Dissenys

Dissenys is the Catalan term for design, referring to the planning and specification of objects, services, or environments to meet particular goals. It encompasses both the intention behind an idea and the means to realize it, balancing function, aesthetics, usability, and feasibility.

The field covers multiple disciplines, including graphic design, product and industrial design, architectural and interior design, fashion and textile design, and digital or interaction design, as well as service design and urban or landscape design. Dissenys are often documented through drawings, models, specifications, and prototypes.

The design process typically involves identifying a problem or opportunity, researching constraints, generating concepts, creating prototypes, testing with users, and refining ideas before production or implementation. It is usually iterative and collaborative, involving designers, clients, engineers, manufacturers, and users, with increasing emphasis on sustainability, accessibility, and ethical considerations.

Historical notes indicate that while creative drawing and craft precede it, the modern sense of design matured in the 20th century with design education, mass production, and movements like Bauhaus, which promoted integrating art, craft, and technology. The term derives from Latin designare, through Italian and French.

Education and professional practice reflect a similar trajectory: dissenys is taught in design schools and universities through project-based learning, and practitioners often navigate documentation, standards, and cross-disciplinary collaboration to translate ideas into usable outcomes.