What is Design?

Roger Coleman

One of the things discussed at the recent BIG AGM was the issue of design and interactive exhibits. The panel discussion raised many interesting points but I feel that some of the more fundamental things were overlooked. This article contains some of my personal thoughts and opinions on the issue.

The Design Process

I think of designing as anything that actively involves working something out in order to achieve some predetermined goal. The work that you do in order to achieve a goal is what I think of as design.

Problem - Design Work - Solution

This is what I think design is, although the nature of the problems and the solutions vary enormously!

In the case of an interactive exhibit, the basic problem is that people don’t think or understand enough about something and the goal is to build something that a visitor can interact with which will enable them to experience and understand a certain phenomena. An exhibit designer has to generate ideas and work out ways of achieving this goal.

However, as interactive centres have become more established over the last few years, the need that the exhibits must satisfy has also become more demanding. Not only do exhibits have to explain and demonstrate they must also now be entertaining and incredibly reliable. The more needs that a designer has to satisfy, the more difficult the design problem becomes and the more difficult a successful solution is to achieve.

It is unusual for one person to be solely responsible for the design of an entire system. Usually, one person manages the design for something, but they call in experts to help with the difficult bits. Imagine you want an extension built on to your house - you would probably have an idea of what you wanted, but you would call in an expert extension builder - and architect - to help you. The architect would work with you on the design of the extension, using their experience to overcome difficulties that you alone would not be able to face. They would then manage the builders, plumbers and electricians, and you would end up with a better extension than if you tried to go straight to the builders yourself.

With regards to the design of an interactive exhibit, experts are bought in to help with all different aspects of the design, including the overall style and appearance. I think that because style experts are called designers, there is confusion that they are the only ones doing they design work. I think that everyone working on an exhibit development project is doing design work, each person contributing his or her own particular piece of expertise.

Roger Coleman is Head of Design at OrangeLeaf Ltd. Email: roger@orangeleaf.co.uk, Tel 01483 459090.

Newsletter Spring 1998 Contents

Centres > Satrosphere News | What is happening to Light on Science? | Inspire News | Herstmonceux News

Exhibits > BIG working group on exhibit development | What is Design? | Exhibit Aphorisms | "Here's Looking at Euclid" - exhibit idea | Roald Dahl and the Children's Gallery | Are hybrids best? - viewpoint

Demonstrations and shows > Shows at the Exploratory | Exploding Can Demonstration | Water to wine Demonstration | Nitrogen story - urban myth?

Millennium News > More Millennium Grants | Pantechniques rewarded | Millennium awards scheme | A listing of interactive projects funded by lottery grants

Research > Measuring the performance of interactive centres

Resources and conferences > Conferences and Future Events | Indian Science Congress Report | Managing Science Centres Book Review | Children's Museums Book information

BIG > BIG Moves - From the Chair | BIG AGM Report | BIG Annual Report 1997