One’s personal aesthetic sense is the essence of all design. It manifests itself in all of one’s creative projects. The format or device may have an influence—sometimes to an overpowering extent—but they will never be stronger than (or serve as a substitute for) one’s personal sense of design. The way one’s sense of design expresses itself is through a combination of color, typeface, and layout. Without this sense, a designer is nothing more than a software specialist.
So where does one get a “sense of design”.
One acquires a sense of design both from within one’s mind and from the world around them. In a way, I’m always responding to the designs of the world around me, because there are so many opportunities to do so throughout the day. There’s so much design out there. In advertisements, TV shows, packing materials; there’s stuff coming into your head all of the time. Don’t dismiss these things. In fact, try to learn from them.
It’s also useful to study daring art (new and old) to find inspiration. I’ve often found pencilled drawings and installation art to be inspiring. It’s worth going outside the field of contemporary design to find new avenues of expression. The way they can reflect in your own work might surprise even you.
So let’s explore the world of design in ways that haven’t been before, without limits or borders. Crossing our self-imposed boundaries is the first step on a path to a beautiful world.