Design Demarcation

The term ‘design’ has a multitude of meanings, interpretations and uses for those who do not practice as professional designers or teach design at the tertiary level of education. At a very basic level, design is generally seen or understood by the general public as two-dimensional decoration and/or as a three-dimensional aesthetic application in the form of surface styling or decoration of a structure, shape or form. At this level, it could be reasoned that ‘design’ as a term is not only seen or understood as superficial, but that this understanding of design is then compounded by such statements as ‘everyone is a designer’. Yet, it could be equally stated that everyone is an accountant, a nurse, a doctor, a philosopher or a psychologist in their daily life when a limited need arises at different points in time. However, rarely would many actually begin to believe that they could function in these roles professionally even if they believe that they themselves have no need of professional training or expertise. Given the complexity of a wide use, interpretation or misinterpretation of the term, ‘design’, one has to question what demarcation of design would actually achieve or why it is necessary?