If everything has a role, maybe I just need to understand my audience and it should be perfectly fine!
I wish it would be so easy! But I have a bad news for you...

Knowing only your audience isn't enough. It could only work in a static system, where there's no variation. So it's already dated as soon as some variation is introduced into the system. I call those solutions "quick fixes". There's a time and a place for quick fixes but here we're trying to aim for more bold and sustainable solutions.

So, how can we develop a more sustainable and adaptable relationship between the creator and the consumer?
Let's dive a bit more into it!

What's a society?

“It is a system of relationships that exists among the individuals of the groups.”
C. Wright Mills

The term society represents a system, that's composed at least by one type of a base element and one type of interaction between the base elements.
In this case, the base element is the individual. When multiple individuals interact with each other, they tend to form a group. In reality a group is one complex element, composed by several base elements.

The interaction between several base elements (individuals), create a complex element (groups). The interaction between complex elements, create what we call 'society'.

In reality, it's a system of relationships between individuals and groups.

So what distinguish those relationships?
Patterns of several different behaviours.
Individuals that have some similar behaviours and tastes tend to form a group.

Due to how complexity humanity is, there are a lot of groups with very distinct behaviours. Those behaviours tend to mainly be rooted on two conditions: cultural and biological.

In a sense we can say that humanity is a highly complex system where multiple societies, with very different behaviours and perceptions, interact with each other.

So in nature everything has a role, right! But according to Lavoisier, "Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed." We can then assume that everything has a temporary role. The role is always changing (transforming).
Also, like in society, roles interact with each other.
In that sense, a good creator should also know that his audience it's always changing. It's at least cultural and biological!
Biological features tend to take much more time to transform than cultural ones.

A good sustainable design, should take in account as many biological and cultural features, roles and interactions, as possible, for that particular object. You can only know those by observation and testing, but by observing and testing with those concepts in mind, we might be closer to the solution, since everything already has a role, we just need to take advantage of it.
That's one of the principles behind: form follows function.

At first glance, this doesn't seem to apply in everything, at least not in an unconscious level. That's why we claim that art is not design. But that doesn't mean that design can't be great tool to produce artistic projects. Design is about solutions and if you ever tried to make something artistic, I'm sure you end up in a place where you lack meaning or creativity to start or keep going.
That's where Design can shine by giving meaning in order to better organize your disconnected thoughts (problem | solution).

“Design is not making pretty things. Design is a way of thinking of solving complex problems and above all making sure we’re solving the right problem. And it’s people centered, we put people first.”
Don Norman

A good concept can simplify your creative problem. They say to think outside the box, but a great artist or designer don't tend to do that. The trick is to do the opposite, think inside the box (concept), but the hardest part sometimes is to create a good box (concept).

I'm not saying that everything needs to be logical. But logic can enhance the creative process.

Personally, I think that On the Nature of Daylight by Max Richter is a very good example of this approach. From start to finish you 'feel' inside the same box, but it's also flowing, it develops, it's not static. Every element seems to have their purpose (role) according to the concept. Even if it's only an emotional concept.

For those that think the opposite, that's repetitive and boring (I feel bad for you, just kidding). You can always have several boxes within a major box. Which means you can have several concepts inside a major one and mix them as you like.
It's just an easy way to give "meaning" to the process, to break creative blocks.

The point is not show the concept to the consumer, the point is to have a concept to help the creator. The consumer is there to enjoy the product/project, even if doesn't have any idea of the concept.
Even the most ilogical idea have meaning, but it's probably well hidden.
Question your concept and you'll find a lot of the answers.

"Creative people are neither single-minded, specialized, nor selfish. Indeed, they seem to be the opposite: They love to make connections with adjacent areas of knowledge."
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi