Here Are The 7 Things Great Designers Do Differently

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The demand for high-class designers is rising year after year. According to General Assembly, the most promising career in the year 2020 will be graphic design. But since the demand is high, there are more people studying to get into the field. Great designers will always rise above the competition. They excel in many fields such as retail, technology, finance, health, business, and sports. They excel in problem-solving since they create unique offline and online experiences that give users what they need. So, what exactly do great designers do?

They write good microscopy

Have you ever used an app or a website and felt lost because the program was too confusing? What about filling in an online form whose details were not clear? All this confusion arises when designers commit bad microscopy.  Joshua Porter says microscopy is a minute tool but very powerful. It could be a phrase, a few words, or a short sentence that has a huge impact on your work. Don’t judge by size, but look at how effectively it works. If microscopy is ambiguous, it is hard for the user to resonate with the message you’re trying to convey. Users love human and conversational voices. Great designers have understood the core process in design is writing interface microscopy. It is as important as user research, virtual design, and prototyping. A renowned designer will not let the user wear themselves out being confused on a website.

Great designers learn and break rules

They think more than outside the box. Since technology is changing rapidly, they know how to redefine the space, because users will always have different needs. They learn the ground rules inside out before embarking on breaking them. It is because it is hard, risky, and costly to reinvent the wheel. It is important for a designer to understand the needs of users and their experiences so they can deviate from the design rules where possible. It is necessary to know the rules, the purpose of their invention, and the consequences of breaking them. Great designers will always innovate. When they break the rules, they do not leave users on their own. They come up with fresh ideas to help users overcome any challenge they may be having. Design trends are born out of the implementation of the fresh ideas.

Stealing is the norm of great designers

You might have a hard time agreeing with this statement.. You'll be surprised to know, that Pablo Picasso, one of the most renowned and influential artists, said that great artists steal while good artists copy. Designers are not known to reinvent the wheel, but they work hard to ensure the concept they ‘steal’ appears original. If you aim to be a great designer, you must learn how to advance someone’s ideas and make them your own. It is a great survival tactic in the design industry.

Designers declutter in a ruthless manner

Hans Hofmann said the ability to simplify is to remove anything unnecessary to ensure the necessary works. In interface design, some of the things that are deemed unnecessary are too much text, visual noise, over-animated objects, and anything else that obscures the necessary elements. Designers understand this, and they use various ideas to redesign the original object so that clutter disappears. If you want to declutter, start with content. Minimalism does not merely mean the use of a white background.  Users do not like noise since it delays them. They only want to know what your company/brand does, how it can benefit them, and if they can enjoy said benefits immediately. Any unnecessary information should get buried in fancy images, fluffy and unnecessary features, and users will find it fun to explore the site.

Great designers know that speed is important

It is enjoyable to visit fantastic websites since they are mobile-friendly, have flawless forms, are aesthetically pleasing, and have captivating imagery. Users derive great experiences from such websites. But as laudable as the features are, if the website does not load within 3 seconds, it is almost useless. The speed of website is imperative. Any fast loading website has higher conversions, higher rankings in search engines, give valuable engagements, and better user experience. Great designers know that perceived performance and loading times matter, even though the developer takes part of the other half. According to a Kissmetrics study, a delay of 1% leads to 7% loss in conversion. It is advisable for a designer to work together with a developer to understand how users are engaging with them on the website, and which mobile apps or web pages are slow in loading. Excess features or images may cause a delay in loading.

Great designers are good in empathy

They are not cold or uncaring people. They are very possessive about their work. They not only put themselves in the shoes of users, but they become users of the apps they’re developing. They analyze any trends users form, and the behavior of various people. In this way, they empathize with users. It is what makes great designers natural problem solvers, and they manage to develop apps or solutions that are unique and relevant.

Great designers compete

While many designers love taking inspiration from design sources, arts, counterparts, and a variety of resources, they challenge each other anytime they discuss a given design. They refer to their design wits and tricks to create a better interface for themselves. They make sure their strengths work for them. For instance, in the case of fancy sports mobile app, they like taking risks in various color themes. If they are working on a healthcare application, they ensure their creative urge gets controlled so that users can resonate with a simpler, cleaner creation.

Great designers never settle like robots – they use logic

Most renowned designers don’t work like robots. They do not just take instructions. They will always ask for an explanation for anything they are required to do. Their stubbornness enables them to build designs that have high utility. They are always inquiring about utility, productivity, design, and other issues. It makes their applications develop in a thoughtful manner that appeases users.

Great designers focus on meaningful designs

Every detail of the work of a great designer has meaning. They build applications that can be used by anyone. They focus on the critical role ahead, avoiding any distraction that could deny them a chance to attract many users. Designers care about meaningful designs and ignore any complicated details that could be loathsome to users.

They don’t follow designs trends blindly

Great designers appreciate that design trends always change - but they do not rush to adopt any old update in their field without being sure. It sets them apart from other designers who just agree to use trends blindly. Great designers develop their work from scratch, and any new trends will not make them change what they had anticipated making from the start. They are concerned with the quality of their own work, and not new trends.

Great designers are easy to distinguish from average ones. Details in application design bring out the distinction among various designers. Design is a process that involves many people and various inputs. A designer who designs with an ego may not meet the expectations of users. If you aspire to be a great designer, draw upon credible data for your inspiration.

Do you have design stories to tell? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

投稿済み 7 9月, 2017

TomCoulter

Designer // Writer // Creative

Tom is a Design Correspondent for Freelancer.com. He is currently based in Melbourne and spends most of his non-work moments trying to find the best coffee.

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