The Secret To "Great" Design Is Simpler Than You Think

[@johnhubler5905]

As a long-time instructor of traditional martial arts, I have observed that the differences between bad & good are oftentimes glaring, while the differences between good & great are nuanced. I feel that it is the same with design. The design that implements terrible font choices, low-quality images, or has no clear symmetry or alignment... they are easy to point out as bad. Fortunately, those are also easier to correct. To go from good to great however, you have to be obsessive about the details. Meticulous alignment. Clear hierarchy. Lots of minuscule decisions, that when added together are noticeably better, but perhaps more difficult for non-designers to articulate why.

[@BanishedByNightmares]

Correct!

[@carliquinn713]

Well said

[@tauqueer007]

Exactly!

[@FIGured_Out7]

Exactly

[@MarynaChichkova]

Interesting thought. Thanks for sharing it )

[@agustinarrarte7952]

Chris, you and you whole team deserve a youtube award. Every single video is game changer for all of us, freelancers and entrepeneurs. glad that Im on the right way to achieve every goal I got. I Wont stop til earn as much money, to afford one of your amazing face to face courses.

[@Lysergicme]

+1

[@adefolarinade]

🎉

[@thefutur]

Thank you 😊. Come say hi when we are in town.

[@karimalaouiismaili2616]

same here

[@itsMaxTrejo]

Thank you Chris! Your video sort of let some anxiety in me out. I do agree, as a 24 year old, I have a st*pd false narrative that I'm a failure because I'm not exactly doing as amazing as others, and this is due to social media. However, your video made realize "hey man, chill out, focus on producing great work for your clients, and one step at a time is good for right now." Sometimes i just feel we're all chasing the next contract, the next dollar, the next thing. That can be really fun until it's not. Some days one can feel super motivated to go into the world and cold call leads. Some others are filled with anxiety and doubt, and its videos like these that help so much to provide some perspective and truly make an impact in a person's life. I know it helped me a ton, even though it was only 7 min. Specially being in the same niche, there's a great level of relatability. Thanks Chris and the Futur team for all you do!

[@Joe_Bandit]

My only definition of good design is that it achieves the purpose of employing design - communicates something, sells something, etc. The amount of contrast/whatever other design attributes are only good or bad as far as they contribute to the success of the goal.

[@jeffpunz5337]

I found this channel in early 2017 and Chris helped me so much with motivation, development and inspiration as a new and hungry full-time freelance designer living in a foreign country at the time. I arrived back home to Toronto in 2018 and landed a design job and life happened / I slowly stopped watching youtube design content all together and eventually got burnout and almost left my career as a designer all together. Now, in 2024, I've been back designing from home full-time the last 3 years and have been feeling disconnected/out of touch with the design world, and now seeking inspo. I'm so glad to find your videos again, these new ones, revisiting old ones, and they still hold up, and they still inspire/motivate me (maybe even more now that I've got more life experience). All to say, Chris and the FUTUR team, I appreciate what you do and thank you for putting real, meaningful stuff out to us. Forever a FUTUR fan.

[@hollowedboi5937]

Client sayin’ “make it magical.” I’m glad I learned now to keep asking questions beyond their frustration because I did that too late in the game; I made a bunch of “magical” with motifs of disney, harry potter, that guy that drowns himself, not knowing a lick of what she meant.

[@abrarSalehS]

The answer came to me very unexpectedly . I opened the video expecting a typical set of vague points kind of answer but he answered really beautifully. Definitely will save this for occasional reminder whenever I feel stuck or have doubts about my creative process

[@MoreCreativeGFX]

You're making a significant contribution to the growth of budding graphic designers.

[@lookslikeoldai1647]

Paul Rand has a nice set of 'aesthetics' rules. You can create your own in an afternoon, really helped me to look at designs in a different and more objective way. The more important aspect is clear and open communication with the client. If you want to be a visual communicator this should really be imprinted into your bones and into your skull, really understanding what somebody else wants is hard.

