though she is sure there are more efficient ways to make the stuff.

For instance, her husband once watched her prepare a batch and asked a very good question: “Why don’t you stir the yogurt into the pot of milk and then distribute it into the

to my own experience, but in checking with other designers across various sectors and industries, this practice seems virtually ubiquitous. The pervasiveness and frequency of this task leads me to a conclusion about the design process: It is, in fact, a myth.

of design thinking as well as the technical skills and craft of design doing. In recent discussions, this distinction has also been called big-D and little-d design, in which big-D design is the creative act that all humans share, and little-d design is the result of years of training and

September + October 2009

interactions

containers?” She admitted to not having a good answer. While certain that doing so would save a few steps, she maintains the same ritual just in case there is some scientific merit embedded deep in the arcane process. Befitting her name, Iskra’s observation sparked how this framework applies to a perennial task many design teams often face: documenting the design process.

The request for documenting the design process has made its way to every team at every company where I have ever worked. Maybe this phenomenon is one that is particular

Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary offers the following definition of “myth”: “a popular belief or tradition that has grown up around something, especially one embodying the ideals of a segment of society.” I am not arguing that the design process is a false or unfounded notion; rather, that the Sisyphean nature of articulating the design process has come about because the ambiguity behind the terms “design” and “process” allow for a misinterpretation of what it truly is. The challenge with the word “design” arises from its ambiguity—it encompasses the notion

practice. In both cases, there lies a trend toward democratization: The former by its very nature should be encouraged, while barriers to the latter are steadily being lowered through advancements in technology. As for “process,” again according to Merriam-Webster, it can be a series of actions or operations conducive to an end, or a natural phenomenon marked by gradual changes that lead to a particular result. In other words, one suggests a serial procession, while the other allows for organic and iterative progression. Many often choose a misguided combination of