Design is about solving problems in a particular medium.
It's staggering the number of young graphic designer divas out there that believe are making art.
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"Design is the process of going from an existing condition to a preferred one"
Problem solving is necessary for design, but it's not about problem solving. Design is a synonym for fate for a reason. It's about eliminating possibilities and degrees of freedom, a sort of enslavement.
But what about the aesthetic part ?
"The aesthetic part" is always there, regardless of the intent of the designer. If you have a problem that requires catering to some specific aesthetic demand, then that should obviously be part of the design focus.
I think pier25's point is that most designs don't have such requirements, but young artists shoehorn them in anyhow, even when they are not appropriate.
What about it?
Aesthetics are part of the problem that needs to be solved.
People are quoting Jobs, hinting that design means "mechanics" (in an abstract sense) rather than looks. But, as a kid first, looks was most of what design meant for me, and even today, after graduating, it's still a very special part of anything.