What is Design?

What is design? A quick search using Google's define feature (Define:Design) shows that design includes planning, intending, having a purpose, and/or creating in the mind or conceptualizing on paper. Design can include both products and processes and is relevant to a wide variety of contexts such as communication, engineering, research, advertising, education, systems, art, and architecture. Fields that adopt design as one of their basic functions include:

• systems design
• instructional systems design
• information systems design
• message design
• graphic design
• web design
• product design
• process design
• interior design
• jewellry design
• information design
• research design

Considering the importance of design to such a wide range of applications, one would expect that a science of design would be highly developed. However, this is not the case. This blog accepts as its mission statement: to create a space in which designers and other interested parties can meet in order to develop a clear research agenda to establish the science of design by first negotiating the relevant constructs, building off of prior research and research traditions, and discussing the implications for design practice.