Design reflection: design x craft

Design is quite a difficult thing to define. A lot has been tried, but still, no consensus has been established. Some say it is a natural human ability. Others put it closer to arts. Others yet distinguish between the verb design, which everyone does, and the role designer responsible for Design (with capital D). Last but not least, some argue that the formal and broad definition of design is less important than the instrumental ones (e.g. design research, experience design, …). Either way, this is not what I’m here to talk about.

Throughout history and specifically how we are through design history, we seem to encounter key representatives of Design, which dictate how things are made or which chair is avant-garde. From the Wedgwoods to the Rands and Ives, going through the whole Bauhaus. Some say they even invented design! Coincidently they are mostly Europeans and North Americans… What is left outside of the title “design” is, also coincidently, the work from dozens of women, minorities, and indigenous people, which also produced incredible designs (and even chairs). But no, what they do is only craft since they lack our rigorous process and the turtle necks.

For sure, I’m not advocating here for a “prehistoric humans were also designers” or some similar idea. Though they may have used creativity and even what we call today design skills, we should not be anachronistic. What I’m saying is that there is Design (with capital D) beyond our common references. That there are ways of designing that do not follow what we often are taught. That the division of design and craft is way more political than we could expect. And that, as designers, we should broaden our repertoire to not fall into patronising or even colonialist ways of designing, seeking a design that can really question and change the world we live in instead of remaining in an idealistic fantasy.

Read more:

• “‘Anyone Designing Anything?’ Non-Professional Designers and the History of Design” Philip Pacey
• “Feminist Designer: On The Personal And The Political In Design” Alison Place