Too much emphasis on strategy can stifle design

Strategic thinking is important (DW 14 February), but does it make for better design?

It has been clear for some time that the big design consultancies are moving towards ‘strategy’ rather than ‘design’, but it is also clear that design is becoming blander, more formulaic, and most depressing of all, ‘samey’.

Look at the high streets of the UK, look at the supermarket shelves, the magazine racks, what do you see? Graphic sameness.

If this is the product of ‘strategy’ then we should be very wary.

I’m not saying ‘no strategy’. All good designers do it anyway, it’s called research. What I am saying is if you eradicate intuition, the creative yell, the golden moment of maverick inspiration, then design will become a marginalised, forgotten craft.

Adrian Shaughnessy

Creative director

Intro

London WC1

adrians@intro-uk.com