Design is a Balance

People think design is mostly art. You make things look pretty, you pick the right colors and fonts. But it’s mostly not that. Good design is the right balance between something that is functional, usable, and enjoyable. Being a good designer means knowing how to answer the tough questions that try to mess up your balance.

Know your audience. Sometimes the people you present to are not the users.

Know how to sort out “the signal from the noise”. It’s good to value sweating the small details, but you have to know when it’s worth doing something.

Know how to trust your designer instinct. And those who aren’t designers but manage them need to learn to trust their designers.