There are many ways to approach a design project. No matter how you get there, the merits of your solution boil down to what I call design tactics.
What are design tactics?
Each design is a patchwork of fundamental elements that work with and against each other to form a compelling experience.
For example, when picking colors for a web page you might decide between a multi-color or mono-color approach. Each option is a solution to the design problem "what colors should I use". These decisions represent design tactics because they each solve the same problem but with different results.
There are tactics to every design problem. And as you repeat the same tactics over and over the viewer picks up on the pattern. The pattern of tactics used in a design forms a style, a voice, an identity, a reputation, and ultimately a brand. Each seemingly small decision builds upon the next until a new design and experience is created.
How do design tactics impact our creative work?
Before deciding how to approach a design problem (which tactic to use) I ask, "will this reveal more or less of the story I want to tell". The question might seem obvious, but asking it over and over builds awareness that there are thousands of opportunities to add personality and taste; it surfaces triviality. Which is important because decisions that seem trivial only feel that way because you haven't their impact on your story.
Creative work isn't the encapsulation of a single, raw idea. It's an ecosystem of many ideas working together.
To make your next creative investment more resonant and compelling consider asking if it will reveal more or less of the story you want to tell.
