Inklingo

How to Say "to design" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “to design” is “diseñar” — use 'diseñar' when you are creating plans, sketches, blueprints, or systems for something, like a building, a product, or a graphic.

English → Spanish

diseñar

dee-seh-nyahrdiseˈɲaɾ

verbA2general
Use 'diseñar' when you are creating plans, sketches, blueprints, or systems for something, like a building, a product, or a graphic.
A person drawing a blueprint for a small modern house on a large piece of paper.

Examples

El arquitecto va a diseñar un nuevo rascacielos en el centro.

The architect is going to design a new skyscraper downtown.

Yo quiero diseñar mi propia ropa algún día.

I want to design my own clothes someday.

El arquitecto diseñó un edificio muy moderno.

The architect designed a very modern building.

Estamos diseñando una nueva estrategia de ventas.

We are designing a new sales strategy.

It's a Direct Action

Unlike English where we sometimes 'design for' something, in Spanish you usually just 'design the thing' directly. No extra words like 'of' or 'on' are needed between the verb and the object.

Regular -ar Pattern

This verb is perfectly regular. If you know how to conjugate 'hablar' (to speak), you can conjugate 'diseñar' exactly the same way.

Confusing with 'Designar'

Mistake: “Using 'diseñar' when you mean to appoint someone to a job.”

Correction: Use 'designar' for appointing/naming, and 'diseñar' for creative drawing or planning.

crear

kray-ARkɾeˈaɾ

verbA1general
Use 'crear' when the focus is on bringing something new into existence, especially an artistic work or something abstract.
A pair of gentle hands holding a small, brightly glowing, newly formed star above a dark, empty background.

Examples

El artista quiere crear una escultura única.

The artist wants to create a unique sculpture.

Ella quiere crear un vestido nuevo para la fiesta.

She wants to create a new dress for the party.

El artista pasó meses creando esa escultura.

The artist spent months creating that sculpture.

Necesitamos crear una contraseña segura.

We need to create a secure password.

A Regular Verb

Crear is a regular -ar verb, meaning its endings follow the standard, predictable pattern in all tenses. This makes it easy to conjugate!

Crear vs. Criar

Mistake: “Using 'crear' when you mean 'to raise' or 'to breed' (like raising children or animals).”

Correction: Use 'criar' (to raise/to breed) instead of 'crear' in those contexts. 'Crear' is only for generating something new.

planear

plah-neh-AHRpla.neˈar

verbA2general
Use 'planear' when you are outlining the steps or strategy for an event, project, or future action.
A person looking at a large colorful map spread out on a table with small wooden markers.

Examples

Estamos planeando un viaje a Europa para el próximo verano.

We are planning a trip to Europe for next summer.

Estamos planeando una fiesta sorpresa para Julia.

We are planning a surprise party for Julia.

Necesito planear mi semana con antelación.

I need to plan my week in advance.

Using 'Planear' with Other Verbs

When you want to say you are planning 'to do' something, just put the next verb in its base form (the infinitive). For example: 'Planeo viajar' (I plan to travel).

Don't add 'a'

Mistake: “Planeo a ir al cine.”

Correction: Planeo ir al cine. Unlike some other Spanish verbs, planear doesn't need a connector like 'a' before the next action.

inventar

een-ben-TARimbenˈtaɾ

verbA2general
Use 'inventar' when you are creating something entirely new, often a device, a story, or an excuse that didn't exist before.
A friendly inventor in a workshop holding a unique, glowing mechanical gadget with gears and light bulbs.

Examples

El niño inventó un juego nuevo para entretenerse.

The child invented a new game to entertain himself.

Thomas Edison inventó la bombilla.

Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb.

Quiero inventar una aplicación para aprender idiomas.

I want to invent an app for learning languages.

A Friendly Regular Verb

Inventar follows the standard pattern for verbs ending in 'ar,' which makes it one of the easiest groups to conjugate!

Inventing vs. Discovering

Mistake: “Using 'inventar' for things that already existed.”

Correction: Use 'descubrir' (to discover) for things that were already there but hidden, like a new planet or a chemical element. Use 'inventar' for things you create from scratch.

idear

ee-deh-ahri.ðeˈaɾ

verbB1general
Use 'idear' when the emphasis is on conceiving the idea or concept for a project, plan, or solution.
A small bird using a twig to reach a piece of fruit on a high branch.

Examples

Necesitamos idear una estrategia para aumentar las ventas.

We need to devise a strategy to increase sales.

Tenemos que idear un plan para la fiesta de cumpleaños.

We have to think up a plan for the birthday party.

Ella ideó un sistema nuevo para organizar los libros.

She devised a new system for organizing the books.

El arquitecto ideó una estructura que resiste terremotos.

The architect designed a structure that resists earthquakes.

A Fully Regular Verb

Good news! This verb follows all the standard rules for verbs ending in -ar. It doesn't have any tricky spelling changes or weird stem swaps.

Idear vs. Pensar

While 'pensar' is just the act of thinking, 'idear' implies you are actually building something in your mind—like a blueprint or a creative solution.

Using 'pensar' for creative acts

Mistake: “Pensé un plan muy complejo.”

Correction: Ideé un plan muy complejo.

Diseñar vs. Crear

Learners often confuse 'diseñar' and 'crear'. Remember that 'diseñar' is more about the technical plans and blueprints, while 'crear' focuses on the act of making something, especially art. You might 'diseñar' a dress, but you 'crear' a painting.

Related Translations

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