[@kourantulagaming]

What a great video. I'm not even a designer.. I'm just trying to create a logo for my LLC trademark and I feel like there are just so many bits of wisdom from this simply articulated 7 minute video. Just a brilliant mind/excellent teacher.

[@yt-sh]

"just focus on being good, coz it's freaking hard to be good" 👏👏👏

[@sniitzel]

You really stepped up the KZbin education game! I have my first ever student I need to supervise soon and give advice to, so this helps me tons! Also for my own design process of course, because one tends to have tunnel vision and ignores the big picture. Thanks 😊

[@thefutur]

Thank you

[@MdHumaunKabiruxuidesigner]

Chris, I love what you said. I can relate to it in my situation.

[@RolandMillington]

I think it's interesting that we jumped to the "what's" of design structure when defining bad-good-great design when oftentimes we should start at the "why" of why we design in the first place. Essentially, we design to communicate effectively to a specific group. All the rest is just a call (tool, strategy, etc.) elicited for a response. Design seeks to communicate first and foremost; good design communicates more effectively than bad design, but not nearly as much as great design. Touched on at the end of the video is the easiest way to work towards a great design. Ask ALL the questions until the client *communicates* a clear response.

[@drakanstudio]

Well, it's a somewhat elusive question. First of all, the way Chris does it is by reaching a consensus on what is considered good, bad, and excellent. This simply boils down to the type of people who determine the metrics or checkboxes that need to be reviewed in order for a design to be considered good. Personally, I think a good designer is someone who gives the client exactly what they ask for. An excellent designer is someone who not only gives the client exactly what they ask for but goes above and beyond that. On the other hand, a bad designer is one who, according to their own clientele, fails to solve the problem they were hired for. Now, the girl asking the question is interested in knowing how to distinguish a good designer from a bad one so that she can excel in the game. I say it's important to assess one's own level by comparing oneself to others, but ultimately, when it comes to creative matters, it's very difficult to determine who is better than the other. There are people who are very good at selling bad work, and there are people who do excellent work but don't know how to sell it.

[@hey_benjamin]

For experience design, I often introduce to clients, that bad design drags on the objective you the user of the experience is trying to achieve. Good design removes friction to that objective, to the point where it can give you a boost or even feel second nature. From that foundation, you can move up the layers of abstraction, into the technical details or into the objectives, requirements and context that this experience exists and operates in. If you've even laughed at a joke on a Netflix show, you've experienced something that has many layers and levels of operation between your laughter and how it was manifested. All of them need to run in harmony, which broadly means that each part runs without drowning out or taking too much from the other parts. That runs from the script writer all the way through to the payment system and the device maker you're interacting on. But it's the same for a piece of music played on a piano. We as creators and designers can measure all of that and project into the future, something that hasn't existed yet or something that is not as it is now. From works of art to the cheap oil you put in your lawnmower, which is what design itself is.

[@Koyasi78]

Questions. Ask questions. Just asking questions separates you from competition because so many rely in assumption. Great stuff as always.

[@niranjanp65]

I like the becoming a good teacher type of content. It helps me think in teacher's perspective or the client's perspective deeply.

[@niranjanp65]

The Futur post content that's ten step ahead other content creators who flashes lambos & yachts. Being good is freaking hard but worth it. This video must have relieved millions from anxiety & depression of not doing more enough. It's all because of these false narratives other 20yr old millionaires, who establish unreasonable goals in young minds. I'm happy to see you Chris being a good role model for our coming generation.

[@thefutur]

Thank you 🙏

[@SGDCTVDUBAI]

A good design, anyone can achieve if they follow design fundamentals as well as inspiring from good designs or designers. A great design requires high level of curiosity, courage, surprise factor (not copying any artist but coming up with an original). Both are a process, take their due time. Be patient, sit and learn with the greatest to be great!

[@Trylifelilbro]

How about analysis, copy, and modifications method?

[@TysonFMolemela]

The pop at 00:00 blew my sub-woofer.. Thank you

[@jonathanhammond5563]

Feeling blessed to have found this in my feed. Gave you a follow and took some notes for tomorrow's interview. This was great breakfast watching before I dive into work! Love the hat!

