Design is a method for solving problems, not just the act of creating stuff. I’m on board with this definition, and have been for a long time. Lately, however, I’ve been thinking about the craft side of design—the making of the stuff, if you will—with a touch of what feels like misplaced nostalgia.

A pair of iPhone apps I’ve taken a liking to underscore the new reality: Design craft is no longer an activity reserved strictly for designers.

The first app, Anyone Can Swiss, created by Dirk + Weiss, has a simple premise: Helvetica posters are so formulaic, a computer can make them practically unassisted. I tested this theory recently when I heard about a local poster contest. I knocked out an entry using Anyone Can Swiss, submitted it, and actually made the cut to the finals. (Don’t get your hopes up, though; I didn’t win.)

The second app, Facemakr from Dadako Studios, features a kit of parts for building custom avatars. A couple weekends ago I got on a roll and attempted to “design” one for everyone here at People Design. The results, as you can see, were mixed.

Today’s graphic designer has bigger problems to solve than typesetting a Swissy poster or rendering a cool avatar. When technology frees up the time of skilled designers to work on stickier problems, design as a discipline is better served.

Nostalgia for the days when design craft was the solely the domain of professional designers isn’t unlike nostalgia for the days when booking airline tickets was solely the domain of travel agents. Putting user-friendly tools in the hands of the masses actually frees up the specialists to further hone their craft. And that way, everybody wins. Yay, progress!