Everything is design: the philosophy of utility

“Everything is Design”

Paul Rand’s famous phrase, “Everything is design,” summarizes the reality of our interaction with the world. Almost all the objects that surround us have been, at some point, processed by the mind of a designer.

1. Design in Daily Life

In the 21st century, good design is that which goes unnoticed. From the alarm clock when you wake up to the coffee cup, we interact with elements preconceived to make our lives easier. When the characteristics are well defined, the perception is fluid:

• The pen applies the ink and helps us write.
• The handle turns and the door opens.
• The “send” button guarantees that the message arrives.

Design Failure as a Revelation

We only realize there is “design” when it fails. If an object is difficult to use, it is because its characteristics were not refined. As a product architect, my goal is to eliminate that friction. New tools need time of use to refine their characteristics and become truly useful objects.

Sumerian art and culture

2. Design as a Social Engine

Graphic design has been linked to the development of society since its beginnings:

• Cuneiform Writing: Designed by the Sumerians to organize information.
• Signal Systems: Used on roads all over the world to coordinate human movement.

Cuneiform writing on clay

Everything we have created—from the tools in a workshop to the machinery in a factory and the devices we use to browse the internet—is a manifestation of design. “Everything is design.”

Paul Rand