I have been experimenting with design lately and have learned a lot. There are so many do’s and don’t’s for design that will break you or make you. As the famous quote from Steve Jobs goes “Deciding what not to do is more important than deciding what to do”. So, in this blog post I am pointing out 5 don’t’s for design:
- Do not copy design: Designers when designing, let that be website design, product design or any sort of design, tend to look for the best designs out there. Many designers or companies copy designs which tend to be the best in the market. But if you look at their stats after launching their product, most of them failed to achieve what they thought they will be. In short their whole great-copied design didn’t work for them. The reason being that designers or design companies do their research related to the product they are working on. They spend days, weeks, months or sometimes even years going back and forth on few design ideas. The research also includes their target users, demographic, and other parameters. Once they collect and analyze that data, they design accordingly.
Take away: Great design is there to inspire, not to copy. Do some research on your product and on its other parameters and then design accordingly. - Do not waste time searching for the right medium: I have come across many people who spend their valuable time searching for the best tool available in the market to help them design their product. This is not a bad thing, but it’s a myth that without the best, one can not design the best. Creative people don’t seek any medium to design, they just design in whatever medium they are comfortable with. For instance, designers use Adobe’s illustrator in industry to design logos, but I know many who do the same on Adobe’s Photoshop, and that even without compromising on quality. Here’s one great example of a cute grandpa who paints digitally on Microsoft’s MS Paint. YES! You heard me, MS PAINT. Read the whole story here.
Take away: Learn a medium and stick to it until you are comfortable enough to make the jump. Don’t hunt for the best medium all the time. - Do not bombard user with information: Ever visited Yahoo’s homepage? No doubt you must have deviated a day or two from your goal of visiting yahoo’s site. Users get lost as soon as they hit a data-traffic, i.e. where there are lots and lots of data. Data-traffics are same as any large toy or book fair. Even you know where you want to go, you will be lost because there are so many text, images or videos placed to catch your attention. Minimize the steps involved in any process, may that be buying a product from your website or extracting a information from your invitation card. Here’s a lovely website that can teach you to create your product’s visual design suck less and increase information extraction in simple steps. Learn from Visualmess.
Take away: Design websites, visiting cards, products or anything so that it’s easy for the user to extract information without spending much of their time and energy. - Do not design just for the sake of beauty: Designing means solving a problem. It must be design’s first priority. When Steve Jobs, endorsed the importance of design, the whole world thought that design is they key to success for any product. Hard truth? It’s not. Design is just one side of the cube. Don’t forget there are many others. A successful product is highly dependent on one criteria, i.e. its problem-solving approach. If your product is not based on problem-solving approach, no design can add value for the long run.
Take away: Design to solve a problem. Not just to make it aesthetically cool. - Do not design just to deliver: Are you running a design based service company? Guess what?! The market is full of opportunities and you know that. Every now and then your company or you get a call to design or re-design someone’s or some company’s product. You are being flooded with opportunities based on your design skills, that’s fine. But think before taking up any project. Look at it’s other aspects. Ask whether is there any new design challenge that I will be tackling or it’s just another fancy design project which requires only re-touching. Also taking up challenging design projects enhances your skills. So it’s better to reject some and accept one rather than taking a lot of projects and compromising on personal and professional growth.
Take Away: Don’t take projects just to deliver. Design for impact. If it’s not a challenge, it’s not design.
These insignificantly small tips will have a great impact on your product or businesses if applied timely. Hope to see you out there producing great designs.
Stay fresh, stay creative!
44 replies on “5 design habits that can screw anyone”
Just do me a favor and keep writing such trhanenct analyses, OK?
Finally! This is just what I was looking for.
