Note: I am a young Designer. This blog doesn't come from a place of extensive experience but just an inner-monologue. This is an opinion piece ;)

Design is about envisioning and planning to create something or solve a problem. It is important to have a good understanding of the topic to help in planning. Then, you need creativity and a problem-solving attitude to envision a possible solution. Throughout this process, you need to balance and negotiate the needs of the client, the needs of the user, and what is possible to create within the budget.

For new designers, it can be difficult to wrap their heads around it all. It requires good intuition and experience to make these decisions, so how do they learn? One of the most important things for designers to do is to learn from existing designs. This can help them understand the basics of design and to see how different elements can be combined to create effective solutions. For new designers, it can be a valuable learning experience, but it also raises questions about how it affects innovation and user needs. Learning from existing designs can help you learn, but it can also narrow your perspective.

Then we end up with a sort of Frankenstein Design generation, where every new creation is a combination of existing designs.

What is Frankenstein Design?

Just like Dr. Frankenstein crafted a creature from different parts, designers sometimes merge elements from existing designs, intending to create an original masterpiece. While this can offer valuable insights for newcomers, it begs the question of how it affects innovation and the authenticity of our work.

For new designers, studying existing designs serves as a crucial stepping stone in their journey. It helps them learn design principles and how to create good user experiences. By exploring different designs, they get a sense of what works well and what doesn't.

They can also learn about the different ways that designers have solved problems. This can give them inspiration for their own work and help them to come up with new and innovative solutions. However, the line between inspiration and imitation can be blurry, and therein lies the challenge.

Inspiration Over Copying

Drawing inspiration from existing designs is undoubtedly beneficial. However, the key lies in understanding that inspiration should act as a guiding light, not a roadmap for imitation. It is supposed to inspire your style. But often it ends up being a ground for a mix of puzzle pieces. New designers often just put some pieces together, and this Frankenstein can walk and talk, but lacks soul.

I won't bother with the ethics of this; do what you have to. But it can also lead to designs that are not as effective as they could be. People start copying, and then copying from the copies, and then copying from those copies. When everyone is copying the same designs, it can lead to a narrowing of our perspective and a lack of innovation.

Allure of Frankenstein Design

I don't deny the allure of Frankenstein Design. It offers a shortcut to a seemingly "new" creation by combining elements that have proven successful. Yet, it's essential to think of the long-term implications of such an approach. When too many designers opt for this method, it can lead to a generalized standard, stifling creativity and diminishing the diversity of design ideas.

Is it a surprise that a lot of design work looks the same? There is some stagnancy in the outcomes on Dribble, Behance, and everywhere else. It is the same thing being repeated. I was a part of this cycle too.

As the design landscape evolves, we should challenge established standards and empower young designers to explore new boundaries. Diverse user experiences from around the world present boundless opportunities for innovation and creativity.

You could argue that maybe this is the peak. Things have been iterated so many times that we have reached a plateau. Maybe we don't need innovation, but invent new problems in our own bubble to keep the money coming in.