Research#7/ The 7 principles of Good Design by Brian Ling@Design Translator

Onda: Just found the followings which is an topic that always useful and common for us to discuss. To me, I love this version as it written in a friendly tone (><). See and think what do you think about it, huh?

The 7 principles of Good Design by Brian Ling @ Design Translator

1/ is a good investment.
This originally started as “Good Design is Good Business” courtesy of Mr. Watson. However in today’s business environment, I belief most people understand this concept, but not many actually see it as an investment that has tangible returns. Therefore most Return on Investment (ROI) calculations can apply here. This means there has to be risk assessments, planning, budget controls, and long term goals set out. It is not, and should never be about making something look good and flogging it for extra cash.

2/ does not discriminate.
Good design is all encompassing and unifying. It should not just be about the product or look. It should include every single aspect that circulates around a product, including things like experience, usability, packaging and branding. Design thinking can and should be applied into all aspects of the business and organization.

3/ does not exist in vacuum.
Nothing comes from nothing. I find the best designs are the right ones for the context it is developed in. Good understanding of user needs, a critical insight on a problem, and a well defined brief is vital for producing the best designs.

4/ satisfies all requirements.
A design cannot be successful if it does not satisfies all requirements of the business and development constraints. This is to a certain extent about compromise, but it is also about prioritizing, and ensuring that you win the war not the battles. Pick your fights and learn to negotiate.

5/ is beautiful.
I don’t think too much needs to be said here, but our visual sense is one of the strongest of our 5 senses. There is no justification for bad design or idea. In other words you cannot polish crap. So be self critical instead of letting the market tell you otherwise.

6/ is innovative, intuitive and clever.
The purpose here is to go beyond aesthetic or focusing too much on the look of a product. (Just in case point 5 threw you off, heh heh!)

7/ is strategic.
This last one, I think is the most important. Design has to be at the highest level of decision making, and part of why an organization exists. My favorite thought is that it should have a vital function in any organization, just like accounting or logistics.

*so, what do you think then?