2009å¹´12月13日下åˆ5:48 匿å：第五代人係å’嘅：乜都è˜å°‘å°‘，æ–‡åˆè˜å°‘å°‘、æ¦åˆè˜å°‘å°‘、è˜å°‘少寫嘢但é‚輯çµæ§‹å””å¾—，åæ˜ æ•™è‚²åˆ¶åº¦å’Œåª’é«”「腦殘」影響，好多嘢想åš、åˆè¦ºå¾—好多嘢åšå””到，或想åšä½†å””知應該點åš，事事開了é 但好快無疾而終。第五代人很年輕，屬é’å°‘å¹´ / é’年階段，本來入世未深缺ä¹ç´°å¯†æ€è€ƒæ˜¯å¯ä»¥è«’解，但éºæ’¼çš„是，似乎ä¸è¦‹å¾—他們很樂æ„去å¸ç¿’，常èªç‚ºè‡ªå·±æ‡‚玩玩電腦ç‰æ–¼ä¸€åˆ‡，覺得自己已走在時代尖端，這是一個大å•é¡Œ。
How can you disagree on “almost everything?” It’s a cooked, emulsified butter sauce with acid. I really don’t understand how you can disagree beyond, say, the reduction’s inclusion (which seems to be a stylistic addition for added depth in the flavor).
Your posting lays bare the truth
Hi! You’re my hero. I love your blog! my twin sister is due with her first child (a girl!!!!) in august, and she’s doing an owl theme. I really want to crochet her a colorful/girly owl pillow! Like maybe 10 inches or so in height? I can’t find any patterns. I would like either a round one with big eyes (ive seen knit patterns for those) or a rectangular-bottom one. I’m on my phone or I’d post a pic. Can’t wait to see what you come up with!
I’m impressed. You’ve really raised the bar with that.
So this time around, it’s asserted Apple has told component factories that they have to deliver in low-volume from June. Though simplification is continually in Apple’s interest, I think this can be associated to a impending expansion of the Ipad line. The preliminary response was perplexity, as well as speculation that explains why Apple made this change.
ben 2/A gidiyodum sınıfımda en çok sevdiğim arkadaşlarım ecem ege can seda melek egecan senin bilgisayarın var eyer bu yorumu görürsen arkadaşlarıma slm söyle şimdi
Keep these articles coming as they’ve opened many new doors for me.
Hi Sean, I’ve watched some of your relationship videos and I really did get a lot out of them. I hope you have time to leave some of your ideas on the blog.
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commento n. 16:beh pare che stavolta tra me e Miguel vi sia stata una convergenza parallela nel rispondere a partitod’azione. capita talvolta di avere reazioni speculari tra avversari @p commento n.17:i bordighisti!!??? per forza sono pochi, se han preso da Bordiga passeranno il giorno a bocciare
Thank you for you’re advice.I didn’t actually have a cage for her until a few days ago, once I got it I locked her in it for 2 days solid and now when she does come out she seems to go back in it for the toilet-so far so good she’s still not always using her litter tray but at least she’s using her cage
Though I don’t have adult children, I do enjoy the freedom I have as a stay-at-home wife. It’s very freeing to schedule your days to your needs and rhythms. It’s a blessing that I wouldn’t want to trade for the world! The photo of you and your granddaughter is very precious and cute.
I love this picture of you looking in the mirror. I see His Light on your face. When we look to the one true mirror…Him…we will see ourselves how He sees us. Dear Heavenly Father thank you for creating Elaine in your awesome image. May she know all of who she is found in You and You alone-Amen
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If you’re reading this, you’re all set, pardner!
Wonderful issues altogether, you just won a emblem new reader. What may you recommend in regards to your post that you made a few days in the past? Any positive?
Grazi for making it nice and EZ.
Felt so hopeless looking for answers to my questions…until now.
Yeah. I suspect it’s because sometimes the villain has a bigger story arc, whereas the hero starts in one place and ends in the same place, only with more rewards.I thought this was true of the otherwise admirable cartoon series Avatar: The Last Airbender: likable as Aang was, it was really Zuko’s story.
Review by BOING! for Rating: The case looks smart and was so easy to fit to the i-pod & it feels great. The i-pod can also be sat on the docking station without the case causing a problem & so doesn’t need removing everytime you dock the i-pod. 1st class piece of kit and an absolute must.
