Designers and Their Tools

Designers and Their Tools

A design is usually a blueprint or specifications for the design of an object or process, or even for the production of some output, and/or the resultant product or process, or even the resultant design of that object or process. The verb to design normally indicates the process of producing a design by a single person. However, in design it usually signifies a whole group of people or a number of people acting together to produce some output.

In the context of the product development process the term haik is also used. It refers to the process by which industrial designers are aided by engineers so that they can produce a final product that meets the requirements of end-users. So, we have haik, halei, and haigh, all derived from the root word ‘ha’. These words literally mean ‘to have access’, ‘to have ability’.

The term rational model is also used in the context of the design process; it refers to models developed for purposes of identifying rational requirements of designing a product. The rational models typically include information about the interaction of physical products with their environments, as well as information regarding expectations of the users of the product to provide a satisfying experience. So, a rational model is essentially a set of assumptions and the assumptions are specified rationally. In an action-centric perspective, designers adopt a more structural approach to product analysis and design, which put greater stress on identifying conceptual relationships among physical aspects, understanding the users’ expectations, and taking into consideration interpersonal communication.