[@salmanfardeen]

I haven't learned the secret to "Great" design, but I learnt a lot of different things!

[@solie9598]

Yooohh, not yet even finished watching the vid, but me just had the greatest lesson of my life, as a youth in my mid 20's, where we see other fellow youths or even younger, successful! And then get anxious, and look through my achievements so far, and start feeling low, but me just gotten the best advise!

[@oluwadamilolabalogun4357]

The last part is fireeee!!!! In short every bit and second of the video… thanks much❤ Definitely, a re-watch💯

[@thefutur]

Yay! Thank you!

[@chijoyphillip2784]

It has alway been amazing watching your videos and learning from you. I get better every time in the way i think and how i handle my designs. Thank you always

[@thefutur]

Great to hear!

[@ForeverDansky]

Loved this! Really got my brain ticking! 😍

[@noahgeerdink5144]

I would love to know how to ask great questions, not just to clients but also to teachers.

[@RosequartzDivination]

Yes. Good topic.

[@ThisDesignLife]

Noah - how do you think that might help if you asked great questions?

[@RosequartzDivination]

@@ThisDesignLife you would have better understanding of what client wants and needs.

[@ThisDesignLife]

@@RosequartzDivination Excllent. Then what effect would that have?

[@RosequartzDivination]

@@ThisDesignLife are you asking coz u dont know? Or u teaching something?

[@quanghungo8296]

Great video! Thank you!

[@digital_who]

Thanks so much for this. Some of my instructors will tell us to "make it as good as it can be," and I have no idea what that means as a student. I feel afraid to do anything because it might be "wrong." It's very frustrating.

[@vurra]

everytime i watch a video of this guy i feel like im getting smarter some how and im not even a designer but i am into creativity and stuff i love yout way of speaking and overall video style

[@thefutur]

Thank you. Expect a lot more new content from us soon.

[@taymus13]

One of my electronic instructors had a saying that Has rung true in every project I have seen or undertaken. The last 20% takes more time and effort, time then the first 80%. Thats where your fine details are, the troubleshooting, the clean up, and putting everything together. Its the building a model, then painting it. Writing a paper, then fixing your grammar. Literally me writing this comment and then fixing my wording so it makes more sense.

[@hoien14]

Chris, your insight reaches beyond the design realm. As a working Mathematician, I often find it very helpful to identify the problems. Of course, we first define the terms and then parametrize them before working on them in the mathematical sense. That's how I compare our line of work with yours. Not much difference in spirit, isn't it?

[@thefutur]

Sounds the same to me. Thank you

[@TheJagjr4450]

Bad design confuses or is harsh to the eye. I have shot tons of photos of models and going through 20-30 shots very similar, but I show them how your eye is led around by the angles and the negative space AS MUCH as the positive. It is always fun to see someone "get it". They start looking at things differently.

[@contra_hq]

This is 🔥🔥 Always ask tons of questions to know exactly what they want and what they don't know they need but should have 🚀

[@mustaphanail2005]

after I finished the video and saw the time and it's just 7 minutes!! while watching it seems more than 15min because it's full of wisdom

[@thefutur]

Thank you. Editing team on point.

[@shada0]

I'm reminded of the quote from the book, Steal like an artist: There is no good or bad ideas only ideas that you can use in your work. (I'm Paraphrasing) I've gotten away from those concepts of Good or Bad in my art, It's just far more efficient when you don't have to arguing with everyone's unique definitions of Good or Bad.

[@avjebs]

Chris, I really love the way you just keep business as usual and talk about design as if it isn’t over yet and as if artificial intelligence isn’t going to take 90% of our work and then remaining lucky 10% will just become technicians for AI algorithms.

[@thefutur]

I made a video about that

[@jeremiahwaters9089]

Is a video of this full session available anywhere?

[@thefutur]

Not currently

[@sithken]

This is a beautiful insight. Good vs Great. Totally going to read "the obstacle is the way".

[@Ladida386]

I think that the good design is when nothing stands out as too much and there is this flow where everything makes sense.

