How to distinguish bad design from good design
This article collects observations about bad and good design. They apply to everything from logos and websites to urban elements. We tell you how to evaluate someone else's design and what to think about before creating your own. Theory There is a saying that good design is beautiful design. Sounds logical, but it's a little more complicated. Beauty is a relative concept. In 1785, such a dress was considered beautiful: And in 2022 - this: If we imagine that a fashion designer flew to people from the 18th century in a time machine and showed a dress from 2022, no one would like the design of this dress. For the 18th century, this thing is too strange, there is nowhere to put it on, it looks out of place at all events. Because of this, no one would simply see her beauty. Good design is practical, not aesthetic. It has three characteristics: • context; • contrast; • content. Context Without context, it is impossible to understand whether a design is good or bad, whether it works o