18 Design Philosophies to Live By (All you need to know about design principles)

18 Design Philosophies to Live By (All you need to know about design principles)

18 Design Philosophies to Live By

Design permeates every aspect of our lives. From the interface of an app to the shape of a coffee mug to the finger puppet that your child makes at school — design is behind all of it. The great design causes us to have an emotional reaction to a product. It makes us see beauty and elegance in everyday items. It determines what products sell, what products are forgotten, and what we expect from products yet to come.

Design trends change with the seasons, usually building off of each other until someone shifts the landscape, and then we all start over from a new foundation. But design philosophies tend to retain their truth year after year, decade after decade. Here are the core design philosophies that have stood the test of time.

Some of these stand in contradiction to one another, and some may speak to you more than others. That’s fine. What matters most is that you find the principles that will guide you to your best work.

1. Functional

It doesn’t matter how beautiful or unique the thing you’re designing is if it doesn’t work. Functionality comes first. Form follows. Though, Frank Lloyd Wright argued that form and function are one. And he’s right. But again, without function, you don’t have anything.

2. Empathetic

Understanding the wants and needs of the person who will use your product or interface or building should be an essential component of any good design.

3. Intuitive

Along those same lines, good design should be intuitive, meaning the user should understand how a thing will work and what it’s for — at least at a basic level — based on its shape, colors, textures, etc.

4. Impactful

Milton Glaser, whose designs include the universally known I ❤ NY logo, once remarked, “There are three responses to a piece of design — yes, no, and WOW! Wow is the one to aim for.” Put another way, good design should cause a stir.

5. Minimal

This philosophy may one day fall by the wayside, but over the last several decades, the focus of basically every type of design has been minimalism. Famed designer Dieter Rams said, “My aim is to omit everything superfluous so that the essential is shown to the best possible advantage.”

6. Simple

This goes hand in hand with minimalism, but something that is simple isn’t always minimal. Simplicity in design is about focusing on the core purpose of the item, app, or building and showcasing that purpose.

7. Culturally Reflective

Great designs should reflect the culture and environment from which they come. This isn’t about being trendy — it’s about being aware and influential. Look at the design of the National Museum of African American History and Culture for a perfect example of this.

8. Pleasing

Designer Charles Eames used to say, “Take your pleasures seriously.” The primary purpose of design may not always be to please, but in most cases, bringing the end user satisfaction, joy, or comfort should be a core objective of thoughtful design.

9. Aesthetic

This goes along with the idea that good design should be pleasing. Part of what makes a design pleasing is its appearance.

10. Experiential

The way something looks is only one aspect of design. Design is something you see, touch, hear, and sometimes smell and taste. In other words, good design is about creating a positive experience, not just creating something nice to look at.

11. Rapidly Redefined

The pace of progress has increased exponentially. Designers today should expect to always be defining and redefining their designs, making improvements and responding to user demands at a pace approaching real-time.

12. Subtracted, not Added

This is another way of looking at minimalism and simplicity. If you start with a big idea, the goal should be to pare it down to its core, not build it up to something overwhelming. Over-designed things tend to frustrate. Less is more.

13. Timeless

A well-designed object should be designed to last. It should exist outside of trends, or at least have that appearance. When Apple sells an iPhone, they present it as the last phone you’ll ever need, even though they plan to sell you a better one in a year.

14. Deconstructive

Deconstructivism is about tearing down traditions and doing things in a new way that aligns with your personal vision. It may be one of the hardest design ideals to strive for, but always worth the pursuit.

15. Habitual

Humans are creatures of habit. It’s essential to think about habits while designing a product. The goal should almost always be to become a core part of the user’s daily routine. Whether that means designing their favorite spoon or designing an app that they open every day, good design creates habits.

16. Unobstructive

A good design doesn’t get in the way. It’s there when you need it, and it doesn’t bother you when you don’t need it.

17. Honest

Items that are well designed don’t try to pass themselves off as something that they’re not. If you lie to the end user with your design, you’ll pay for it.

18. Thorough

Every last aspect of a design should be carefully considered. There should be a reason behind every choice, a purpose behind every function.

from course on udemy Michael Abehsera