All design follows a set of rules (grids, golden ratios, balance, etc.) and every good designer knows how to keep them and when to break them. What amazes me about design though is that one can follow all of the rules exactly and still have a mediocre design. These designs pass and they get all of us through those moments of designer block and impending deadlines, but we know they’re not great. There’s something living in a great design, something that makes the rules fade away. I don’t know exactly what to call this. Creativity? Inspiration? Talent? Luck?
I often feel like the rules are an exercise that gets me there, while occasionally I nail it the first time. More often than not I have to work through all of my bad ideas before I have a great one. Still, I love the process. I love working through a design problem.
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