Design the Process,

Process the Design

“Is design a black box?”

The discourse around design is often accompanied by a persistent belief that good design cannot be examined or explained, that it is somehow mysterious or irreducible. That’s understandable, as architects have a long history of describing their creative work as an outpouring of inspiration that flows from the individual. However, the American painter Chuck Close answers the question this way:

“I always thought inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just show up and get to work.”

This sentiment is liberating. Good ideas come out of the work itself. Good design is a reliable outcome of good process.

So, naturally: “What is a good process?”

I believe design process should privilege idea generation, design value, and criticality above all else. Done well, it is also communal, humble, transparent, and iterative. Transparency (of process) establishes clear design goals and results in everyone working toward the same objective. Transparency (of design decisions) leads to buy-in, and the client becomes the advocate for the design. Without ego, the best idea wins regardless of where it came from, and everyone can be an active participant. A belief that every team member has agency (client, contractor, or summer intern) generates emotional and intellectual investment in the trajectory of the project. It results in better work from all those involved. Most importantly, process is iterative. Allow oneself the freedom to investigate false starts and parallel ideas. Be unprejudiced towards convention…