The paradox of good design

Good design is somehow invisible, which is most likely the main reason why it is so often dismissed as unimportant or easy to do. There is a quiet paradox in all this: one of the most valuable qualities of good design, its unobtrusiveness, also makes it harder to notice and appreciate.

Bad design, on the other hand, creates friction and therefore demands attention. We tend to notice what gets in our way far more than what works seamlessly. If you want to become a good designer, it helps to accept a certain level of humility and the likelihood that your best work may go largely unnoticed. Because in many cases, the best design is the one people barely see at all.

📚 Inspired by The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman