Number thirty. Milton stops by for the milestone.

Calm down. When I first read the quote, my immediate reaction was to defend my generation that had collectively had it’s hands cut off, as Paula Scher would put it. I felt the need to rise and and proclaim that the computer is not only good, but great. I was overwhelmed with a sense of pride for the youngsters around the world of design. Then, I read the quote again and I understood it’s brilliance.

Milton is not saying that work done with a computer is inferior. He’s not saying that designers can no longer think without one. He’s not saying that those who don’t know how to work with their hands are less of a designer than those who came before us.

What he is saying is that the computer has made design more accessible, disrespected and vapid.

With the ease of pushing buttons and having the proper software, someone can now “design” something for someone else. Many of us know that they’re not designing, but simply moving around parts and pieces into something that ultimately represents a lack of thought and understanding.

People who just have a computer are now able to mimic what a designer does. Just as anyone with a few ingredients and a microwave can mimic what a chef does. There is a reason chefs train and we pay them for their service, just as we should do with designers.

It’s a skill and a service. Not a favor.

Someone with a microwave who has no formal training who tells you they can cook you a five course meal is the same as someone with a computer who has no formal training telling you they can design your entire business system. It’s just plain scary.

Having a microwave doesn’t make you a cook and having a computer doesn’t make you a designer. Just because you can hold a tool in your hand doesn’t mean you know how to properly use it.