I like to think of my work as having element of all three: art, design, experimental photography...though it does seem to push toward art, since experimentation usually leads to "art" oriented ideas. I find design to be more pure and simple....sort of the ground work.
Throw in a little experimentation and you are headed towards art. It's sort of like cooking up a great piece of work.....you have to decide what you want to do with it. Start with an idea(a design)...put in some experimentation and create some art. Too much experimentation...too far removed from good affective design, and you'll have a hard time selling the idea.....to "arty".
On the other hand, that could be the way to go. Every piece has to have a reason to be and once you know where you want to go with it, that is, the objective, then you know how to mix the formula for a hopeful success.Who do you want to impress? Do you want them to eat it up or just look at it?