“The role of the designer is that of a very good thoughtful host anticipating the needs of his guests.”

— Charles eames

I just love this point of view because it emphasizes the service aspect of Design. We’re here to cater to the needs of users. Period. Those users are not always the end-users, as they can be internal stakeholders, developers, what have you, but they’re always guests, and you are always hosting.

It makes me think about our work like hosting a dinner party. Each of your guests will have preferences or even requirements, and it’s your job as a host to try and accommodate all of them with your skills and resources.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve definitely been to dinner parties where it’s clear the real purpose of the party is for the host to show off either their taste, their money, or their skill. Those parties aren’t a whole lot of fun, and if given the choice, I avoid them if possible. Think about that when you’re deciding what is important about your design work.

Hopefully, those internal stakeholders who get to be guests at your party will act like good neighbors and graciously accommodate your preferences when it’s their turn to host. Maybe, if you’re lucky, they’ll even help you plan the menu or do the dishes so the end user can have a really good time.