[@KhaledMoAdel]

I kept writing and deleting cause I don't know how to express how I feel and think about you and your team and what you guys do, i will just keep it simple, you are just great.

[@obrianstudio]

Rest in peace to your Coach Keir McLaren🙏🏾 you’ve always said great things about him🙌🏾

[@sofianealloui]

God Bless You Guys. Sir, Chris, Thanks ♥

[@jaimin.rathod]

If you could put down such 5 points for general "good" design, that'd be significantly helpful. Thank you for the video :)

[@bphet]

I just want to note something that I felt should be recognized. I can't quote this, but Chris teaches about perfection and how we should not strive for that, but to simply start. In this video we see clearly that the audio was dubbed (possibly due to a technical malfunction), but yet Chris does his own voice over to help deliver the impact of the content. Despite the video not being "perfect" it is favored by so many (evidence by the comments below), and still adds value to the original initiative of TheFutur. Just one of those knowledge to application moments that I caught and admired. Aside from that, love this video and the knowledge shared. Cheers ! :) IF, I am totally wrong on this thought. I am okay with being wrong. haha. Apologies!

[@thefutur]

It is not dubbed over

[@antonioarana8002]

is it Dami Lee, that one sit in the back? OMG y love too much her channel. Chris this explanation is exactly what i was looking for, appreciate it.

[@kiddclofilm]

00:36-1:00 Ming Tai hit the nail on the head.

[@muktarajibola4634]

I want to believe that Bad design fails In effective communication to its intended user or client as this is the primary goal of every project. Good design is seamless, intuitive, and has a unique character.

[@witooz]

Great video! That quote from Samuel Holtzman is truly inspirational and gives a good way of looking at teaching. As this is something that I struggle with (not with clients by with the two designers that I lead) could you recommend some books or videos to check out which would help me in this regard? Love your channels guys, keep up the good work!

[@realmeee]

Create your own trend which followed by other makes you a great designer ✨

[@silverjet3d]

Just simple, applicable truths. Love it

[@ragtagboyrebel]

These videos are always so full of insight. Sucks that I'm in India where none of these things work. With people & their jugaadu + chalta hai attitude, things just aren't the same. Wish I could get foreign clients or even better, work in EU or NA.

[@Cyanide157]

Yes I know, they don't understand the importance of design and how it psychologically affects people viewing the designs...

[@tedley70]

Chris echoes Paul Rand when he says "just focus on being good, because it's freaking hard to be good." Rand said "Don’t try to be original, just try to be good." I first heard that in 2009 and thought I understood it at the time, yet it took me another 10+ years to actually let go of the ego that demanded that every design be "industry-redefiningly great." That didn't work, anyway: you've never heard of me!

[@thefutur]

The great paul Rand.

[@alextkacenko]

It's great video. Thank you

[@rjtkoh]

The issue is, in many professions, mastering a humble task isn't always rewarded, in fact, it's almost the opposite. Let's take the start up world of digital product design for example, the mantra of MVP, progress over perfection, fail fast: tends to reign supreme. There's also a lot of people in the world who simply don't have the palette to distinguish quality. It's a tough balance being a designer of when to go all Steve Jobs mode and strive for absolute quality, and when to let go in favour of preserving your own mental health

[@swancoffeehouse5983]

It's like when a client says "Make it pop". Okay, I hear you. What's "It" and what's "Pop"? I need detailed information to ensure I deliver the best work. "Make it pop" has no information whatsoever.

[@federicodonadio5624]

Thanks for this video, I wish more content creators say things like this one's...

[@JoonaSaloCG]

Comments like make it organic and make it epic when it comes from the client is assumptive that the client knows the customer need in the first place. They might be pushing what they like, not necessarily what they need.

[@brandonmanus]

Amazing video! a lot of insight! (note to editor - heavy pop in the beginning of the vid, sounds like an export problem? jus a heads up for future potential headphone blasts lol, but besides that amazing transitions and uses of all the shots!)

[@realmeee]

Great editing great storytelling ✨

[@ericmbt4288]

This is so enlightening!

