A design is an abstract idea, plan or specifications for the arrangement of some element or parts in relation to other elements, usually referred to as a structure, blueprint of some sort. The verb to design normally refers to the process of coming up with a design or blueprint of some kind. The term is often used in architectural contexts, however, it is also used in many fields of art and in some business sectors, including the print and design industries. The term is also used in software engineering.
A number of terms have come into common use, all of which have their associated meanings and uses. Design, as used in the context of the design industry, refers to the process by which ideas are exchanged and a new product produced, often by way of the designer demonstrating his/her knowledge to the target users, with the ultimate objective being to generate profit. A design product, on the other hand, is something new or different that has been produced by means of the designer’s imagination or some special skill. Designing, then, is also a process. An architect may design a building or a piece of furniture, but the building would not be called architecture unless the architect has designed it in this way.
Good designers use several of these concepts and combine them to get a general idea of what the end product should look like and how it should function. In technical terms, a good design is a description or a diagram that clearly shows how something new will work, as opposed to a description that shows how something already exists. It is relatively easy to understand the difference between a diagram and a drawing. The diagrams are easier to follow because the positions of every component is readily apparent. Designers use drawings to illustrate how a computer program will interact with the real world, and in doing so, they demonstrate the processes that go on in order to provide a better user experience.