Design - WHAT is it?

The term applies to such a wide range of activities that is impossible to come up with a single all encompassing definition, while the true definition will vary from discipline to discipline, we have formulated the following for or own use -

"Design is any activity that translates a thought or a vision into a blueprint to create or improve a product or a service, it seeks to maximize utility and enhance the overall consumer experience."

Design is focused primarily on improving the human condition and good designers always strive to make their products appealing, intuitive and functional to maximize the value delivered to the consumer.

"Form follows function" - quite possibly the most used and least understood cliche in the design world. The intent is not to convey that form is less important than function but rather that form is derived from function. Minimalism inherently dictates you strip out everything you don't need, which is not the same as stripping out all the aesthetic elements. Instead it emphasizes the use of those aesthetic elements that also provide the auxiliary benefit of conveying the primary value statement of the product. 

Good design is easy to see, great design is invisible. Think about the design of something you use daily like a fork. Fork manufacturers over the last 200 years have not been able to improve upon the basic design of the fork, because it's design eliminates the need for further improvement.