What Design Can't Teach Us

Should the methodology of “design thinking” be applied to fields outside of design? What about art? How do the concepts of design, aesthetics, and consumerism interact? In response to Rebecca Ackermann’s article “Design thinking was supposed to fix the world. Where did it go wrong?” podcast member Sriman Narayanan reflects on these questions by comparing his passion as a writer to his experience as a graphic designer. He critiques the intentions behind design vs art by looking at utility, academic prestige, and capitalistic gain. In Episode 09 of To Be Designed, Sriman reads his essay titled “What Design Education Can’t Teach Us.” He is later joined by Nico Petry-Mitchel, Quynh-Nhi Tran, and Mary Shirk, who discuss their own thoughts on the state of design, who gets to be called a “designer,” and where design differs from art. This episode was produced by Quynh-Nhi Tran. Engineering by Mary Shirk. Co-hosted by Sriman Narayanan, Nico Petry-Mitchel, Mary Shirk, and Quynh-Nhi Tran. Writing and research by Sriman Narayanan. Marketing by Leah Parsons. Music by Drew McComas. Special thanks to Mark Schumacher and Casey Russell. To Be Designed is sponsored by the Segal Design Institute at Northwestern University.