ABSTRACT
Presenting theories and practices of design in one book is a challenge and not without its problems. The temptation to segment the content into two volumes, one with a focus on theory and the other with a focus on practice accompanied this work from start to finish. Succumbing to the temptation, however, would have undercut one of the very characteristics of designing, and worse, lost sight of what distinguishes design from many other fields: the ability to bridge critical thinking, research and analysis with actual making. Keeping the two sections together illustrates the broader implications of specific design practices and design principles for organizations, especially those we put in charge of translating policies into public services. It is our understanding of design, designers, designing and our notion of what can be changed – that is perceived newly and re-designed – for the better that leads to novel consumer products and great fashion design. But the same principles and practices inform how we go about designing policies and the services that bring them to life.
