How to design better?
A collection of ideas on the design process and creating great designs
How to design better?
“In design, be logical, search for truth, be clear.”
― Massimo Vignelli
― Massimo Vignelli
How we think about design · Resend
While I was making Sparkle’s website, I realized that this working definition of “quality” wasn’t enough in this new context. A magical experience would show, not tell. It would give you the sense of living in the future and seeing the future happen before your eyes. It required something the people at Every have written a lot about: It required ta... See more
Matter
YES! YES! YES!
This isn’t limited to film, or art. Design is also editing; The editing is not limited merely to the object itself, but also the processes involved, the pipelines and workflows to build that object, the supply chain to make sure the object , the presentation, how to sell?
Every decision is a bet. To increase your odds of winning, place bets where you have an unfair advantage. Whether it’s your expertise, network, resources, or a unique insight, leveraging these advantages can make all the difference. When starting my agency, I had years of agency experience, a good reputation, and an existing steady stream of client... See more
Dan Mall • Dan Mall’s 10 Principles for a Worthy Design Career | Figma Blog
Rule #2: Place bets on unfair advantage
Many want to be chefs but aren’t willing to be line cooks first. It’s not glamorous work, but it builds design muscles, muscles that you’ll need in order to get better and advance to the next step.
Dan Mall • “Stealing Your Way to Original Designs,” an article by Dan Mall
Grid system design should begin with a constraint. Something that is knowable and unchangeable. This constraint is used to build the modules of your grid. In book design, that constraint is defined by the page through subdivision. Book designers take the page, divide it up into a modular grid of spaces. These spaces (called modules) are then combin... See more
A Richer Canvas - Mark Boulton
Content out
at an institution, you can’t just do what is best, you also have to build trust and coordinate with others so you are on the same page. This, however, doesn’t mean that you should abdicate your judgment and get in line.
I like the approach Sholto Douglas expressed in his interview with Dwarkesh Patel:
I like the approach Sholto Douglas expressed in his interview with Dwarkesh Patel:
If I’m trying to write some code and something is... See more
Henrik Karlsson • 6 lessons I learned working at an art gallery
One of the biggest hurdles to working is how boring it is, but there’s a lot of value in doing manual and mundane work. It’s rote, but embracing the mundane is more than just getting work done; it’s about being the solution rather than finding one.
Dan Mall • Dan Mall’s 10 Principles for a Worthy Design Career | Figma Blog
Rule #6: Embrace the mundane