Great job guys!!1 i am so very proud of you. You have come along way in such a short time. Please come down and try out for the oneinpg of Jerry’s new Charreada. I know it would work out well! Whatever you decide JOB well done, Debs
DÃky za dobrý vÄ›cný rozbor, který má ovÅ¡em jednu zásadnà chybu: ÄŒeÅ¡i se nerozhodujà racionálnÄ›. Takže kargo kult referenÄnà sociálnà skupiny bohatých a úspěšných v kombinaci se Å¡ermovánÃm straÅ¡idlem komunismus zase vykonajà svoje :-((
Best way to apply is to saturate a piece of cotton with the softener and then peel off thin sheets and apply to your face. Sort of like a sheet mask. Remove after 5/10 mins and moisturise.Shiseido does a brilliant 5-ply facial cotton that’s specifically designed for that use…
Atienes toda la razon a las personas le gusta leer poco, pero no hay que olvidar que ver en una vitrina el libro de una es una alegria infinita, yo siempre tuve pena de hacerlo a los setenta años me atrevi, ahora tengo publicado 4 libros me siento dichosa, creo que mis libros me pedian a gritos que los dejara salir de mi cabeza y algunos ya escritos de mi escritorio. saludo Anna Perfetto
Steve Hi Tomaz,I love your videos and articles. My coach has been telling me not to use myarm while serving but I should rotate my shoulder and let the hand follow.Your video showed an easier way to practice it in 4 steps. That is why Ithink you are a great coach. Your previous video about accepting themistakes was also very educational.Practicing forehand and backhand by first holding the racket with both handsin front and just pushing the ball to get used to the racket movement andfeel was extremely useful for me.Best regards,Steve
Les sud-coréens ont une architecture qu’on pourrait qualifiée d’insolite de chez nous, parking électrique de voitures « empilés », lits capsules dans les hôtels… c’est leur choix et que le leur…
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flatly, “I don’t think the White House has the ability to tell us what to do.” This is from the CNN piece. Because of statements like this, B.O. is obliged to veto the bill otherwise no amount of legislative viagra will allow him to stand up to the congressional Dems and they will roll him like a basketball down a steep hill.
Te salutant ! Allons bon ! petit stooge parlait déjà à la 3eme pers. du sing. et voilà que ron ron parle à la 3ème pers. du plur. Ce que c’est que de se dédoubler et de se redoubler !
بارك الله ÙÂيك يا استاذ مØÂمود…للأس٠آذانا الجهال كثيرا بعنصريتهم, كما خذلنا الكثير بسكوتهم و عدم ردهم. و المشكلة أن أمثال هؤالاء يجدون من يدلس عليهم و يبرر لهم بطريقة غير مباشرة ما يتقيؤنه … لكن عند الله تجتمع الخصومتØÂياتي و اØÂترامي لك
I have not checked in here for a while because I thought it was getting boring, but the last few posts are good quality so I guess I’ll add you back to my everyday bloglist. You deserve it my friend
Touchdown! That’s a really cool way of putting it!
wow, as if you don’t have enough on your plate, you start another exciting venture. checked out etc. and think you’re going to have lots of fun. need a new printer to play with all those cool printables. i think maybe i could get one for Christmas.love your cards. thanks
I think I'd post house rules — like hang up the wet towels and suits, no drinking from the milk jug, and get sunburned at your own risk (I'm not supplying solarcaine or aloe).
Hmm is anyone else encountering problems with the pictures on this blog loading? I’m trying to find out if its a problem on my end or if it’s the blog. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
noch mal hallo,ich habs geschafft, nur mit dem falschen namen, aber nun gut. “gr” in der galerie ist von mir.das nächste weiß ich bescheid.liebe grüßeclaudia
Ralph:Allen writes:“Narcissistic psycopaths will always be with us, it seems. And, anybody who consoles themselves with the thought that there is a god who gives a damn is ignorant or blind to history.” A flawed concept. We were plainly warned. Not only were we told of deceivers and blindness, we have the plain account of Jesus himself in Matthew 24:23. Even assuming there was never a Jesus to say it, it still re mains a logically true statement. Therefore, if we were suckered by so meone’s false representation of the Bible, it was because we didn’t read and think about it for ourselves.
beste Mieneke,Ik heb jouw boek gekocht en meteen gelezen. Toch fijn al die mensen hier t die hebben meegewerkt.Daarnaast geeft het boek al aan dat iedereen wel iets bijzonders heeft en dat is nu knap uitgelicht. Ik heb hiervan genoten en ben wel trots op de mooie mensen uit de Ronde Venen.vriendelijke groet, Marleen.
Always refreshing to hear a rational answer.
You’ve managed a first class post
Wendy..you rule!!Sorry for startling/temporarily blinding Norm with the light from my camera..And both..sorry and you’re welcome for filming Sean and his theme song for Wendy. *makes faces at Sean*