Musings- Define Design?

Someone recently asked me how I define design.

The internet defines it as 'the conscious or unconscious creation of something that has order and organization, especially by a human.'

By this logic, merely discovering an object would not constitute design.

However, the second part of the definition states that design must have order and organization. This implies that certain things do not qualify as designed. It could be argued that all things are designed in some sense: whether they be a result of a conscious or unconscious process.

While some things may be designed unconsciously, what about the conscious design of an object? Does a painting qualify as design by virtue of being created with deliberate intent?

If a painting is considered design, then the process of the artist creating it would also be considered part of the design.

This presents a problem: Is there no distinction between deliberate intent and unconscious or automatic processes? If we say that all things are designed in some sense by virtue of their existence, does this not lead to a logical contradiction?

It seems, then, that we must make a distinction between conscious design and unconscious design. Each can be defined in its own way while still maintaining overall logical consistency.

Design is a complex and multi-faceted beast. I've broken down my thinking into five points:

First, a vital truth that many people overlook is that design never springs forth from nothingness. The designer must work with existing materials and constraints.

Second, design is never a single event. It is always being redesigned to fit new information and feedback.

Third, design is not one person's work. It requires many people to get it right.

Fourth, design is not a static thing. It must evolve and adapt over time.

Fifth, design cannot be separated from the designer. The act of designing is a reflection of who we are.