Design resilience
Good design is knowing how to be timeless
and when to adapt to the times.
Defining what good design is and how it is achieved is an elusive goal. Depending on who you ask, you’ll get a different answer. Some say design should follow a defined process and be practiced by specialists, while others believe process kills creativity and design thinking can happen at any point and come from anywhere. Wherever on this spectrum you find yourself, I believe there is a consistently proven set of design principles that collectively make up what good design is built upon. These principles reflect my own experiences and philosophy on craft, collaboration, alignment and team building within the ever changing world of design. It’s about resilience, and what it takes to be timeless while simultaneously being able to adapt to changes in culture and behavior.
01.
Design with intention
The real enemy of design is subjectivity. This applies to the assumptions and personal aesthetic preferences one may lean towards when crafting an idea, to the democratization of feedback and scrutiny that designed solutions must face, to how our designs are perceived in the real world. The best way to combat our subjective nature is to filter every solution through clear intention and purpose. This means a deep understanding of the audience and the goals behind what is to be achieved.
Intentional design and problem solving go hand-in-hand. Its the ability to ask the right questions in order to focus on the real answer. By accessing and aligning on what the true guardrails and opportunities are, we’re more capable to come to an understanding and reach an effective solution.
02.
Designers are educators
Outside of crafting pixels, the majority of my time is focused on providing education to others. This applies to training team members on design approaches, demonstrating the value of our ideas to clients, explaining the intention behind our solutions, and developing templates and/or guidelines that are usable and repeatable for others.
Education on the intended design approach establishes group alignment and inspires growth for everyone. It empowers others by showing them the way so that they too can act with clarity while simultaneously having ownership over the final result.
03.
Designers must embrace
adaptation
In the ever-changing world of design, you cannot afford to stay comfortable for too long. Software gets updated, new tools are introduced, best practices are constantly being redefined by culture. All these things are darwinian in nature. You don’t have to chase down every new trend, or technology, however, if you ignore them you are sure to be left behind.
Therefore, designers need to become experts at adapting. We adapt to new tools, shifts in culture, group dynamics.
Its a lot like surfing. You need to be patient to find the right wave, and when you catch it, its best to enjoy the flow. You can’t fight the wave, and if you simply ignore it, you’ll drown.
Robust tools do not make good designers.
ew technologies create nKnowing how to use design software will not make you a good designer. However, you cannot be a good designer if you’re unwilling to embrace new software.
04.
Design leadership
You might talk about your origin story, your team, highlight awards or recognitions, or share photos. Tap into your creativity. You’ve got this. The way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident, and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now.