Design and Freedom

We inhabit a world made for design. We see this in the birds and their nests. We see this in the ants and their farms. We see this in the bees and their hives. Designers work within boundaries but their work exploits degrees of freedom. Design involves tradeoffs. Designs that are optimal for one set of conditions perform more poorly in other conditions. Designs that balance performance across two sets of conditions may not be as good as a design optimized for only one condition. Designs that adapt to match conditions pay a price in the machinery of adaptation. Engineers must decide which design is best.

God created a world for design. His creative design shows the ability to use the degrees of freedom within DNA code (among others) and within the constraints of the laws of physics to produce remarkable creatures. Flight is one example. Birds flight is highly efficient. Some migrating birds travel pole to pole. Soaring birds exploit thermals. Pelicans use wing-in-ground effect to conserve energy close to the ocean surface. Hummingbirds hover. Butterfly wings flap slowly, but small insect wings vibrate at nearly 1000 beats per second. Dandelion seeds drift with the wind. Gyrating maple seeds rotate to the ground.

Human designers work within the constraints of aerodynamics to design similar structures—crop-dusting biplanes, supersonic fighters, passenger jets, helicopters, dirigibles, and drones. These designs do not need to reproduce or forage for food. These designs illustrate the freedom within the design space. The B-1 bomber’s swept-wing design adapts its performance for supersonic or subsonic flight. The V-22 Osprey adjusts its rotor orientation to enable both vertical takeoff and landing and forward horizontal flight.

Determinists believe the human mind is the product of chemical reactions in the brain. But this reductionist philosophy runs counter to everyday experiences of choosing clothes to wear, routes to drive, and which foods to order. Some determinists think they can persuade people their position is true, but the statements they make must not be their conscious choice. Reality is different from this. Each day is filled with thousands of choices—small and large. I can choose to greet those around me with a smile. Their day will be better, and so will mine!

Successful designers think outside the box. This objectivity enables them to understand design goals and employment cases. They can empathize with users. Then, they make their design choices. But it is ultimately users who decide which designs are best—iPhone or Android, Tesla or Volt.

The natural world affords many opportunities for choice. Wise choices conform to the physical laws that govern the natural world. Cliff diving is dangerous. Warm clothing protects from frostbite. The marginal utility of chocolate consumption is at first positive, but declines steeply above a small amount.

We also have freedom to make moral choices. We stop at stop signs, report missing wallets, and show kindness to animals. The best moral choices conform to God’s moral law. As the pinnacle of God’s good creation, what good will we choose to do today?

A world designed for design is a world designed for freedom. Use it well!