To my designer friends, this could be a nice quick and basic refresher! And for the folks not traditionally trained to see like a designer does, this will benefit you greatly as well!

Design matters, and it's important for individuals not in the field to have a steady understanding of what makes something (objectively) good.

14 Ways to think like a designer

A great PowerPoint presentation gets the point across allowing the design to build upon the main point - not pull away from it. Below are 3 points that make for a great PowerPoint Presentation

1. Embrace constraints

How can you I solve with the time, money, and resources available to me? Learn to view limitations not as annoyances as welcome editors that force you to think creatively.

2. Practice restraint

The things you believe are crucial in design are only crucial to you. The genius is often in what you omit!

3. Know when to stop

This can only be answered by you. Why? Because you are the closest one to the problem. Resist the urge to pile on more "just in case".

4. Adopt the beginners mind

It is ok if the answer does not make itself aware immediately. Take risks and view the world like a child does without preconceived notions of what can and cant be done. Be open minded! Ambiguity early in the process is normal, expected and where the discoveries are made.

5. Check your ego at the door

It's not about you. It's about your audience, customer, patient, student, etc. They are the ones who matter here. So, put yourself in their shoes! Do this and you can understand the problem in a dare I say easier fashion.

6. Focus on the experience of the design

Good tip here is to revert back to tip 4. It's a brand new scenario so you want to revert back to being a beginner here and see what it would feel like being introduced to this design with a fresh pair of eyes. Much of the design has an emotional component too it, so do a gut check and see how it feels!

7. Become a master storyteller

The story of the design is a big component here and where a lot of the emotion stems from. Illustrating the solutions both verbally and visually to send people on a short journey through your decision making.

8. Think communication – not decoration

"Simplicity means the achievement of maximum effect with minimum means" - Dr. Koichi Kawana. Anything that distracts from your intended message is considered noise. Design is about making things clear.

9. Obsess about ideas – not tools

The best ideas tend to be the most free; meaning going old school and grabbing some pen and paper and sketching them out! The great ideas start in your mind, not on the screen!

10. Clarify your intention

Many times, the audience/the end user will just assume the design works. The ease-of-use is not by accident! It, believe it or not is a result of careful choices and decision including your deliberate choices about what to include and what to exclude.

A side note here: this is actually why many designers feel under-appreciated in their field. Because the subtle decisions are not noticed, (which is a good thing in design!), clients think that designs can just be "thrown together" or "drawn up real quick on a napkin". You can read more on what good design is in one of our previous blog posts!

11. Sharpen your vision and curiosity, and learn from the lessons around you

12. Simplify as much as you can – but no more.

If you can do it with less, then do it with less. It's about subtracting the obvious and adding the meaningful.

13. Utilize empty space

Empty space, also known as white space, is a designers best friend! It makes the important things stand out! It can direct eyes and establishes priority on items in your piece.

14. Learn all the "rules" and know when and why to break them.

This is a tricky one! At times, its ok to break these rules as long as you know why you're doing it! It can be to make a statement, show something in particular, make your audience do a double take etc...Once you have the basics down, your "creative eyes" will begin to shift, allowing your mind to see possible outcomes you were unable to before!

Until next time!

Blessings and blue skies,

Alexander Frank