Design Principles

The process of making a website for me requires a lot of balance. I think all of life requires a large amount of balance and because of this it might be my favorite principle of design. I see the essentialness of it so much. It has been tempting for me to become overwhelmed by all the things I don’t know about making a website and to simply give up on making it into what I want it to be. On the other hand, however, it has also been difficult not to have too grand of plans and take on more than is necessary or possible in the creation of my website. There is a need for balance in the creation of anything and the process of creating a website has really been bringing that into perspective for me. 

For the designer, balance is key in everything. A designer wants to create something original, but also everything that they design is based off of and built onto centuries of past designer’s work. Pushing past tradition and habit are good attributes of the designer; they cannot allow themselves to become accustomed to anything really. However, an appreciation for past designs and an ability to realize when something does not need to be improved upon are also good attributes of the designer. They must find a balance between innovation and contentment. The designer must push themselves to see what they are looking at in a new light, either to realize how it can be made better or realize how it is already contributing to making things better. Just like balance is a principle of design, it is also a principle of the designer and more generally just a principle of life. 

In Tony Fadell’s Ted talk ‘The First Secret of Great Design,’ something that caught my attention throughout was his desire for things to be the best and most efficient that they can be. He does not let things rest as “good enough,” but pushes himself to go back to the drawing board when something isn’t right, and keep fixing problems. He wants people to be happy with the product more than he desires to make money or be successful. I think that this is an important attribute of the designer, that they do not allow themselves to be compromised by thoughts of power or greed, but always strive to make the best product they can make for the person using it. You could also tell that he had a great admiration for past designers, like his boss Steve Jobs, who have brought innovation to where it is today. Past designers inspire his work so that he can build off of their contributions.

All of the principles of design that are used for a product can also be used to describe a designer or design team. The product after all comes from the person or team of persons, so you can see a reflection of these people in their work and vice versa. In a team of designers, for instance, there must be a vast variety of perspectives because the product is going to be used by a variety of people. Within this variety, however, there must be a unity in the designers in order that the work is cohesive and can be accomplished. As well as unity and variety, hierarchy is seen in designers. Different people are placed on different parts of the hierarchy pyramid based on their differing talents, but all contribute to the whole. These principles can also be seen within the individual designer in the way that they form and develop ideas. These three are just a few examples of how all the principles of design can also be seen in the designer. 

Just as the principles of design are a part of the designer, the product is a part of the designer as well. Because of this, when I know and like someone who is a designer or hear good things about a certain designer or company I am more apt to buy or highly value their product.The good designer cannot help but weave themselves into their product and if they have good values then this increases the value of their product. My favorite instagrammer recently created a webpage for herself (https://www.shutthekaleup.com) and even in its infancy you can see pieces of her and her ideals inside of it. When you first arrive you are welcomed in with the words “Welcome to my home.” This refers to her webpage home, but it also refers to her real home. Home is very important to her and this is immediately evident right when you arrive at her new website. When I see this honest reflection of a person into their work I respect the product more. To me this honest reflection is refreshing and makes me trust the product more. The designer is not seeking to hide who they are and put on a fake show in order to make you like the product more. I greatly value honesty in people and I greatly value it in design. 

Even though there are general definitions of the principles of design, everyone interprets them a little differently because of who they are. How they choose to format and design their product is unique to their personality and ideas because when they themselves were designed and created they were created completely unique and different. Our ability to design is one way that we reflect the image of God. He himself is the ultimate designer who designed us and the entire universe! You can see the various principles of design in everything that he has created and it is the everlasting job of the human designer to learn from his work. There is design in everything and so the principles of design are not only important for the commercial designer, but for everyone. 

Researching the principles of design for the creation of my website has shown me that the principles of design are useful in so many aspects of life. They not only teach you how to make an appealing and unified website for your audience, but also how to create in a way that is honest and reflective of what you truly value. The different facets of design are endless and unique in both the eye of the beholder and creator. That is what is so amazing about design. There are so many possibilities within it. It’s important to learn about the general and well known principles of design, but then it is also important to add to each of them your own spin of creativity and innovation. Take the time to research what these principles are and then let them inspire your ideas.