Design Speech

This month, instead of writing an opinion, I want to share the speech that I gave on August 17th at the graduation ceremony for class # 4 at the Digital Design program at VFS (where I teach). No, I am not being lazy this month. I think the article speaks to what this whole DesignStamp Opinion section is all about—to inspire, and to motivate. To educate and ask questions. And most importantly to celebrate design and it’s value in our lives.

Hi I’m Gagan Diesh and I am one of the instructors that tormented and tortured your loved ones over the last few months.

DD04 like every class before them has gone through hell and back in 48 short weeks. Their days have blended into nights; their weeks have been a whirlwind of assignments, deliverables and designs. So on behalf of DD04, I would like to thank the mums and dads, boyfriends and girlfriends, friends and for allowing [names withheld to respect privacy], to disappear for the last year. So thank you family, thank you friends.

The point is that the Digital Design program is a lot of hard work and you have survived it, so congrats. You have made it to the finish line!

When I heard that I was invited to speak at tonight’s grad, I really had to think about what I had left to say to you guys. I just hosted that Freelancing workshop last week and had shared my advice about work and ethics then. And I got the opportunity to work with each of you individually and collectively throughout the year, so what was left to say?

So… instead of just my words to you, I thought I would use the words of some mighty people that inspire me and keep me going.

I had a monumental idea this morning, but I didn’t like it.
— Samuel Goldwyn

“The details are not the details. They make the design.”
—Charles Eames

“Design can be art. Design can be aesthetics. Design is so simple, that’s why it is so complicated.”
—Paul Rand

Dare to be naive.
— R. Buckminster Fuller

…it’s very easy to be different, but very difficult to be better.
— Jonathan Ive

Common sense is not so common.
— Voltaire

If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.
— Red Adair

Why am I telling you all this?

I just to remind you of the responsibility that sits on your shoulders. You now have the power to change the world that we live in.

We have entered the age of design where everyone has the tools available to them to design things. Whether it is a webpage or the architecture of a house. Everyone can design if they choose to do so. Design is now the property and prerogative of everyone. Design is now in the hand of the masses and in that lays great opportunity and danger. We see the world becoming a homogenous mass of sameness. The culture of Wal-Mart and the Gap leads to the horrible blandness of dressing the same, listening to the same music, on the same mp3 player and holding the same idols up as our heroes. Sure everyone can self-publish their life but they are choosing to tell their life through mass produced generic templates. Everyone can take millions of photos but do people think about what they want to say before they take a photo anymore? Everyone can exercise their right to vote and choose their leaders but are they really thinking about their choices or choosing the one that says the things that are easiest to understand.

You are the expert and you can make this world a better place to live in. We have given up on politician and celebrities to affect change. You are the chosen ones who can make things work; You can design things that are incredibly simple or beautiful. You have to help people find things they don’t even know they need, yet. Invent and Innovate.

So as you step in the real world just remember that it is full of choices. You had only a few choices at VFS and there was only one main highway that lead you to this place today. But life is not like that. You have many forks and decision points ahead of you. You have a few battles ahead, and success is not graded equally for all. You need to define your own futures and decide what success will mean to you personally. But don’t wait to make the right decision, to take the right path—just don’t wait. Just do. Really, action is better than waiting. You have prepared for 48 weeks and you are now ready to take flight.

I just hope that whatever you do, you will do with your own individual style. Don’t look to fit in but create your own niche. Don’t obey but shout out your point of view. Don’t go to the big design party that everyone is going to, but throw your own.

I fear sameness as much as I do beige. Imitation is a great start but that’s not where you want to end up. And if you imitate, I hope you’d look to imitate the work of giants who came before you, not the person who is sitting to the right or left of you. If your work is to be informed by things that you know, you should probably be on a quest to know more, learn more. Be curious, be inquisitive, and be darn right nosy. You can become one of many or you can be one of the few. The choice is yours.

All this said, I hope you are inspired by your own abilities and I want you to know that I am looking forward to continuing to work with most of you. Welcome to world of being a professional designer. Before I let you off to go and change the world I would like you to stand up and take the designer oath with me. Face the audience, they are part of the big group of people you will design for in the future. So speak to them directly and say after me…

The Designer Oath:

I will design for you. I will use my powers for good. I will be your advocate. I will make work that matters. I will try and improve our lives. I will have the courage to lead. And I will have the flexibility to follow. I will listen to both my heart and mind. In short, I will kick ass! Peace out.