Acknowledging Audience

Though design is often carried out for an individual's own entertainment and joy, it is also crucial to recognize a designer's responsibility to acknowledge and serve the audience of their work.

One example of this which I found particularly interesting and inspiring was Paul Bennett's discussion on Finding Design in the Details on TED.com. His work within the health care system greatly exemplifies the need of awareness and understanding of the needs and experiences of the audience. This is done often, by taking the time to observe and analyze the world and culture around us the meet the needs of society. By momentarily assuming the role of our audience and putting ourselves in their place, we can attempt to gain a greater understanding of how they view their environment and interact with our designs.

Though we may be faced with obstacles and challenges as designers, one thing that we can never lose sight of is the audience and how they can benefit from our work. Through compromise, design loses its strength and influence and no longer meets the needs of the individual or society as a whole.