Over these last few years, I’ve landed on a couple key design insights. I haven’t always believed in them, but these two insights have become something I strive for:
Cut out what’s not needed. Anything that doesn’t serve the core task at hand (designing a website, a logo, a graphic, etc.) has to go. Maybe it’s the mood board phase, doing sketches first, creating a complete guide of visual rules, whatever. If it isn’t part of the work-work, it’s gone. In place of all that stuff, I listen, tap into my expertise, iterate, and get to where we need to go with everyone who needs to be there.
I want the client to be really happy. Because I want the client to really want to use what I make. Not simply convinced. I want them into it. To be stoked. To want to wear the thing all the damn time. If that means I lose some of my preferences, or even design industry standards, then fine. My peers aren’t the ones who stand by me and my work and push for that work to be seen. The clients are. So they get what I can give them, always.
Where I used to hide behind certain processes, now I just get to work. And where I gave too much deference to what I the designer wanted, now the client is top of mind.
Do these insights ensure everything goes smoothly? Sadly, no. But they have made my work better and more effective at what it’s tasked to do. Which is to design things for people.
