Howard Roark Must Die

In Ayn Rand’s 1943 novel The Fountainhead, the idealistic Howard Roark battles an array of philistines who try to marginalize his architectural vision. Roark refuses to meet the demands of clients and employers who try to bastardize his ideas, which unfortunately gets him banished to the lowest rank of the architectural spectrum. However, when the powers that be realize his genius, Roark is commissioned to design the Cortland housing project. He accepts the contract under the condition the project be completed to his exact specifications. When his vision is corrupted by others, he blows up the building on the argument that his ideas are his property and he could do as wished. He gives a memorable speech at his trial. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zc7oZ9yWqO4

Roark represents the power of individual thinking and creativity, which was much coveted in a post world war era where nationalism and communism flourished. The concept of the heroic creator was a design institution for much of the last century, however today we understand that design is less likely to represent the vision of a single individual who knows “what’s good for people,” but more likely represents a collaborative effort that considers multiple perspectives. Collaboration offers an opportunity for reflection and access to specialized knowledge from diverse disciplines. Organizational expert Warren Bennis defined collaboration as a voluntary joint effort that is based on a common goal, backed by data that is shared in an open and transparent environment. The relationship is based on sharing power between collaborating partners.

The designer’s role has changed over the years. Moving from solo tacticians who execute a client's ideas (make me a brochure, logo, Web site…), designers are now being approached for their problem solving skills and as leaders of collaborative groups. Tim Larsen, Principle of Larson Interactive states, “We (designers) are much more consultative than we were in the past. It’s much more difficult to work on your own, as teams are more collaborative … there will probably be an account executive, a writer, someone from interactive, and some research involved. In the old days, a typical meeting would involve the designers and someone from the printing company. Now we have developers and others who help develop the sites, or we may be working with a direct mail company to do fulfillment.” As project dynamics change, a designer’s roles change too. No longer can designers expect to fly solo. The speed of technological change increasingly requires that they serve as collaborators in multi-disciplinary teams.

So how do these changes affect to role of the designer? The term “professional designer” can apply to anyone from a service provider to a strategic partner, depending on a person’s individual experience, their approach to problem solving, and their relationship with a client. At one end of the scale, a design vendor simply responds to a specific request made by a client and provides them with a commodity. They perform tasks that can be easily replicated by others, and generally work alone to complete their piece of the project. Competition at this level is based primarily on cost. At the other end of the scale stands the design consultant who serve in an advisory role, guiding the client through the design problem solving process. As design problems become more complex and require broader collaborative thinking, advisors provide not just solutions, but lend insight and depth, and help synthesize information amassed or created by collaborators. As Jagdish Sheth noted in his book Client for Life, “in the twenty-first century the knowledge workers who excel will be those who transcend simple expertise and are able to provide insights to clients in the context of a collaborative, learning relationship.”

In the new conceptual economy, where the ability to synthesize information and the collaborative spirit reigns, designers have an opportunity to position themselves as strategic facilitators as well as conceptualizers and craftspeople. By opening themselves up and inviting others into the design process, designers take on a leadership role in which they can use their unique skills and insights to find innovative solutions that resonate with both businesses and audiences. In the new economy "we" is more powerful than "me."