Barbershop Design Principles

If you ever want to watch a designer sweat, simply ask the question ‘what is good design?’ If they’re any good, you’ll witness something like a teenager who just got caught breaking curfew. The truth is that we designers have a hard time explaining what we do, let alone how we know when we’ve done it well.

I’ve been trying figure out good design for ten years and I’ve fallen for every trap along the way. I’ve searched for silver bullets in the form of ‘one process to rule them all.’ I’ve played monkey see monkey do, blindly accepting advice without taking the time to understand it. At times, I’ve found it easier to ignore the question altogether, fire up Photoshop, and hope for the best.

What’s finally motivated me to commit to a principled approach to design is the realization that as our team grows and we take on more ambitious work, alignment is crucial. Just a couple years ago, when there were only four of us, we’d sit around a big table, sketch ideas, compare notes, and figure things out. Today, we’ve tripled in size and we can’t always be as direct. We all touch design and we need an approach that works, even when we’re not in the same room.

When I set to the task of drafting our first set of design principles, I started with a few goals in mind:

• Our principles must be universal.
• These should be standards, not steps.
• Clarity and practicality are essential.

Principles

Solve Problems

Go beyond functional solutions — consider how a piece of design makes someone feel. Things we use affect our well-being and aesthetics matter as much as technical concerns.

Start with Familiar

Design is successful when it puts a twist on what’s tried and true. Analogies make products feel intuitive and familiarity makes new things approachable, while novelty is exciting and personality is endearing.

Respect the Audience

Design is for people, but rarely for the people designing it. Even the best solutions can fall short if they disregard the audience they’re intended to serve.

Stay Focused

The best design focuses on the essential needs and desires that a product fulfills, while discarding anything unnecessary or distracting.

Build a Foundation

Design doesn’t end. Products grow and evolve, and design should set a foundation for the future without restricting it the past.

Mind the Details

Details matter and are best addressed early and often. Attention to detail makes a product feel cohesive and helps streamline production.

These principles are an ongoing project and by no means finished. As our team and our clients’ products continue to grow and evolve, we’re sure that new challenges and new opportunities for improvement will arise. We’re looking forward to putting these ideas to the test and continuing to iterate and improve them.