ISSUE 19
Dear Students,
There are four words I've heard more times than I can count during design critiques:
“But I like it.”
Maybe we're talking about a typeface.
A color.
An image.
A layout.
I'll ask why they made that particular design choice, and eventually we get to:
“I don't know. I just like it.”
Here's the thing.
You absolutely can like it.
But you're not the audience.
That's one of the biggest shifts you have to make when you're learning to think like a designer.
Personal Preference Is Not a Design Strategy
When you're creating something for yourself, your personal taste drives the decisions.
But when you're designing for someone else, the question isn't simply:
Do I like this?
The better question is:
Does this work for the people I'm trying to reach?
You might love a certain typeface.
But is it appropriate for the message?
You might personally hate orange.
But what if orange makes perfect sense for the brand?
You might think a photograph is beautiful.
But does it connect with the audience?
You might want to make everything clean, minimal, and sophisticated.
But what if you're designing a birthday invitation for a six-year-old?
Your personal taste will influence your work. That's inevitable.
But it can't be the only reason behind your decisions.
Start With Who It's For
One of the first things I want to know when I look at a student's project is:
Who is this for?
Because the answer changes everything.
The typography.
The color.
The imagery.
The tone.
The hierarchy.
Even how much information you include.
A poster designed for incoming college freshmen should probably feel different from an annual report for a financial institution.
A package designed for children should probably look different from one designed for luxury skincare.
Neither approach is automatically better.
They're simply designed for different people.
That's the job.
You Can Like It and Still Change It
This can be a difficult lesson.
Sometimes you create something you really love.
Then you step back, look at the audience and the problem you're supposed to be solving, and realize:
It's not working.
That doesn't mean it was a bad idea.
It doesn't mean you're a bad designer.
And it doesn't mean you can't save that idea for something else.
It just means it isn't the right solution for this particular problem.
Professional designers have to learn how to separate:
“I like this.”
from
“This works.”
Sometimes those two things line up beautifully.
Sometimes they don't.
And when they don't, the audience wins.
Design Decisions Need a Reason
This is why I ask students to explain their choices.
Not because I expect some elaborate design-theory answer for every decision.
I want you to get into the habit of knowing why you chose something.
Why this typeface?
Why this image?
Why this color?
Why is this information larger?
Why did you organize the page this way?
“I like it” tells me what you prefer.
“I chose it because...” tells me you're thinking like a designer.
Final Thoughts
You don't have to remove yourself from your work.
Your personality, experiences, taste, and point of view are part of what makes you a designer.
But design isn't only about expressing yourself.
It's about communicating with someone else.
So, the next time you catch yourself saying:
“But I like it...”
Stop for a second.
Ask yourself:
Who is this for?
What am I trying to communicate?
Does this choice help me do that?
Because anyone can choose what they like.
A designer learns how to choose what works.
In design truth,
Maggie
