At its heart, design is the expression of purpose. Purpose implies a need and a need implies a problem that someone would like to solve. 

The modern idea of the act of designing sprung from this scenario. Though I accept this, I think there is another less rational element that one should consider. It relies on intuition more than pragmatism. A well designed chair, for example, will give you the feeling you’ve known it before but you’ve since forgotten it. It feels right and you’re not sure why at first. There’s a natural rhythm to it. It’s simple and irrefutable. And you think to yourself “Of course! Why didn’t I think of that?”

I think of it similarly to recognizing when words are transformed into a poem. Or when an image becomes art. There’s no line to distinguish it.

Inside the museums

Infinity goes up on trial

Voices echo this is what

Salvation must be like after a while

But Mona Lisa musta had the highway blues

You can tell by the way she smiles

    -Visions of Johanna, Bob Dylan