When I decided I wanted to create this blog and name it Good Design Only, I realized that I would likely need to explain what I meant by good design. This would be both for the education of the topic and so people wouldn’t think I was being pretentious in thinking that what I like is the best, solely because I like it.
I am an interior architecture and design student, so I have had many classes that have talked about design and how it relates to the world around us. I have also had multiple professors specifically talk about the concept of good design and for good reason, it impacts every aspect of our lives.
In one of my recent lectures, my professor talked about the specifics of what makes a good design and I knew immediately that I wanted to include some of the ideas he talked about in this article. While the headings are the specific categories he came up with, I am paraphrasing how he described each one and have even included two criteria of my own at the end.
Ethical Integrity
Due to the fact that many (if not all products) rely on manufacturing or materials from other countries, it is important to understand where our products are coming from and who/what went into making them.
Good design is not just about the aesthetics or functionality of a product, it is also about designing products with the intention to treat the people who are involved in every step of the process with respect and showing concern for their safety and well-being.
Aesthetic Sensibility
One of the first things people talk about when they describe a product is aesthetics. There are many people who believe design is all about how something looks and if they can manage to make it look “cool” then it is a good design.
The thing to remember, however, is that good design embodies every element of the product including the materials used, the orientation of the individual parts, its functionality with the user, and so on and so forth.
The best way to make a design stand out is to design every element of the product with intention. Being able to explain the intention behind any and all elements within a design shows that a lot of thought went into it and therefore increases the chances that it is indeed a good design.
Psychologically Sensitive
The only way a product can be well received by users is if it is designed with them in mind from the beginning.
Thinking about who you are designing for, tailoring the design to handle a very specialized need, and intentionally designing a product to not cause any tension with the user while using the product shows that the end-users were thought of during the entire process.
Good design is being able to step outside of oneself, actively listen or observe what the user needs, and design a product that can be used effortlessly by them. A good way to know if you are interacting with a product with good design is if you don’t have to think about it at all while using it. Every aspect of the design functions as intended and as smoothly as possible.
“The role of the designer is that of a good, thoughtful host anticipating the needs of his guests.”
–Charles Eames
Socially Aware
Similar to ethical integrity, good design should also be socially aware. Our world is the most connected it has ever been and will not be reversing that trend anytime soon.
Because of this, we can no longer think about ourselves (individuals, states, countries) as islands that only impact our immediate surroundings; we all have the potential to impact people all around the world for better or worse.
Good design thinks about its social value in the world and not only embodies this principle as an impactful design for local communities, but also fights for social justice of many identities, and is aware of how it impacts or interacts with other cultures. Companies that go outside of themselves to create products to help people or actively support organizations that do show great character, and highlight the values of the company.
Compositionally Versatile
When people talk about the aesthetics of products, they often feel like something, “just looks good” and they don’t know how to explain why. When you learn about different design theories such as the elements and principles of design, Gestalt theories, biophilic design, and ergonomics, you can more clearly understand why we are drawn to some designs more than others.
As for good design, composition versatility is the product being able to embody different elements and principles such as proportion, balance, repetition, color, texture, etc., and showcasing that these concepts were thought about in detail during the development of the design.
When a product feels “off,” it might be because there is no clear hierarchy or the proportion of certain elements doesn’t correlate well with the rest of the product. There are too many topics to discuss in this brief explanation, so I will make sure to describe how the theories apply to each product and why it adds to the overall design.
I also have another article that specifically talks about the elements and principles of design (here) and I recommend you check it out. These concepts are crucial for understanding the fundamental elements that make a design “good.”
Technically Competent
The technology of a product needs to be functionally thoughtful and operationally seamless for it to qualify as a good design.
The user needs to enjoy using the product and if it contains malfunctioning technology or failing materials it takes away from the overall experience. The product also needs to be up to code and completely safe for the user. Good design is meant to add to the user’s life, not to become a burden, an added stressor, or a malfunctioning annoyance.
Environmentally Responsible
When a product is put on the shelf, there is not only the cost to purchase the product, there is also the material cost to make it.
This is not a payment that comes out of your pocket, instead, this is the payment that the environment had to make to produce the product you want to buy.
This can very quickly become overwhelming when you realize all the materials that go into the production of things (especially the things you don’t tend to think about, such as the water used).
Because of all the steps included in the production process, it is important to look for companies that are transparent about how they produce their products and the materials used. Unfortunately, this can take a lot of time to research and can be hard to know what to look for.
However, there are certifications that you can look out for to know that the product you are buying is more environmentally conscious. A certification that I love to look out for is the B-Corporation certification. If you see a company with this certification, it means that the company pays attention to its impact on its “Workers, customers, suppliers, community, and the environment” (https://bcorporation.net/). While I go into more depth about ways to be sustainable in other articles on this blog, buying from companies that are B-Corp certified is a great way to support environmentally responsible companies.
Good design focuses on the ways the design impacts the world, so a product can go above and beyond when it not only looks amazing, it is also amazing for the planet.
Essentially/Fluency Adept
Essentially adept = Only including elements that are necessary (no fluff)
Something that can quickly set a design apart is if the product doesn’t contain a lot of unnecessary elements. Thus, simplicity is a crucial element of good design.
Unnecessary elements can take away from the design and makes them feel like they were added at the last minute. All elements should be intentional and have some way to add to the overall design; all elements should represent the essence of the product.
Fluency adept = Able to change, but also able to remain relevant throughout time
Good design is also able to stand the test of time and avoid the idea of trends. Good design is meant to last and truly great designs will remain beautiful and sought out for years after their production. There are many furniture pieces out there that are great examples because they are still highly sought after, many decades after their initial creation.
The next two characteristics weren’t talked about by my teacher, but they are also what I believe good design embodies:
Lasting Quality
One of the reasons why I am so drawn to products with good design is because they are often made to last.
I always appreciate when a product is designed to last for decades and still remain functional and aesthetically appealing. It feels like a lot of products made today are designed to only last a couple of years at most.
This is mainly because the company that makes them wants them to break or deteriorate, so then you have to throw them away and buy a new one. Companies that make products that are designed to last will always have a special place in my heart and I hope we can all support brands that prioritize making quality products.
The Experience
The final element that makes a product a good design is if the product produces an experience for the user. As I mentioned before, the product should add to the user’s life therefore the user should enjoy using the product for some reason.
Each user can enjoy different elements of the product or enjoy certain features more than others, but each user should find something enjoyable (hopefully more than one thing) and want to use it daily because it is not an annoyance for them.
The concepts from this article are only the tip of the iceberg. While I could talk more about the topics I have mentioned, each having its own separate article, design is often easier to describe when applying it to examples. Because of this, I will be using the different design theories to describe the products and help explain why they are good designs.
Want to Know More About Good Design?
Check out my introductory article to the Elements and Principles of Design HERE
Check out my article that talks about why you should care about the products you buy HERE
