Collect good design. Look at it closely

You need to see good design before you can make it. Look for good design. When you find it take a screenshot or photo. Put it in a place you can find.

Look in this place when you don’t know how to design something. It’s fine if you borrow another designer’s approach. They didn’t invent it. They borrowed it from someone else. This is called inspiration.

Don’t rely on inspiration alone. You should look closely at the good design. Why is it good? When you do this your brain gathers materials. It spots patterns easily. You will recognise themes in the good design.

Look at a lot of good design. Soak your brain in it. You will prepare yourself for the future. When you have a design problem your brain will offer solutions. You won’t know where some of them came from. It’s because you soaked your brain in good design before.

You’ll become more and more familiar with the patterns of good design. You will learn which parts help the design. And which parts hurt the design. Then you can use the good parts. And avoid the bad parts.

By observing great examples of design with your own eyes, attempting to duplicate them with your own hand, you will feel, see, and eventually understand the invisible lines behind a great product at a deeper and deeper level. Some of these lines are more obvious, while others may be so delicate that the very designer that drew them might not consciously realize exactly why and how they happened.

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