Good design begins with good questions. Questions that challenge assumptions, uncover purpose, and seek to fully understand the problem to be solved.

‘Design Serving Life’ is a new set of posters from design strategist Lynne Elvins, designed by Mytton Williams, that pose these questions.

The set of six posters – and associated communications – is designed to stimulate debate and raise questions about the ethical dilemmas that designers face individually, and as agency teams, and when working with clients.

Each poster has a key theme and a core question, with the visuals weaving a connected selection of exercises, models, and diagrams to support debate. The design approach reflects the times we now design in – complex, uncertain, disorientating times where there isn’t just one issue to respond to, but lots of them intertwined.

The six posters each pose a deceptively simple question: What problems are we solving? How much is enough? Are we doing good? Who are we missing out? How do we replenish? What will be our legacy? These questions raise important issues for us as a studio, the wider design community and beyond.

Why these questions matter

IDesign has always been about problem-solving. But in an era of climate breakdown, inequality, and social division, the definition of “the problem” has never been more complex. If designers don’t take time to ask the right questions early on, we risk applying creativity to the wrong challenges – or worse.

They remind us that design doesn’t happen in a vacuum – every decision has consequences for people, society, and nature. Asking “how much is enough?” might change the way we think about growth. Asking “who are we missing out?” can reveal unconscious bias. Asking “what will be our legacy?” encourages long-term thinking rather than short-term wins.