My Unconventional Design Journey

Design is about solving problems. Whether you’re in Graphics, Interiors or Product Design. But for me, I didn’t have a normal path in the design world. Where I grew up the number of creative jobs is pretty limited and you were happy to just end up in the creative industry. I never thought I’d be the one promoting multidisciplinary design.

I started my career in Animation after completing a HND in Visual Design at UK college level. My first role was as an Animator for an eLearning company, then began working in Digital Media at a contemporary art gallery. At this point everything I was doing, I’d trained in some way through my education.

The FabLab Game-Changer

Everything changed when the gallery was approached by the council to create the first public Fablab in the city. My department was responsible for running it, training the members of the public and building a community of makers in the city.

Suddenly I was using 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC machinery. We were new at this so myself and my manager would experiment with these machines to see what they could and couldn’t do. I ended up learning a lot about rapid prototyping technology and was helping designers and artists learn too.

If you have not been down to your nearest fablab, check out the Fablab Network to find your nearest.

I was able to solve some of my own problems. I was able to 3D print car parts for my old banger VW. I was learning how to do electronics when I 3D printed Tony Stark’s arc reactor for a Halloween costume. I even learned some Arduino code for an artist installation.

The Identity Crisis

I was a graphic designer who got to work with really cool equipment. Most of my graphic designer pals were making logos and I was designing a surfboard.

It was weird, I was loving what I was doing but felt stuck in that I was a Graphic Designer who wasn’t working on Graphics.

I used to look at Design blogs at the time, like Abduzeedo and DesignMilk and felt like there was a gulf between my knowledge and the designers who were making cool products.

One day a guy came into the studio, I helped train him on the equipment and he made a prototype and sold it to an international company for lots and lots of money. Wait, if I had all this access to tools and had this design knowledge surely I could do something similar?

The Lightbulb Moment

After taking a sabbatical to go travelling and doing some Eat, Pray, Love in Africa I came back and felt like if I was going to do this, I was going to do this properly. I would return to education and learn Industrial Design!

When I started learning Industrial Design, something became apparent. The design process for Graphics was the exact same as Graphic Design. The outputs were different, but the workflow was the same. I was fuming, why didn’t anyone tell me!

Why Multidisciplinary Design Matters

I didn’t go to an elite design school, there are plenty out there that offer a multidisciplinary approach. Many of these schools base their multidisciplinary design education on that of the Buahaus, which has enough lore in the design world you could compare it to Hogwarts.

But unless you went to one of these schools, the chances are this opportunity wasn’t presented to you either.

That’s why I created Nollie, to show you just how versatile your creativity already is. Maybe you can avoid a wee crisis and uprooting your life, if you know what I know now.

Design isn’t about making things look pretty, it’s about solving problems. By learning from different fields of Design you’re learning different ways to solve problems and have a concrete approach as you do it.

Real-World Applications

Since then, I’ve renovated a small apartment in Glasgow. And guess fucking what, the practical skills that I built from training in Industrial Design transferred over into the interior design in my apartment.

Design isn’t just a skill that you can sell to clients, or making money from your work. It’s about solving problems, and you can start to build multidisciplinary projects by looking at what problems you are facing.

That’s what the power of multidisciplinary design does for you! It gives you the ability to create solutions and why start with clients when you can use design to solve your own problems too.

The Power of Perspective

Having this kind of understanding allows you to create new perspectives in your design process. I’ve mentioned before how learning new design techniques impacts your brain, but it also helps you innovate new creative ideas. It builds a respect for what other designers do. It shows you just how interlinked the design world really is.

For example, if you’re a character designer and design a cool chair for your character to sit in, what’s to stop you from bringing that chair into reality? If you’re an industrial designer who gets Graphic Design, you can approach packaging design in a way that your peers couldn’t emulate.

Cross-pollination and collaborating with other designers becomes easier. You understand their problems, their language and workflows easier.

Adaptability in a Rapidly Changing World

Look, the design world is changing faster than a Scottish weather forecast. Having a multidisciplinary skillset is like having a Swiss Army knife in your back pocket – you’re ready for whatever curveball the industry throws at you.

For instance, when new digital platforms pop up (and they always do), you’re not stuck scratching your head. If you’ve got both graphic design and UX/UI experience under your belt, you can pivot faster than a ballerina on espresso. It’s all about being adaptable, folks!

