In praise of designers

Design often happens in the moments that no one notices. The quiet decision not to follow the trend, the reframing of a question no one thought to challenge. Designers understand that the most powerful part of design isn’t what people see, but what they feel without realizing why. That kind of impact only happens when design leads, not follows. 

Designers don’t just answer a brief; they question it, reshape it, and sometimes rewrite it altogether. And when they do, ideas become more focused, messages sharper, and the outcome not only looks beautiful, it feels right.

I asked some colleagues for their thoughts on what makes a great designer.

Not just a doer

Graphic designer and illustrator Bengisu Demirkaya says she thinks people get it wrong when they think of design as a ‘factory line.’ 

“Design cannot be reduced to aesthetics alone,” she explains. “For a visual system to be truly effective, it must rest on a well-thought-out, carefully prepared, and deeply designed context. Every choice should be intentional. To detach the designer from this process leaves the outcome crippled. After all, design is not a factory line where separate parts are assembled by different team members into a brand new Ford car.”

“Every brand identity must be unique – shaped by its own needs, vision, and strategy. A designer is not just a doer; they are the thinkers who anticipate the process before it even begins, solving problems and addressing needs along the way. What we need is a holistic approach. Because once we limit the designer to mere execution, we also limit the potential of the brand itself.”

Complicatedly simple

Designer Doğa Erdağ echoes these views, explaining that the ultimate task of a designer is often to make the whole more than the sum of its parts.

She says: “Their role is not only to produce aesthetics, but to assemble the pieces into a meaningful whole. In this way, the designer becomes the essential bearer of both the process and the story. “Design can be art. Design can be aesthetics. Design is so simple, that’s why it is so complicated.” These words from the renowned designer and art director Paul Rand remind us of the true value of the designer, found in the depth of such simplicity.”

Meanwhile, Selin Kızgın says that she believes the key to good design is as much about how it’s made as it is about the outcome. “Design is often perceived only through its outcomes – a logo, a poster, or a product,” she explains. “Yet in truth, design is the process itself. A good designer does not merely make something visible; they also reveal the invisible: the intent behind an idea, the vision behind a brand, the emotions behind users’ needs. This is why a designer is the one who asks the questions, anticipates the problems, and maps out the path toward solutions. Their role is not simply to add aesthetics, but to ask the right questions at the right time. Because sometimes design is born from a line, sometimes from an empty space, and sometimes from an idea that has never been voiced.”

Joyful, yet painful

Lastly, graphic designer Zeynep Göçmen explains why design is about perspective and bringing dreams to life. “Designers are those who can step outside and view a situation from a different perspective – whether it is a personal problem they face in life or the joyful yet painful process of design itself,” she says. “Even the word ‘designer’ holds many different meanings. It may refer to someone who works in fashion, engineering, web design, product design, or even medicine. That is why the people we call designers are not merely those who put a few pieces together to create an aesthetic product; they are the ones who chase after a life, a dream, and who delightfully immerse themselves in the endless possibilities along the way.”