be solved simply. Each product and service has its environmental and societal impact. It is through carefully elaborated design that we can take on this battle, to have a more positive impact. Even if it has a small positive influence, each step is progress further towards a more sustainable future.
Appreciate the Old
There is not always a need to reinvent the wheel. People have done their fair share of design in their time. Therefore, when considering something for the future you should consider what is already known about it in the past. May this be from the past with a positive influence or a negative influence, every kind of impact is significant as it poses for knowledge to adapt accordingly.
Exploit the New
As we are at a consistently increasing stage of technological development, it is vital that positive design should be the frontrunner to take advantage of these opportunities. We have more possibilities to design with and for all groups of people in the world. By researching how to exploit these technologies for the better of human kind, we can keep on optimizing everyone’s happiness, be this with positive environmental or societal impact or for luxury and modernization,
Communication
In all this, it is a necessity for people to understand that communication yet so of undervalued and underused. It is through conversation that we can get to the root of problems and possibilities for the better. Especially if we appreciate the input from everyone equally. But the most important aspect of communication might be transparency. With transparency, no information is left out, and facts can be distinguished from fables. This should be a first step to preventing misunderstandings. Ignorance is not bliss, because ignorance stimulates laziness. It prevents people from fully grasping what happens in the world, and what their impact is on it. Open and truthful communication creates awareness, awareness regarding the value of one’s personal situation, but also awareness regarding people that are less fortunate. It is essential to improve communication to solve societal and environmental problems, and to create products, services and a world that is sustainable on the long run.
Time
I have already addressed the aspect of time on multiple occasions along these guide lines, but it is more than for putting everything into perspective. Time perhaps plays the most significant role in one’s life. Time, in itself, is infinite (as for now, but that is a whole different kind of philosophical matter, so let’s say that it is), but the time one person has in this world is limited to and by all sorts of physiological, environmental, and societal aspects. In this finite amount of time, we must leave our mark. Time can be a paradoxical factor in this process. Sometimes things happen in a seemingly short period of time, and you feel powerless to have influence a situation. Same goes for when things progress too slowly, and that you again feel powerless to influence a situation.
This makes it difficult to feel in control and see a positive impact on any given situation. It is that time should be valued, for what it has already given but also for what it can give in the future. Progress can only be measured over time, thus making every effort valuable for this measurement. Take into consideration how long it already has taken to progress to the point humanity is currently at. This suggests that we should be patient, since solutions do not always come overnight. Especially if we have not taken the time to share all information, to allow everyone to have an equal view on the situation. This is not a matter of lack of effort, it is that we just are not capable to easily and quickly acquire and share information. It is about understanding that (world) views take time to change. Even if it seems so clear for one person, the next person might have an entirely different perspective and therefore a different opinion. If two people are viewing a cylinder from different positions, one can see a circle and the other can see a square. It is not that either one is wrong, it is understanding that both views add up to a more significant and multi-dimensional reality.
In design, it is taking the time to understand what is best for the world, but also to apply what you can to have a positive impact on the progress. By contributing in the situations that happen in a seemingly short period of time, one can make way for a more in control influence on the long-term progression of humanity.
The Journey Within
As we realize the importance of everyone’s journey in life, we evolve through genetics to be more valiant in the face of adversity. We will learn to live with one another in a society that will not only encourage design for happiness as a fundamental principle. It will support the room for error, as that is the only way to get further in the time we have. It will also be a necessity, to leave the society after our time with a basis that promotes human flourishing.
Memetics shows us how design evolves, especially within our lifetime. Design is being optimized and improved continuously to adhere to the opportunities that people see as their personal design for happiness. It is through design, that we can make people happy on a personal level, and make for a positive future as well.
Difficult as it may be, I strive to be ever reflective. Be this in personal or professional situations, it should support positivity. I believe that designers have the capability and responsibility to help people in every shape or form, in every kind of situation. So, it is not the question if we can contribute, but when and where we can contribute our expertise. Since it is not a matter of skill or effort, it is a matter of time and accessibility. Time, because we have a finite amount of it. Accessibility, because not everyone has the same access to all modern and luxury products and services that others might take for granted.
I do not have a personal answer to the question, of when and where I see myself contributing to this world. I do know that with the mindset I have, I will be able to make that contribution every single time I come across a situation that requires any kind of design. Be this for a product, service, organization, or relationship, design is something that can create meaning, happiness or well-being.
Keep learning, keep experiencing, keep asking questions. One should not be afraid for what is unknown, because uncertainty does not equal insecurity. And this is something that a lot, if not all, people have experienced once or more times in their lifetime. It is something that only time can tell. In the end, my endeavor is positive progress, and I grow along the way to achieve this.
