What is an Interdisciplinary Designer? Is it easy to become one? What benefits are there to becoming interdisciplinary?

In this post we’ll look at what is interdisciplinary design, the benefits and how to begin your journey into interdisciplinary design.

What is an Interdisciplinary Designer?

An Interdisciplinary Designer or Multidiscipline Designer is someone who understands more than one field within design. They integrate different methods, principles and tools learned across different design specialties, like Graphic Design, Fashion Design, Industrial Design and more.

By having an understanding of different design principles, they can choose which skills and techniques to use to solve complex problems. 

This isn’t anything new. Interdisciplinary Design used to be the norm. 

Many of the best designers of all time have been interdisciplinary. Many of the most celebrated periods in design history come when there have been more Interdisciplinary design. From DaVinci to the Bauhaus, we see these celebrated moments of interdisciplinary design.

Nollie Design is all about encouraging you to become an interdisciplinary designer. We do this by demonstrating the 12 Principles of Interdisciplinary Design.

Becoming an interdisciplinary designer allows you to become adaptable in a changing creative landscape. It’s never been easier to become one, now with digital software, creating work is easier and the internet we have more access to information than ever before in human history. 

It’s definitely easier to become an interdisciplinary designer than ever before. That’s why I created Nollie Design. If it’s never been easier to become multi-disciplined, then let this site be the resource to show you how.

Who Can Become an Interdisciplinary Designer?

Becoming interdisciplinary requires a lot of curiosity. What are you curious about in Design? How could you create work that feeds that curiosity?

Curiosity is the ultimate source of inspiration. But the truth is it also requires creativity, problem solving and collaboration. 

You’ll need to understand how to learn new topics and meet new people that can share their skills through collaboration. Becoming an interdisciplinary designer means you are almost a “Jack of All Trades, Master Of None… Who’s Oftentimes Better Than a Master of One.”

When Should You Consider Becoming Interdisciplinary?

There really isn’t a perfect timeframe to become interdisciplinary. For some people, like myself, it came about after spending years specialising in Graphic Design. For others, they learn interdisciplinary skills right off the bat.

Famous design schools like the Bauhaus introduced interdisciplinary design to their students in their first year! This practice is continued in modern educational courses like the Design Acedemy Eindhoven, The ArtCenter and The London Interdisciplinary School.

For other designers it can come from changing job prospects in their area, or exploring new tools in their creative work. It may even come from lifestyle changes. How many people discovered Interior Design after buying their first home?

You can begin your interdisciplinary journey at any time! Why not start now. You can sign up to our Newsletter to get the best Interdisciplinary knowledge.

How I Became An Interdisciplinary Designer

I wanted to share my story of when I became interdisciplinary, hopefully this will inspire you.

My background was in Graphic Design and that career lead to me working in a Makerspace with 3D printers, Laser cutters and other prototyping equipment. 

With only a knowledge of Graphic Design, I felt like didn’t understand 3D CAD and couldn’t  figure out where I stood as a designer. I didn’t feel like a Graphic Designer anymore. I certainly wasn’t working on similar projects to my peers from college.

I went back to education as a mature student to study Industrial Design. This is when it hit me. 

I couldn’t get over how similar the Process was between Graphic Design and Industrial Design. I was angry. They were so similar and had virtually the same creative process. Why wasn’t anyone talking about this? Surely this is what we should be focussing on? 

That’s where the idea for Nollie Design started. 

Where Can You Meet Other Interdisciplinary Designers?

We created a Subreddit for you to meet like-minded designers who are also interested in exploring interdisciplinary design skills. You can check out the subreddit r/MultidisciplineDesign and meet other creatives like you!

Here we’re building a diverse community of creative designers who want to explore what it takes to becoming interdisciplinary.

Other Ways to Meet Designers

Because you want to become Interdisciplinary, there are countless ways to meet new designers. 

Networking Events

Networking events are great. You get to meet a bunch of likeminded creatives who are also interested in design. As an interdisciplinary designer, you can go to events dealing with certain topics. 

Conferences

Conferences are a great way to learn new topics about Design and meet new people. There are inter

Networking events, conferences, workshops, and online communities focused on design and innovation are great places to connect with like-minded professionals. Additionally, joining interdisciplinary projects or teams within organizations can help you collaborate with others who share your interests.

Why become an interdisciplinary designer? 

There are several reasons to become an interdisciplinary designer.

Having an understanding of how different design fields tackle complex issues makes you better at solving problems. By integrating techniques from multiple fields, you can develop more comprehensive and effective solutions to complex problems.

By learning from different fields within Design, being an interdisciplinary designer offers you a holistic perspective. You can understand the broader context of issues and how they interconnect. 

Being an interdisciplinary designer allows you to adapt in an ever changing design climate. Right now we’re seeing new technology like Artificial Intelligence, new software and a change in the job market. By being interdisciplinary, you have the versatility to follow the opportunities that you want rather than what’s only available.

Finally, the desire to become an interdisciplinary designer comes from a love of design. It’s a passion that drives us. Learning about how all the forms of design cross-pollinate and using these areas of overlap to develop new exciting creative work.