And let’s talk about job security for a hot second. The job market can be as unpredictable as Scottish weather. One minute you’re basking in the sun of steady work, the next you’re caught in a downpour of “We’re downsizing”.

But with a broad skillset, you’re like a design chameleon. If one area of design faces a downturn, you’ve got other skills to fall back on. It’s not just about survival, it’s about thriving in any condition.

Holistic Problem-Solving: Think Big, Design Better

Now, let’s chat about systems thinking. When you’ve got skills across different disciplines, you start to see how everything connects. It’s like having X-ray vision for design problems. You’re not just looking at one piece of the puzzle, you’re seeing the whole damn picture.

Take product design, for example. If you understand both the aesthetics and the manufacturing process, you’re not just creating something pretty – you’re creating something that’s efficient to make and beautiful to look at. It’s like being the design version of a Renaissance polymath, but with better coffee and cooler tech.

And don’t get me started on sustainable design. When you understand the full lifecycle of a product – from the initial sketch to the day it ends up in the recycling bin – you can make choices that actually make a difference.

It’s not just about choosing recycled materials (though that’s great too), it’s about designing products that are easy to disassemble, recycle, or upcycle. It’s design with a conscience, and trust me, that’s where the industry is heading.

In fact, don’t just take my word for it. Promoting Multidisciplinary Design Skills has become a focus for the Design Council.

Creative Confidence: Unleash Your Inner Design Beast

Here’s the thing about having a multidisciplinary skillset – it gives you the confidence to take on projects that would make other designers run for the hills. When you’ve got a toolbox full of different skills, you’re not limited by what you can’t do. Instead, you’re inspired by all the possibilities of what you can do.

It’s like being a kid in a candy store, but instead of sweets, you’ve got design tools and techniques at your fingertips. Want to design a chair? Go for it. Want to create the packaging for that chair? You can do that too. Want to design the website to sell that chair? Yep, that’s in your wheelhouse as well.

This kind of creative freedom is intoxicating. It’s the difference between being a one-hit wonder and a design rockstar with a diverse portfolio of hits. And let me tell you, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of bringing your vision to life, start to finish, without having to rely on anyone else. It’s empowering as hell.

Increased Value: Become the Design MVP

For all you freelancers and entrepreneurs out there, listen up. Having a multidisciplinary skillset is like having a golden ticket in the design world. You’re not just offering one service, you’re offering a whole suite of them. Clients love that. They’re not just hiring a designer; they’re hiring a one-stop shop for all their design needs.

And if you’re working in a team or corporate setting? Well, you’re positioning yourself as leadership material. When you can understand and integrate different perspectives, you become the glue that holds projects together. You’re not just a designer; you’re a design strategist, a problem solver, a big-picture thinker. That’s the kind of person companies want leading their design teams.

Personal Growth: Never Stop Learning

Here’s the best part about embracing multidisciplinary design – you never stop learning. Every new skill you pick up opens doors to new possibilities. It keeps your work fresh, exciting, and relevant. You’re not just expanding your skillset; you’re expanding your mind.

And let me tell you, there’s a deep sense of fulfillment that comes from mastering multiple disciplines. Being able to take a project from concept to completion, drawing on a wide range of skills – it’s like being a design superhero. It reminds you that design isn’t just a job; it’s a craft, an art form, a way of thinking and problem-solving that touches every aspect of life.

Wrapping It Up

So there you have it, folks. That’s why multidisciplinary design skills matter. It’s not just about making you a better designer (though it definitely does that). It’s about making you a more adaptable, confident, valuable, and fulfilled human being. It’s about equipping you to solve not just design problems, but life problems.

And if you’re thinking, “Damn, I need to get on this multidisciplinary train,” well, you’re in luck. That’s exactly why I created Nollie. We’re here to help you expand your design horizons, learn new skills, and become the versatile, badass designer you were always meant to be.

Ready to level up your design game? Whether you’re a graphic designer looking to dip your toes into product design, or a UX designer curious about 3D modelling, we’ve got you covered. Let’s embrace the power of multidisciplinary design together! Sign up to the Newsletter!

Remember, in the words of the great Leonardo da Vinci (who knew a thing or two about being multidisciplinary), “Learning never exhausts the mind.” So go forth, learn, create, and conquer. The design world is your oyster – and you’ve got all the tools to crack it open.