In this class, we are studying design thinking and it’s potential for changing the way business operates. Instead of designers being given a brief after the decisions have been made, designers are brought into the conversation at project conception. This eliminates many of the issues that come from miscommunication and products can be rolled out smoothly and successfully.
This is exciting for someone like me who has a marketing background and an interest in business. I enjoy giving initial input into a project, creating great brands and promoting ideas on social media platforms. What about the people who just want to design? Restructuring the operations of a business is not design; neither is tweeting. There are some people who insist that social media is the logical direction for communication designers. This may be unfortunate for some people who just want to create artwork, and may drive more artistic folks out of the industry.
Social media networks are in their infancy; they give the user no creative potential because they are so generic. At some point they will allow for restructuring and design, but right now they are platforms for people to look like everyone else. Social media networking is part of the marketing plan of a business, and often this job lands in the hands of the designer. Creating the consistent visual identity of a business requires the designer to create many outlets on all of the various media platforms. It requires knowledge of and interaction with all online media: website creation, social media platforms, photo/video sharing sites, etc. The designer takes a holistic viewpoint of the business and makes suggestions to integrate the parts into a cohesive whole.
So is design thinking what designers have been doing all along when we create brands? Or is it an entirely new paradigm?