To Conclude...
Many months ago, I was tasked with answering the question ‘What is great design?’ through a series of blog posts.
Throughout 20 weeks, I have presented many different products, techniques and ideas which could be considered great in their own right (or conversely; the opposite), and as such, I have been able to compile a list of my own 20 rules of design based on each week’s topics:
1. Great design is unexpected
2. Great design is environmentally friendly
3. Great design takes inspiration from nature
4. Great design focuses on the user
5. Great design is immersive
6. Great design has a clear process
7. Great design is timeless
8. Great design is invisible
9. Great design is simple
10. Great design reaches a wide audience
11. Great design is fun
12. Great design reinvents itself
13. Great design is humble
14. Great design transcends culture
15. Great design tells a story
16. Great design has great beauty
17. Great design is recognisable
18. Great design evolves over time
19. Great design couples with engineering
20. Great design is for everyone
Naturally, not every design is able to tick off every single one of these rules and nor do I expect them to. I just believe these points are a good start when developing a new design, and if you can follow even just one of them, then you are on your way to greatness. Last week, I discussed The Monobloc Chair, a design which perhaps generates more discussion about cultural design than industrial. I believe this is fundamentally key to what one considers ‘great design’ - every single person will have their own thoughts and ideas on what makes or breaks a design, and these thoughts will be linked to a person’s own cultural upbringing, identity and values. And so, it through this I leave you with the all-encompassing and perhaps vague answer to the initial question:
‘Great design is whatever you believe it to be’
Personally, it is the last point of my 20 rules of design which I believe to be one of the most important aspects, and a feature which I am very passionate about – inclusivity. So while I leave this blog behind me, I invite you to go over to my second blog which focuses more on designing for everyone, and how designers can use this philosophy to prevent exclusion.