The Design Process

Lately, I’ve been working on a TV music player. When starting the design, it made me think about something.

When you get a requirement, how do you start designing? Where do you begin?

Understand the requirements? Then what? Sketch a rough framework? Then what? Open Photoshop and dive in?

For a long time, that’s how I’ve designed, including the design for this music player. Suddenly, a thought popped into my head: “Is this even design?”

With a bit of reflection, I don’t think it is. It’s just piecing together common design elements and techniques. To put it bluntly, all the design work is just dragging gradients around.

I thought of the phrase “having a plan in mind with confidence.” The creator knows clearly what they want to express; suddenly, it all comes together in one go. That’s real design…

What I’ve been doing? It’s hardly design. No direction, looking as I go, borrowing what works here and there. After a few hours, there’s always a result. Hey, it looks decent! Even if this part has Apple’s crystal or metallic finish, and that part uses Yahoo’s color scheme, the result isn’t bad. The boss is happy, the client is happy, and I’m happy. So what’s the problem? Everyone does it like this.

What a tragedy. Haha.

Although design sometimes is about winging it, starting without a clear direction and mindlessly showing off Photoshop skills is definitely not design.

I want to have the kind of design ability where, after getting a brief, the requirements are imprinted in my mind. Close my eyes, turn on a brain more powerful than a dual-core processor, let ideas collide in my head. Gradually, a fuzzy image forms; slowly, it becomes clear. No rush, hold back, keep thinking. Ideas become more complete. When I can’t hold back anymore, then unleash it with Photoshop or Illustrator and release it at once.

Hehe, it’s a bit exaggerated and idealistic. But I really want to train myself to think and work this way.