What is good design

What is good design?

The term ‘good design’ could be defined by the opinion of the audience. However, design is much more than how it looks, it is the method in which the visual outcome was produced. It is decision making, thought process, concept and implementing these ideas aesthetically.

Interpretation

A designer may have given you a beautifully put together gold logo, oozing with class ..but this isn’t necessarily what you were after – you may have wanted a fun, wacky logo for a children’s fun barn. Design is the art of understanding and interpreting the project, producing the artwork relevant to the subject, not ignoring your ideas thinking they know better!

Pricing

The term ‘you get what you pay for’ is always relevant within graphic design. You could pay for a cheap logo that was produced by a budget company, or you can pay for someone to put in the time to put together a bespoke logo completely unique to your company, offering draft revisions and your input along the way.

Usability & utility

The usability determines the success or failure of your brand. Good design reinforces your brand, enabling you to stand out in the competitive market. It is used to clarify to the outsider what your product or service is – communicating to your customers to take action! So, it is essential not to get carried away with flashy features as you run the risk of over complicating the functionality.

Skill

Many people underestimate the journey a graphic designer goes through. The initial drafts provided were definitely not the 1st, 2nd or 3rd design, more like the 15th! Designers take everything into consideration – composition, line, colour, size, texture, space, shape, value and font.

Good design boils down to these points:

  1. Does it fulfill its purpose?
  2. Is it communicating the right message?
  3. Can your customers recognise your brand?

Your logo, your brand, your website – it is all worth investing your time in as it is the first introduction potential customers will have with you. Don’t make it the first and last time they visit your website!