Thoughts on: “Design is not art, and UX is not design.”

As a successful designer, artist and UX professional, I can tell you that it’s all an art – but not art. Art is created with the intent to express or evoke emotion and feeling. Design and UX is created with the intent to communicate ideas, looks, concepts, stories, frameworks and functionality – which is also capable of evoking emotion. The difference lies in the intent. But show me a designer or UX professional that’s not an artist. It’s possible that a designer hasn’t produced art before, but they’re completely capable of it. They may just choose not to express their emotions through art, or desire a secure career with a known path to financial success. So designers, take no offense to this statement but rather, be in tune with your intent before creating so that the work you produce either resonates with your intended audience as proper art, or proper design. Both are equally magnificent and the creators of each should be equally celebrated.

– Les Francoeur