Everything has a design, from microscopic organisms in nature to an advert in Times Square. The best place to find good design is in nature, where organisms have evolved over thousands of years to best suit the environment they inhabit, which is why designers often find inspiration in nature. A great example of a good design is the cactus:

• The body of the cactus swells with water to store it for longer.
• The spines are perfect for surviving in hot temperatures as they conserve water more than leaves and also protect the plant against predators.

While we recognise these features make the cactus an example of good design, we don’t necessarily understand these as design principles. To understand whether something is designed well, here is a list of some important principles that good design should adhere to:

Pragmatic

How easily can the design be used in real life? Will the style of the infographic suit the message it is trying to convey and the audience it is aimed at?

Innovative

Innovative design often works in tandem with innovative technology. Currently designers are teaming up with scientists to explore inventions that could sanitise spaces using a new kind of UV light,  safe for human use.

 

Aesthetic

How often do we want to buy something because of the way it looks? Brochures and packaging are designed to appeal to lifestyle aspirations, encouraging us to purchase products that can make us feel closer to reaching our dreams.

Intuitive

Design should be self-explanatory and therefore easy to use. The cliché of unintuitive design is the Norman door. How many times have we pulled instead of pushed?

Compared to these handles – we don’t need to read the instructions to know what to do.

 

Unobtrusive

Design should not seek attention above the message but should be restrained. The Times New Roman typeface commonly used in publications allows the eye to glide over the words, making for easier reading.

Honest

This includes avoiding generic and intangible marketing or “design theatre” terms such as “customer friendly” or “easy to install”. Honest can also mean that a product doesn’t try to overachieve.

How many buttons and settings does this washing machine have? Confusing the user increases the chances of choosing a wrong setting.  

Culturally competent

Does the design have the same effect across different cultures? The “devil horns” sign, associated with heavy-metal fans, has an obscener meaning in some European and South American countries.

Beautifully simplistic

The new Renault badge is a great example of minimalism and simplicity with just two parallel lines conveying a constant cycle of energy.

Sustainable

What resources and materials does the design use? Coca Cola have recently designed a new bottle made out of paper. Other ways designs can be sustainable include: using renewable energy, designed with a long-life span (especially if it must be made of plastic), designed to be re-used, and so on.

Cohesive

Does a design work alongside others, and how well does it complement them? This is an important concept from app design to city planning. A redesign of one part of a city will need to work with the other parts.