Design is everywhere – we design our environments, our food, our virtual spaces and even our bodies. To succeed in such a broad field designers must consider the aesthetic, functional, economic and sociopolitical aspects of both design objects and the design process. Because all design work is rooted in a familiar language, practising one discipline increases aptitude in another; growth in a specific discipline simultaneously boosts overall design intuition. Common design elements such as layout, contrast and pattern are present across all disciplines, allowing insights to travel freely between them.

The synergistic and skilful combining of different disciplines can generate novel solutions to complex problems; the combination of methods and data from different fields achieves more than the sum of the individual parts. When designers embrace multiple perspectives they unlock a deeper understanding of the challenges they tackle and create richer, more inclusive experiences.