This article provides a critical definition of the role of designer as the one to reconcile the company’s internal needs with the needs of the end (external) recipients. It presents the analysis of the successful (and the reasons for the unsuccessful) compromise between the financial and technical limitations of a project as well as those resulting from the state of knowledge and experience of the entrepreneurs themselves, and the needs of the end users. After all, industrial design requires constantly finding the middle ground between frequently conflicting interests of both parties. It should be stated that interests of entrepreneurs and their clients are often contradictory, even though the former seek to fully satisfy the needs of the latter. It seems to be the art of developing a solution which would not feel like a compromise to the end recipient. The text is based on the case studies carried out for Polish companies from the sector of small and medium enterprises, which the author knows from his own professional experience.
Keywords: design process, designer’s role, communication with clients, product design