Boundaries of design

There are three basic steps to any problem, even when your challenge is ultimately creative and not simply functional. While much of the focus of design is put on the creative step, much of the value of any design rests in how well one defines the problem or challenge in the beginning. The clearer that one understands the scope and details of the situation, the sharper one's design solution will be.

While design is an open-ended process, it needs to start with boundaries. Design is trying to communicate the clearest message, convey the most feeling, and create the best experience within the boundaries of the project. Without boundaries, any design project loses its foothold and, more importantly, its contextual meaning. Design works in a context and one must know the context in which one is designing.