Invisible


Jared Spool once told us,

“Good design, when it’s done well, becomes invisible. It’s only when it’s done poorly that we notice it.”

Just like the sound guy goes unnoticed till a mic doesn’t work or feedback screams out of the speakers, a good designer’s work goes unnoticed (except by other designers), precisely because she’s so good.

Young designers mistakenly try to draw attention to their clever designs and ideas, sacrificing clarity as a result.

Maybe the most important trait of a designer is humility. Because, as Harry Truman said,

“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”