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There is no reason why the values we hold concerning beautiful physical design cannot be applied to the information in our lives - and that that information can be organized more effectively to benefit its users.

I'm interested in exploring how innovative ideas and designs are created, how they influence us, and how to apply the benefits of good design principles to my work as a an information professionals.

I start with a premise that is not controversial - but one that nevertheless is not widely recognized by most of us: that design influences our lives in both unconscious and conscious ways, means and methods. Everything in our world – both natural and manufactured by man – has been designed. Our environment contains examples of design everywhere we turn.

Further, all aspects of our lives are dependent on design. Good design aids us as creative individuals by reinforcing the importance of instilling inspiring and innovative design in the products we produce. In this way we can pay homage to those designers who have inspired us, and help to inspire others – such as our clients – in the work we create.

Good design depends on the product we create and the discipline and media in which this product belongs to, but some principles cross all boundaries and are trans-historical and independent of any one medium. For example, a ‘good’ modern art painting depends on the materials used, and the standards use to measure design in that particular realm – in this case, modern art movements. However, some principles in design are worthy regardless of which medium they use. I endeavor to continually explore how creativity in design operates by these principles and in an environment where business needs do not always include innovative design as one of their metrics.

How can we ensure design matters and becomes a metric upon which a business measures its success when it comes to the design of information? By putting the users of that design first. Innovative design only succeeds when it solves a design problem in a new way; if we don't help the users of our products solve their problems, then what is the point of the design? The success of a product like a Web site is dependant on the satisfaction of the users - and that is a metric that can and should be measured. Users drive design, and effective information design creates satisfied users.

What is the role of information management in design? The idea that information management is a form of design – namely, in the form of information architecture – is the premise and building block upon which we as information design professionals can impart and inject our knowledge of design into the products we create. The discipline of information management can and should be influenced by a variety of disciplines, each of which have their equivalent of good design. Including these disciplines in studying design may contribute to a deeper comprehension of how we can create well-designed information products.

In understanding design, we can understand how design influences our personalities, beliefs, practices and desires. By understanding design, we become better designers and learn better ways of managing and designing information systems. By becoming better designers and listeners of our users, we learn to create better products for our users. That in and of itself is an innovative principle to adopt.

In particular, the following topics have piqued my interest about design:

• What makes some design ‘good’: qualities that are associated with innovative and outstanding design products regardless of their medium
• What inspires great design: where does a design start, what influences a creation, how designers create their products, how design influences its creators, the creativity process, and when one knows to stop designing a particular product
• Why we like the designs we like: how our favorite items and cultural artifacts (music, artists, cars, fashion, interior design, et al) are influenced by design and how this makes them ‘our’ favorites - tying design to emotion
• How design in one field influences others: how art, architecture, graphic design, music et al. interact with one another, and if there are parallels within each of these movements
• Anxiety over external influences: when does flattery become imitation? Is any originality possible – or have all the great ideas been expressed or ‘used up’?

User experience designers, learn and unite in good design – we have nothing to lose but uninspiring design, and so much to gain by creating better designs for our users. They - and the information they use every day of their lives - deserve the best we can create for them.