Depending on who you ask good design can have various different meanings. When asked in class a few words we used to describe good design were durable, communicative, and quality. We later went through a PowerPoint that showed us how different companies judge whether they have a good design or not.

When it comes to postmodernist designers they don’t aim to make a product look ‘pretty’ or like anything you have seen before. Their main goal is to make people question what they are seeing and force them to engage with the design. When your main objective in designing is to get a reaction out of people you might as well throw out all usage of the product itself. The objects shown are clearly not convenient for their original purpose, this is an outcome of a postmodernist designer aiming to create something ugly to be able to make you connect with the product and question it. (Victoria and Albert Museum)

postmodern-montage-2.png
(Mirror 80, 2012)

According to Dieter Rams there are ten principles for good design:                                          (The Interaction Design Foundation, 2017)

  1. Good design is innovative: designing something that has never been seen before, bringing something new to the table
  2. Good design makes a product useful: something that can serve a purpose well
  3. Good design is aesthetic: everything concerning the visual aspect of the object be it the details or the fascination it inspires
  4. Good design is durable: nothing that will go out of style
  5. Good design is concerned with the environment: being made out of recyclable materials
  6. Good design helps a product be understood: having a design that clearly shows the purpose of the product
  7. Good design is unobstructive: nothing too loud, an object that gives the viewers room to see it how they want it
  8. Good design is honest: being true to what it can do and avoid false advertisement
  9. Good design is thorough to the last detail: must preform as well as it looks like it can
  10. Good design is as little design as possible: less is more

In the end of the day good design is subjective and based on who you ask.

Reference List:

“Postmodernism – Victoria And Albert Museum”. Vam.ac.uk. Web.

“The Return Of 1980S Postmodern Design”. Mirror80. N.p., 2012. Web.

“Dieter Rams: 10 Timeless Commandments For Good Design”. The Interaction Design Foundation. N.p., 2017. Web.