"Design is a manifestation of the capacity of the human spirit to transcend its limitations"

George Nelson. The problems of Design, 1957

My design has existed as a major feature of culture and everyday life. Its compass is vast and includes three-dimensional objects, graphic communications and integrated systems from information technology to urban environments. Defined in its most global sense as the conception and planning of all things, design can be seen fundamentally as aninstrument for improving the quality of life.

The forethought that went into design had no intellectual, theoretical or philosophic foundation and so had little positive impact on the nature of the design world. Throughout the 20th century, the products, styles, theories and philosophies of design have become evermore diverse. This is due in large part to the growing complexity of the design process. The products of design that result from this multi-faceted process are not the outcome of individual designers, but the outcome of teams of individuals, all of whom have their own ideas and attitudes about how things should be.

Increasingly throughout the 20th century, the interests of businesses to create competitive products have driven the evolution and diversity of design as well as the careers of individual designers. While some designers work within corporate structures, others work in consultancies or independently. Design is not only a process linked to mechanized production, it is a means of conveying persuasive ideas, attitudes and values about how things could or should be according to individual, corporate, institutional ot national objectives.