Good vs great in Design
Everyone prides themselves in pointing out a badly designed government app, a hideous book cover written with Comic Sans, or good things like a Dyson hair dryer or Spotify’s immersive UI. However, the line becomes hazy when comparing good and great. In this essay, I will write what I think about great design and its impact on my day-to-day work and mindset.
Let’s talk about a yellow Volkswagen Beetle, a brand new Rolex Submariner, the Empire State Building, the first ever IOS/iPhone, Airpods, and much more. What’s common among all these?
‘Inspirational’ would be a fair term? It bridges good design with the great. Great design provokes thought and conversation. Great design is transformative, innovative, and often not the most obvious choice. It transcends beyond mere aesthetics and usability.
Great design is ART.
The bridge between good and great
Good and great can mean different things to different people, I see it as a way of thinking rather than a concrete definition. It’s easier if you consider films. There are good films that are entertaining, there are bad films like any other Netflix production and there are films like Shawshank Redemption and Forrest Gump, which stay with you forever and you’ll always find people you didn’t like Forrest Gump which is fair, however starting a conversation is what matters.
There have been landmark events that have altered our course of history and design has been instrumental in doing so. From the first printing press, the first mass-produced car, the Ford Model T, the Epitome of craftsmanship The Taj Mahal to the iPod much more. It’s quite easy to find good and great designs around us.
Great design has much more to it than just design.
Ever wondered why only some things are iconic in history and others are forgotten? I believe form often plays a huge role. The Taj Mahal is not just another beautiful-looking tomb, it’s iconic because of the cultural reflection and the story behind it. The Macintosh was not the first personal computer, it was the first user-backward computer that transformed the whole industry, Facebook was not the first social media, yet it succeeded in relating to college students all over the world. This list can go on. This article is not a cheat sheet that tells great design from good design apart.
Rather I would like to highlight some
Core principles that in my humble opinion can give us a lens to look for greatness.
- Deep Empathy- It goes beyond what users say they want and say what their problems are. Usually, the deep-rooted problems are often unsaid.
- Emotional connection- Humans are social and emotional beings. Behind every million and billion-dollar project, there will always be an emotional need, individual or collective. Emotional connection is a nuanced topic, nailing it requires experience and extremely high emotional intelligence.
- Social and cultural impact- We see this in films, photography, advertising, and more. Great design endorses social justice and preserves cultural significance.
- Storytelling- Storytelling acts as a strong bridge between good and great design. Great design is not bound by departments. Product, brand, and marketing often work in coherence to tell your brand’s story in the most authentic way possible.
- Sustainability- It’s our moral duty to adopt sustainability as a part of business. Some people take it to an inspirational level just like Singapore’s Jewel Airport and other buildings that help reduce carbon emissions in the city.
To have an eye for great design is in itself an art. I am a strong advocate of taking inspiration from real life rather than just tech products. Having a passion for films, watches, cars, food, music, games, and nature helps create fresh perspectives. Point of reference matters when you want to embark on creating long-lasting work.
Get inspired by the right kinds of things
Do you think if Dieter Rams would make products today, he would take inspiration from just Pinterest and Mobbin? Do you think Jony Ive made a Behance mood board for Apple’s brand guidelines? Do you think Walter Gropius got the idea for Bauhas from a user survey? Real-life inspiration supersedes everything else.
Watch movies, read books, play video games, follow art, listen to music, read history, listen to your grandma’s storytelling, and take that trip to Japan.
Tesla Cybertruck’s iconic and polarised design was inspired by the futuristic aesthetic of sci-fi films and armored military vehicles.
Jony Ive’s inspiration for the design of the Apple earbuds came from the Star Wars Stormtroopers.
Google’s Material Design is inspired by the tactile qualities of paper and ink but incorporates realistic lighting and shadows to create depth and hierarchy.
Nothing’s Phone 2a draws inspiration from New York’s subway maps and insects. The design successfully manages to be character-ful and not be the character itself.
Great design takes time, exploration, and mistakes. If it was easy, everything would be a work of art and I wouldn’t be writing this article.
I understand that designing a dropdown or a button may not change society or have the emotional significance we would love them to have. Good and great design are a way of thinking and rather a philosophy. To overcome technological challenges and commercial pressure at work and ship world-class products is an aspiration we designers fight for on a daily basis.
However, asking oneself this question, “Is this work great? If I had to be remembered for this work would I do it differently?” changes our perspective.
