Designers love a good problem to chew on.
Design is by its nature a problem solving activity. How can we make something better? How can we make a process less painful and more effective? How can we make a space both beautiful and useful?
I get bored when I don't have a problem to work on. I'm am pretty sure that is a big reason why I can get restless over the holidays.
Hobbies don't help much. Because integral to the design process is purpose. There must be a point to the activity other than the activity itself. This also means design must have a target audience. This can make it really hard for me to do things like paint or write for my personal amusement, not that it stops me from trying.
Liking problem solving is good. The world is full of problems if nothing else after all! Being fundamentally a designer at heart is what makes my volunteer work at Lifeline* so engaging. I never know what challenge will come with each call.
This year, I'm going to embrace my inner designer. And I mean design in the broadest sense of articulating, understanding and devising solutions to all sorts of problems.
So what's your problem? Bring it on! :)
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* Lifeline is the Australia-wide telephone crisis support service. Unlike a design service, we don't fix things, offer advice or solutions for callers, but rather work to help them gain clarity around their unique situations and uncover their own abilities and strengths.
