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The functions of Design

Each person has the opportunity of creating a design that is different to everyone else, and from
what has been previously produced – whether this be a chair design, a billboard design, a new
innovative bag, a graffiti piece or a birthday cake. Each of us has creative abilities in one or more
of the disciplines and is able to express our feelings, ideas and thoughts through the visual
language. The potential for creativity is therefore in everyone yet discipline, commitment and
substantial effort is required. Design serves many different functions in our everyday lives. These
are divided into three broad categories:

1. Personal – These are design decisions that relate to our everyday lives. Such decisions
make visual statements about our identities and beliefs. Design also fulfils spiritual and
emotional needs in people. Look at the architecture of cathedrals or a stained glass window
as the sunlight streams into the double volume space. Design can have psychological
benefits for people as they interact with their environment, take part in craft orientated
processes gaining confidence and satisfaction, as well as being involved in conserving or
developing visually pleasing surroundings. The clothing we wear communicates our taste
and communicates our identity to those around us.

2. Social – Design is social because it has the power to communicate. It can play a part in
celebrations and festivals for example, Christmas tree decorations, and theatre sets,
birthday cards, flower arrangements and wrapping paper. Design in the form of marketing
and advertising aims to persuade the viewer to buy particular products – billboards,
commercials on TV, radio dramas and logos are used to market a product. Design can
make strong statements to literate and non-literate societies, e.g., the “Love Life” campaign.
Design can create new trends in society as well as create numerous new jobs too.

3. Utilitarian – This is when design functions in a practical way to enhance our everyday lives.
Design is used to create functional objects like chairs, shoes, irons, buildings and cars – the
list does not end. These are usually created by industrial designers. These objects should
be practical and logical as well as visually aesthetically pleasing, otherwise these objects
could become dangerous and frustrate us as they waste our time or money due to their bad
design. Design is also used to look at old problems and solve them in new innovate ways.

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