A Reason for Everything
A good designer must have a reason for everything. Every detail is the result of a decision, made consciously or unconsciously. The designer should document decisions for any issues that were deliberated over or contested. He must also recognize the subconscious decisions and understand the reasoning behind them when asked to explain. If a client ever receives an unsatisfactory answer, such as “I don’t know,” or “I just thought it looked better,” they have carte blanche to overturn any decision the designer has made.
When evaluating one’s own work, a designer should continually ask herself why. Why did she use that color? Why did she place a particular element in that exact spot? Why is it that specific size? Perhaps these were intuitive decisions, but there was still a reason behind them. Understanding those reasons will make a designer more confident in communicating the solution to others, leading to more trust from clients and other collaborators.
There is a reason for everything. If you don’t have a reason, you haven’t given enough thought to your design.
