Bridging the Intangible - Tangible gap

Often when asked what one does as a designer, the answer seems to be that designers understand user requirements and convert it into design. I have myself replied the same all these years. The counter argument I get is that many other disciplines do the same, so why the need for a designer. Thinking about this led me to a more indepth thought about what designers do (or are supposed to do).

I think the main task of a designer is to understand human emotions, feelings and thought (all intangibles) and convert them into a design output (tangible). This is what the designer is uniquely trained to do.

Many other disciplines are trained to understand data, organize and interpret into information, and then construct a solution. However, the uniqueness of the designer lies in going beyond mere information, understand the human intangibles behind that and then construct a tangible design that caters to those intangibles.

A design that engages the user, arouses curiosity, increases ease, and many a times provides a novel experience is what the designer's goal should be. That, I feel, is the purpose of the designer.