Design is not a mere toolbox; it is a way of balancing tension. To design is not to apply a rigid formula, but to arbitrate between opposing forces: guiding without manipulating, simplifying without impoverishing, and moving swiftly without missing the mark.

At Aktan, we approach design "in all simplexity": taking complexity seriously, then making it actionable without ever compromising its essence. This page brings together our 50 key concepts. Think of it not as a dry glossary of neutral definitions, but as an interactive map: each concept is explored through its dynamic tension—what is truly at stake when we use it—and beautifully linked to the others. Design is a living rhizome, not a simple list.

Our approach is simple to state yet excitingly demanding to deliver: a design concept is only as valuable as its real-world use and the value it brings to those who experience it. Methods are not mere recipes; they are ways of asking the right questions. Here are ours, curated into six vibrant families.

Understand

Before you design, observe. Move seamlessly from raw data to a true, authentic understanding of real-world usage, without any illusions.

• Ethnography: saying or doing?

• Empathy: proximity or projection?

• Insights: data or true understanding?

• Personas: real or caricature?

• Data-driven design: intuition or data?

• Cognitive biases: guiding or exploiting?

• Cognition & cognitive load: offloading or reflecting?

• Attention: capturing or respecting?

Frame and Imagine

Define the challenge beautifully, then open up a world of possibilities before making bold choices. Diverge, converge, and master when to do either.

• Design thinking: thinking or doing?

• Double diamond: diverging or converging?

• Idéation: diverging or converging?

• Creativity: constraint or freedom?

• Design sprint: speed or depth?

• Co-design: expert or layperson?

• Strategic design: vision or execution?

• Strategic exploration: exploiting or exploring?

Design

Where intent takes on beautiful form: interfaces, user journeys, and clarity. Making experiences natural and elegant without oversimplifying reality.

• Affordance: guiding or manipulating?

• UX: screen or experience?

• UI: form or function?

• Interaction design: action or reaction?

• Usability: easy or useful?

• Ergonomics: adapting the object or the human?

• Accessibility: standardized or situated?

• Information design: data or meaning?

• Emotional design: reason or emotion?

• Simplicity & simplexity: spoiling or simplifying?

Build and Test

Give life to your ideas and bring them face-to-face with reality as early as possible. Prototype, test, learn, and repeat.

• Prototyping: failing or learning?

• User testing: validating or learning?

• Scenarios: story or proof?

• Service blueprint: visible or invisible?

• Product design: object or usage?

• Generative design: author or machine?

Design Domains and Assets

Design is far more than screens: services, brands, cities, mobility, and narratives. These are all vital environments where the same high standards apply.

• Service design: solving or reframing?

• Brand design: promise or proof?

• Urban design: plan or life?

• Transport design: vehicle or mobility?

• Game design: playing or facilitating play?

• Materiality: digital or physical?

• Speculative design: control or emergence?

• Design fiction: credible or imagined?

Responsibility and Long-Term Horizons

To design is to commit. For whom, to what extent, at what cost, and over what timeline? These concepts place design back at the heart of systems and the long term.

• Systemic design: simplicity or complexity?

• Human-centered design: centering or narrowing?

• Dark patterns: guiding or manipulating?

• Desirability: utility or desire?

• Acceptability: possible or acceptable?

• Sustainability: now or tomorrow?

• Life cycle assessment: here or elsewhere?

• Transition design: short or long term?

• Social innovation: impact or scale?

• Fablabs & innovation labs: experimenting or industrializing?

Have a question or a bold project in mind?

These concepts are much more than theory—they actively drive our work, from strategic exploration workshops to immersive innovation labs. Let's talk about yours!