This is what graphic designers have in common with interior designers and automobile designers, and what architects and city planners and landscapers have in common with fashion designers. Definitions of design almost always make reference to the concepts of form and function and to the idea that good design reflects the marriage of the two. Design is a process. Although often thought of as linear, with a single entry point and a predetermined sequence, in practical, everyday terms, the design process is in fact dynamic, offering entry points at each step along the way, with movement back and forth between steps.
Designers revisit the steps more than once in the process.
For example, a designer may begin with bare bones information. As the designer continues and additional information becomes available modification of the initial design becomes necessary. Sometimes new information is not welcome, because it imposes itself on the designer and the designer must then adapt her design to accomodate this new information. Negotiating the process promotes critical thinking, helps them to think through solutions to a wide range of problems and helps them to gain an understanding of parts in relation to the whole system. Design is conscious and intentional.