The Value of Design
CATEGORY—Design
Words: Natasha Maben
2 min read
Design is rarely where you expect it.
And almost never begins when you think it should.
We often mistake it for the final touch—a flourish at the end. But more often, design is what shapes an experience without announcing itself. The quiet backbone moving us forward. It is a way of thinking and of being.
The value of design lies in how it pushes the boundaries of intention and purpose.
It’s often mistaken for the final layer—an aesthetic decision applied at the end. But design usually starts much earlier. It’s a way of seeing, of noticing. Sometimes, of knowing when to step back. At its core, it’s about intention—a way of thinking and operating. About choices that make life feel more fluid, connected, and human.
The word design carries weight, though its impact often doesn’t announce itself. It’s felt—in the calm of a well-considered space, the ease of a service that simplifies the day, the unnoticed object that quietly becomes essential.² Design shapes decisions, behaviours, systems. It lives in both infrastructure and small, daily rituals. Rarely loud. Always present.
As a way of thinking, design responds to what’s happening—socially, culturally, technologically. Bauhaus thinker László Moholy-Nagy said it well—“Designing is not a profession but an attitude.”³ It’s an approach to the world.
That influence runs deep. Into the structures we live in, the systems we rely on, the stories we tell. Yet, it’s often left out of conversations that count—dismissed as superficial because it can't always be measured.
That’s beginning to shift. More people are starting to see design not just as something that looks good, but as something that works. The McKinsey study 2018, The Business Value of Design, proved what many in the field already knew—design-driven companies perform better.⁴ Not because of style points, but because of clarity, usability, and connection.
At Somewhere—Something, we look for meaning in the quietly radical choices—the ones that shape how something feels, and why it matters.
We work with individuals and small businesses who see design not as a final touch, but as foundation. We aim to give form to their stories through visual identities that are clear and intentional.
Design, to us, is an attitude. And it’s one worth cultivating.
² Donald A. Norman, The Design of Everyday Things. New York: Basic Books, 1988.
³ László Moholy-Nagy, Vision in Motion. Chicago: Paul Theobald and Company, 1947.
⁴ McKinsey & Company, The Business Value of Design. McKinsey & Company, 2018.
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