Designing for the digital age, how to create human-centerer products and services

I really appreciate how Goodwin provides a differentiation between design from arts and science in the introduction of the chapter. It has been a point that I strongly stand by – that art and design are not the same. Design is not to be confused with art, and what sets design apart from art is that it must serve human needs and goals. All designed artefacts have a purpose, such as to increase efficiency, effectiveness of human processes. With that being said, design will always happen within constraints that are not to be dismissed. In my opinion, these given constraints may also contribute to one of the factors to differentiating between art and design. These constraints are also often factors that “regulate” the design process.

Similarly to the reading in week 6 that implies that there is no “perfect” design, Goodwin suggests that each individual brings his/her own attitudes, behaviours and perceptions to any situation, and therefore no designer can determine exactly what experience someone has. Therefore it is important for the designer to keep an open and critical mind throughout the design process.