Why should designers think beyond desirability?
I love designing, doing the work, getting things out and seeing them in the world.
As a Junior designer, I loved it so much that the only outcome I cared about was how beautiful my work looked. It didn’t matter to me whether my work made sense or solved a business problem, as long as it was desirable.
As I progressed through the different stages of my career, I was saddened that what I designed never had a lasting impact. It worked for a while, but no one’s life had changed. With such a result, I craved to be more impactful with my work, and while I kept growing, I saw the value of using my work to help solve problems.
In 2020, I started working with Akili Network, the mother company of the station Akili Kids! Tv. What pulled me close was their value proposition, the fact that everything they did had a learning outcome and the lasting impact they have on children and families.
Together we started working on different forms of communication and programs that would impact kids. Some of these shows are A Day as…, Spelling Bee and a more recent one that we worked on is Flash Squad, a teen comedy series that helps children and families learn how to be safe online.
“All impactful disciplines have started with a clear definition and guidelines.”
As a Creative Director, I take time to get to the heart of any project I put my hands on. I do this through reading about the project, working closely with the team to develop new ideas, and doing everything that will help me understand a project better.
Some of the questions that I never miss on my list for any project are:-
- What’s the name of the project?
- Why are we doing it?
- Who’s the target audience?
- What is the Value Proposition?
- What are the Expected Deliverables and the scope?
- What does success look like for the project?
- Deliverable Timelines
The above and many more questions help me get a good understanding of what to do when it comes to creating ideas and solutions that are meaningful.
To conclude, a skill I find necessary for you and all creatives is understanding what you do. This means being invested in and learning how your work will solve a problem beyond being desirable. Doing so builds a creative’s confidence and elevates a designer into a problem solver.
