The most critical tool in design—and in any creative work—is taste.
Not in the precious, elite sense of the word. I mean your personal preferences. Your eye. Your gut reaction. What you think is beautiful, interesting, ugly, or off.
In a world of copycat content and algorithm-shaped aesthetics, taste is what sets you apart.
It’s also what people hire you for if you are a designer.
Not because you have all the “right” answers, but because you have a point of view. You have opinions. Opinions = Authority. And that’s the starting point for every good decision.
I’ve seen it over and over: the designers who stand out are the ones who’ve developed strong taste. You do not need to please everyone with your preferences.
Not just the ones with technical skills or fancy software or a stack of mood boards.
The ones who can look at a space and say “this feels wrong,” or “this needs more contrast” or “this reminds me of a hotel I stayed in once in Memphis”
Those instincts come from time, attention, and repetition.
you can practice taste
You build taste by observing closely. You walk past a building with ivy climbing up the front and stop. Why did that move you? Was it the color? The wildness? The texture against the concrete?
You’re in a restaurant and love the vibe. Great.
But what’s actually happening? What’s the lighting doing? What are the table shapes? What's the color palette? What’s framed and what’s left open?
Kachori Indian Restaurant - London, designed by Fare Inc.
It’s about going from “I want that” to “How did they do that?”
From reaction → analysis → your taste bank.
Pinterest is fine - BUT - that is where the world goes right now to get ideas.
Be careful not to get everything there.
Books, magazines and of course the greatest teacher of all: an intentional urban walk are what you should be after.
How are you moving through your day?
The house you slow down to look at. The tile in a random public restroom. The jacket color of someone at the coffee shop. The shape of air vents in a car dash. A fork.
Artefacto Cutlery Set
Design is everywhere. Your job is to start seeing it.
Take pictures. Save notes. Build your internal reference library.
Over time, this becomes your palette. Your toolbox. Your signature taste.
a few things I saw this week
Wild about this simple, elegant Italian kitchen and gorgeous 18th-century triptych via Milieu Magazine.
Thanks a ton for reading, whether this is your first or 92nd time. I sincerely appreciate you. Please let me know if there is something you would like me to write about.
