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The world is entering an era of global fragility. Social problems are ever-increasing and looming over humanity more strikingly than ever before, and the response to these issues is faltering.
As designers, what can we do? If, by definition, design exists to better understand and improve the human experience within the world, what is the role of design in a world in crisis?
To answer the question, it is essential to define what social problems are. According to Best (2019), social problems refer to "social conditions that disrupt and damage society." These conditions prevent communities from functioning at an optimal level, and if that's the case, social problems are design problems as it interferes with the overall human experience within the world. While it is the less traversed path, design is admittedly in a strong position to solve such issues.
The creative industry has developed and expanded beyond its traditional practice in the past decade. Design is now a combination of projective techniques and empathic exercises, creating more holistic results. The industry has refocused its processes, objectives, and contexts from "aesthetic" to "user," which is also known as human-centered design (HCD).
Many organizations have already shifted to a user-oriented approach. There are new disciplines such as UX, UI, and Interaction design, which are all heavily focused on improving user experience. The HCD framework has birthed innovative brands—Netflix, Spotify, and Grab, to name a few. By putting the user in the center, design can create a new means of interaction within society. These developments have given design the power to shape society by tackling the needs of end users and it's undeniable that design is now playing a significant role in shaping our society.
However, despite its new-founded impact, the reality is it still isn't enough.
The world is in turmoil, with problems ranging from poverty, gender, and environment. While design has transformed into a user-oriented approach, more is needed to address the insistent problems of the present.
Social problems are evolving, and designers need to adapt alongside it. It is not an easy task, but the job ahead is not only to be advocates for users, but also everything else—society, equality, environment, etc. Our world is in crisis, and if you want to make it a better place, you must aspire to be a catalyst of change for humanity.
With its framework, HCD could go a long way in liberating modern societies from irrelevant status quos. There is a huge potential for designers to step out and make changes in fields beyond their ordinary scope. But not everyone will rise to the challenge—and understandably so.
How about you? Are you willing to step out and go beyond?
Design has the power to shape our world for better or for worse. By being mindful of your designs' impact on people and the environment, you can harness the power of design for good. But in the end, as design thinkers, it lies in your hands to imagine beyond the status quo and work towards making the world a better place to live in.
Sources:
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