Good design

Apple Macbook Air

I’m not artist or designer, but I have spent enough time studying good products on the web (as well as studying why my past products have sucked) to have some initial thoughts on it.

From my limited experience, design can be boiled down to three main points.

  1. Good design is useful. It enables the user to easily do what they want to do.
  2. Good design minimizes cognitive load. It respects the user’s time and attention.
  3. Good design is beautiful, without sacrificing utility or increasing cognitive load.

Only three things, but it is difficult to accomplish all three. If you product is useful, minimizes cognitive load, and is beautiful, you have done one hell of a job.

What does good design mean to you?

P.S. This is post number #83 in a 100 day blogging challenge. See you tomorrow!

Follow me on Twitter @alexshye.

Or, check out my current project Soulmix.

2 thoughts on “Good design

  1. Hey Alex,

    thanks, nice post, I have a couple of thoughts about a good design too:

    Good design should be innovative
    Good design should make a product useful
    Good design is aesthetic design
    Good design will make a product understandable
    Good design is honest
    Good design is unobtrusive
    Good design is long-lived
    Good design is consistent in every detail
    Good design is environmentally friendly
    Last but not least good design is as little design as possible

    Cheers,
    Yury

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