Design is defined as the deliberate intention of arranging the elements of a form in a thoughtful way to achieve a desired outcome or effect. The scope of a design is to serve a specific function through a methodical process, though the function may vary depending on the domain in which it is applied, such as graphics, cuisine, theater, architecture, or machinery. While methods can be shared across domains, the formality of a design is prescribed within each unique domain to create the specific design practice needed for that field.

1. Design Defined

2. “Design” is something that has a result.
The result is not called “object”, “solution”, “product”, or any of
numerous “deliverables”.
The result of design is called “designed”.
Design is the deliberate intention of a form’s arrangement.

3. Design is the deliberate intention of a form’s arrangement.
• Deliberate: thoughtful
• Intention: premeditated outcome
• Form: distinguished singular item
• Arrangement: distribution of the positions and relations of known
elements of the form
The scope of “a Design” is a function,
not a discipline

4. Design is the deliberate intention of a form’s arrangement.
• Deliberate: thoughtful
• Thoughtful is attentive
• Attentive is actively engaged
Deliberate

5. Design is the deliberate intention of a form’s arrangement.
• Intention: premeditated outcome
• Premeditated is desired
• Outcome is an effect
Intention

6. Design is the deliberate intention of a form’s arrangement.
• Form: distinguished singular item
• Distinguished is defined
• Singular is individual
Form

7. Design is the deliberate intention of a form’s arrangement.
• Arrangement: distribution of the positions and relations of known
elements of the form
• Distribution is location
• Elements are properties
Arrangement

8. The scope of a design is a function
“Design is the deliberate intention of a form’s arrangement.”
• A function is a method of processing
• The effect of a method is a targeted type of value
• Value is the significance of a distinction made in a context
• A value is the goal of design
• A goal exists whether or not it is achieved

9. Graphics
Cuisine
TheaterArchitecture
Machinery
A domain uses and
combines methods
from within the design
discipline, to create the
domain-specific form of
design practice (i.e.,
function) that it needs.
Methods are shareable
across domains.
The formality of design is prescribed within a
domain
©2018 Malcolm Ryder / Archestra Research

10. Archestra notebooks compile and organize decades of in-the-field and ongoing empirical findings.
All presented findings are derived exclusively from original research.
Archestra notebooks carry no prescriptive warranty.
As ongoing research, all notebooks are subject to change at any time.
©2018 Malcolm Ryder / Archestra Research
www.archestra.com
mryder@archestra.com
Archestra research is done from the perspective of strategy and architecture.
With all subject matter and topics, the purpose of the notes is analytic, primarily to:
* explore, expose and model why things are
included, excluded, or can happen
in given ways and/or to certain effects.
* comment on, and navigate between,
motives and potentials that predetermine
Decisions about, and shapings of, the observed activity.