What Makes A Design Good?

Before we show design comps to a client, we have an internal comp review where various team members can voice their opinions on the quality of work the designer has delivered. This is a chance for everyone to get their thoughts heard. Our process allows us to catch any bad design ideas before we show them to the client.

One design comp can generate six different opinions. Responses range from "too dark" to "too light" to "what do you know" to "you aren’t supposed to even be in this meeting" to "get out of my office." Just kidding, it's usually not that dramatic and exciting, but opinions do vary widely.

So, what makes a good design? Who knows? There are features that definitely make a design bad, but good is really just an opinion. Some bad design elements that drive me crazy are long Flash intros (short ones are terrible, too), music (is it ever good music?), multiple page elements moving around and begging for attention, flashing text, body copy that is in all caps, and horizontal scrolling.

Websites Recommended for Design Inspiration

Web Crème – Clean layout, nice color palette, and great examples.

Design Meltdown – One of my favorite websites. I’ve been going there for years. It looks like they have a brand new design for 2010.

I Love Typography – Great for all things font related.

JPG Magazine – For photographic inspiration.

There are also many Flickr groups that showcase great design. They cover such diverse topics as Vintage Illustration, Colors, Ad Design, Pop Art, Poster Design, and many more.

These resources are helpful in defining a clearer vision in the beginning stages of your design process. It's usually easier to finish strong when you start strong.