Thy art is murder... and murder is thy art (Design thinking in practice)

Design thinking is not confined to a single profession, discipline, or industry. Rather, it is a broadly applicable mode of inquiry and problem-solving that can be adopted across contexts. As Deutsch (2020) suggests in Think Like an Architect, this way of thinking should be understood as foundational rather than specialised. It is relevant not only to architects, but also to executives, designers, artists, analysts, and decision-makers across a wide range of fields. In that sense, design thinking is best viewed as a universal capability: one that draws insight from the surrounding environment, from adjacent disciplines, and from patterns observable across different domains of practice.

A useful illustration of this principle can be found in Saul Bass’s poster for Otto Preminger’s Anatomy of a Murder. The composition is striking in its simplicity. Set against a dark orange or firebrick-red background, the poster features a black, paper-cut-out-like silhouette of a body lying on the ground, with the head tilted to one side. The title is distributed across the body: “Anatomy” appears on one leg, “of a” on the other, and “Murder” across the torso.

As Arif (2017) observes, “The film’s title is spread across three different body parts, in an almost puzzle-like fashion that alludes to the mystery of the story. The main image of the full body is a literal meaning of the film’s title, and the pun on anatomy is shown here by the dissection of a human body.”

The fragmented typography reinforces this effect. The disjointed arrangement of the text evokes the aesthetic of a ransom note assembled from cut newspaper, suggesting concealment, ambiguity, and deliberate fragmentation. The design withholds as much as it reveals, creating tension through visual economy.

The imagery also evokes the visual language of crime and suspense. The faceless silhouette, combined with the fractured title treatment, shifts attention away from the identity of the victim and toward the broader mystery itself. Although Anatomy of a Murder is a courtroom drama, the poster’s resemblance to a chalk outline at a crime scene creates an immediate association with investigation, ambiguity, and unresolved narrative tension.

What makes the poster particularly effective is its restraint. There are no unnecessary embellishments, no visual excess, and no attempt to over-explain the story. Instead, the design relies on a small number of carefully chosen elements to provoke curiosity and communicate tone. This is a powerful reminder that sophistication in design often lies not in complexity, but in disciplined clarity.

The parallel to business solution design is clear. Effective solutions are rarely defined by how much they contain, but by how precisely they address the problem at hand. Elegance, simplicity, and impact are not accidental qualities; they emerge from a deep understanding of the objective, the current state, and the obstacles that separate the two. In both visual communication and business design, the most compelling outcomes are often those that distill complexity into something coherent, purposeful, and immediately intelligible.

Although this principle may appear abstract, its practical value is significant. Many professionals remain focused on activity, process, or output volume rather than clarity of intent and precision of execution. Design thinking offers an alternative posture: one centred on interpretation, synthesis, and disciplined problem framing. It is this capability that enables individuals and organisations to produce solutions that are not only functional, but also meaningful, efficient, and enduring.

References

Arif, I. (2017, October 18). Saul Bass anatomy of a murder. Medium.

Deutsch, R. (2020). Chapter 35: Design thinking in architecture. In Think like an architect: How to develop critical, creative and collaborative problem-solving skills (1st ed., pp. 146–148). RIBA Publishing.