What is design?

As a designer I feel I should write something about what I do. Basically most people confuse what I do (Industrial design/ product design) with making machines, or furniture or fashion. An industrial designer actually looks at how people do things and works out ways to make things better for them. The looking at how people do things is the most important bit. It is this that differentiates the designer from the engineer. The engineer looks at what works, for example things that have worked before, and makes a solution. This gives you lots of products that work well at what they do but are all very similar(see http://bit.ly/b2RNXJ). The designer looks at what people do (different to what they say they do) and comes up with something that works better because it is based on what they user does rather than on what everyone else made.

Twitter?

I narrowly avoided putting a title like "To tweet or not to tweet" so I have avoided looking like an idiot for the moment. I joined Twitter about three months ago because I couldn't understand the point. I was roundly mocked by my friends who thought it was idiotic banal ranting and basically just a Facebook status list of people you don't care about. Three months in and I can understand what the point is. It is a way to share the amusing little moments in everyday existence, it is having someone to turn to and yell "WTF" to when something goes wrong, it is about having someone to whine to when you are feeling down. Most of the time it will make no difference but the very act of writing it down makes you feel better. It is banal, it is idiotic, but it is something you can't understand unless you throw yourself into it. If you haven't tried it, then do and see if you like it.

There a few points that I do agree with the sceptics on. "Stephen Fry tweeted yesterday" is not a headline, those of us who care are following him and heard yesterday, those who don't care, don't care. Tweeting about what you ate is not interesting and shows you have little imagination. Last but not least, tweeting about a cause is not the same as donating money or time.

Twitter does have some big uses, notably sharing information in a way that a lawsuit cannot block. Large papers are vulnerable to courts but trying to stop something coming out over Twitter is like trying to swat a swarm of bees, there is nothing you can do but hide until its all goes away.

Twitter is and will always be random musings and whiny self-absorption. But there is a place for that alongside serious issues, what is unimportant to the world as a whole is often important to an individual. I have found that I like twitter and the random twists and turns it throws up during the day. I will continue to use it and post my musings on life the universe and everything, for those who don't want to know don't read it.

Dressing

After a drunken conversation on the subject of dressing, some rules emerged on what to wear and when. It is these rules that I have chosen to share with you. So listen up, and listen good because I am about to share my pearls of wisdom.

Rule number 1: Always make an effort, if you don't the results are obvious.

Rule number 2: Never allow it to look like you made an effort. Looking like you made and effort is worse than not making one at all.

Rule number 3: Never wear any novelty clothing, examples include ties with cartoons on and t-shirts with phrases like "if found please return to pub" on. Both examples indicate the item of clothing has more character than the person wearing it.

Rule number 4: Don't try the scruffy suit thing, you look like a twelve year old who has just been given his new school uniform. A suit is the only time you can ignore rule number 2. You should be immaculate. Look in the mirror and ask yourself "do I look like a footballer?". If the answer is yes then take it off and start again.

Obey these rules and your life will be improved and you will only have to worry about witty conversation, the correct drinks order and opening the doors for those you wish to impress.