The word 指定 is formed through the logical combination of its two component characters, where the first establishes the method and the second confirms the result. The character 指 (zhǐ) carries the core meaning of "to point at" or "to indicate", establishing an act of directional selection. This is directly followed by 定 (dìng), which means "to fix", "to set", or "to decide". Together, they sequentially depict the process of first indicating something and then fixing it in that designated role, thus yielding the combined meaning "to designate" or "to appoint".