Creativity in the Design World As A Triptych
Creativity doesn’t exist in isolation—it’s a careful dance between three key pillars: Image, Use, and Technics. These elements form a triptych that guides every creative decision, balancing aesthetics, functionality, and feasibility.

- Image represents the aesthetic allure of a product. It’s the first thing people notice—the form, color, texture, and emotional resonance. A compelling Image transforms objects into symbols, making them memorable and desirable.
- Use focuses on the human experience, answering the critical question: How will people interact with this? This pillar ensures that design is not only beautiful but also purposeful and intuitive, aligning with the needs and habits of its audience.
- Technics anchors creativity in reality. It involves understanding the materials, constraints, and processes that turn ideas into tangible products. Without this pillar, even the most inspired designs remain dreams on paper.
These three aspects work in harmony, much like a well-tuned instrument. A design that leans too heavily on aesthetics might fail to function or be too complex to produce. On the other hand, a purely technical approach can lead to lifeless, uninspiring results. True creativity emerges from the dialogue between these forces.
This triptych isn’t just a tool for understanding design; it also reflects the broader tensions within the industry. Designers are constantly navigating between art and industry, between personal expression and market demands. And while it’s tempting to aspire to the top of the pyramid, where design becomes art, it’s important to remember that the foundation—industry—is what makes it all possible.
Design today is everywhere. It aspires to be ubiquitous, deeply personal, emotionally impactful, and more meaningful than ever. It demands justification for its place in the world. We might visualize design as sitting in the middle of a pyramid: at the top, we find Art, and at the base, Industry—the realm of mass production, exemplified by companies like Decathlon, Castorama, IKEA, and Fly.
Art belongs to the realm of Fine Arts, while Design is rooted in the Applied Arts. One is « free, » justified solely by its existence, while the other is « purposeful, » requiring justification at every step. Yet both draw from the same creative artistry of the mind.
Artists become designers, and designers become artists. The placement of design pieces in museums only blurs the distinction further. While we may see chairs and lighting fixtures on display, we are far less likely to find a €10 Decathlon bag, medical packaging, or my banking app featured in such spaces.

About this image
Credit for the above image: Tiffany Chu, found it on this LinkedIn article https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-design-allen-dellinger/
As designers, we often dream of ascending to the top, to be unique, to be “that person.” Yet, we sometimes forget that this pyramid is built on a strong industrial base. Without a solid foundation, the whole structure collapses. The same holds true in physics, doesn’t it?
In France, design lacks a strong cultural foundation, I often say that France does not have Design, but has designers. When it is noticed at all, it is often perceived as a stylistic endeavor. Designers here are seen as decorators rather than creators. This perception grew during the 1990s, as companies like Decathlon and IKEA expanded under the banner of “innovation.” However, for these companies, “innovation” accounted for only about 20% of a designer’s time. The remaining 80% was devoted to developing new color palettes, following trends, and restyling existing products.
This model introduced design to a broader audience by making products more affordable and accessible. But it also popularized planned obsolescence—products designed with a deliberately short lifespan—a systemic issue that is difficult to address on a large scale.
In contrast, France has a rich cultural heritage rooted in art and craftsmanship. Ironically, this very heritage may have stifled the development of a distinct French design identity. Consider Dutch designers, who became renowned for creating extraordinary works from “poor” materials. For years, they lacked access to industries capable of mass production, so they innovated with what they had, developing a unique style. In the aftermath of economic crises, the world has looked to them for inspiration—just look at the prominence of Dutch designers at recent Milan Design Fairs.
Italy, on the other hand, offers a different example. Italian industries, recognizing the potential of design early on, forged a deep, collaborative relationship with their designers. This synergy birthed a “know-how” exemplified by brands like Alessi and Cappellini, blending artistry with industrial expertise.
France, however, embraced a culture of mass consumerism. While this system has its merits, one must ask: is it sustainable? Is it still working? Can it evolve?
The Role of the Designer Today
As designers of things, we face a few paths:
- Industrial Designers: These designers focus on technical processes and collaborate with engineers, planning not only a product’s creation but also its obsolescence. They are already thinking about version 2.0 while version 1.0 is being produced.
- Product Designers: Here, the focus shifts. It’s no longer about creating objects but products—solutions tailored for markets and systems, often struggling to justify their very existence. Nowadays this references to « digital » products.
- Artists: This path blurs the line between objects and museum pieces. Such works command astronomical prices, often unattainable for everyday consumers.
A Designer’s Place in the System
Designers working within mass consumerism rarely achieve public recognition. Their creations serve large audiences, generating significant revenue for their companies—some of which may trickle back to the designer in the form of a salary.
Others design for the middle class, producing slightly more expensive but longer-lasting products. These designers may earn royalties and additional income, depending on their working arrangements.
Finally, some designers adopt an elitist approach, crafting objects for wealthy clients and prestigious brands. While this path rarely leads to financial wealth, it offers the opportunity to collaborate with passionate individuals and create extraordinary designs.
The Harsh Realities
Becoming a “famous” designer—“the one”—is exceedingly rare. As Philippe Starck observed, only a handful of designers can claim financial success from their craft: Starck himself, Marcel Wanders, Karim Rashid, and perhaps Ora-Ïto. For most designers, survival depends on the volume of products sold and the royalties they generate.
This dichotomy highlights the complexity of the design world: the gap between aspiration and reality, between what we want to create and what we can create. And let’s not forget—design is only part of life. Your personal life matters even more.
Starck himself once said:
“There are still engineers—the ones I respect the most. They are in research. There are functionalists, like in the 1930s, studying parameters and materials. I am one of them. I invented intangible functions such as humor, poetry, sex, etc. There are also designers—trend-driven individuals who believe a chair must change every month. And then there are artists, who, in a venal move, think art is superior. But modern elegance lies in multiplication. A good idea must be shared. I only do limited editions when production constraints demand it.”
A Final Thought
When will designers finally accept their role and responsibility within the trend-driven system? Perhaps this question warrants another post.
For now, I remain convinced that consumerism, as it stands, cannot endure without profound change—cultural or social. I don’t want to design for markets. I want to create for people. To give them more poetry.
Nota Bene
This article was originally written in 2011, I found it in some rescued archives, and thought it would be a good idea to work on it again and post it to this new blog.
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