[@enterpriseux]

Very interesting questions and answers here, about "elegant" design, or contrast being good or bad. Maybe this is, because I'm coming more from the UX Design area, but for me "functional" is always the right metric for good / bad design. If a design works (and this can mean, it't making something usable or it increases the conversion, it reduces a risk of something etc...), which means, it fulfils its purpose, then it's good and things like contrast or elegant or not are no longer that relevant. Would you agree, Chris?

[@thefutur]

Art isn’t functional but shouldn’t be ignored.

[@enterpriseux]

​@@thefutur I agree, but in your video, you talk about DESIGN and not art, or not? :) At least for me, there is a significant difference between art and design and even if indeed sometimes design and art overlap (god thanks), still, for me DESIGN is more about creating something "functional" or serving a purpose or solving a problem. Anyway - very nice and as always, valuable video, so big THX! :)

[@randalhollis5966]

Basic principles of design should lend themselves to function. Typographic hierarchy lends itself to finding information faster. Typographic contrast and scale means legibility. Even decisions that seem purely aesthetic and more vague to define, such as elegance, leads to functions related to desirability. I'd argue that anything you're deeming to be functional likely has a design principle or decision behind it.

[@enterpriseux]

@@randalhollis5966 Depends, how you define function. If you say, the function of a painting is to look nice and create a nice atmosphere in your room, then yes. What I mean in this case is functional in term of usable, like a chair. You can design a chair, that VISUALLY looks awesome, but will break when used or it will not be comfortable, or it will not break and will be super comfortable, but it will be hard to transport etc. For me functional design is design, that makes the usage of something easy and helps me to solve a problem - of course this is only one of many ways, how we can define something functional.

[@randalhollis5966]

@@enterpriseux I generally find that something that functions well, as you define it, is by default "elegant" in a sense. A comfortale chair is the result of elegantly designed proportions and design principles relating to human anatomy, curvature, structure, etc. I would also say that something that is purely functional and not elegant in design can miss the mark of being good, again, in the sense that human nature and desire are attracted to elegance and beauty and it serves and economic function. You ever see a car drive past and say "wow, I want that"? That's an economic function of elegance. Of course the wheels are spinning and the engine is running but you don't necesarily want it for those reasons. This is a philosophical discussion that goes nowhere fast :) but I agree with you that functional equals good, but beauty and elegance also equals good and can play functional roles.

[@theunknownpursuit]

Contrast, Composition, Color, Movement, concept

[@WanaBeKenobi]

Love this clip.

[@anthonyajayi4788]

Thanks for this

[@vivekjagtap5327]

Precision is the key, why precision because it is flexible with your mastery...

[@noeltmng]

Love this! Thank you!❤

[@faizaeva1272]

Hi Chris, I am prior experience in only planning seasonal campaigns. However, I'm not well versed with designing or do freelancing but I want to open my own agency. So far, what I've noticed is that people in your pro group have prior skills in either graphic design, video production or any other artistic skill. Awaiting your kind response to my dilemma.

[@Adios_Ansiedad]

thanks

[@graficto]

Great Video

[@maikymadnesskreation8646]

How can I quickly become a skilled digital nomad graphic designer? I've put my career on hold, but I've seen others with fewer resources succeed. Seeking guidance from those who have achieved this goal. Thanks!

[@rebexperiments]

thank you Chris.

[@thedominatin]

Thank you so much, this is 💎

[@amadeotilll]

if I may ask what exactly is the gauntlet of 5, more precisely what are the 5 things to look at when examining a piece of work

[@t850]

...no matter how "good" design is from graphical and practical point of view, in the end it's the one that satisfies the client the most that prevails. Clients have their own set of (cliché) filters that are often not in tune with the artist so the final solution is always a compromise. Sometimes it works out great, but often times it just falls in the category of "good enough"...:P

[@garyoverman4393]

The risk of insult is the price of clarity. To be clearly understood one must speak the simple, essential truth as plainly as he is able.” - Roy H. Williams

[@LexesOHara]

Does anyone have anymore examples of the 5 pieces that you would use? Trying to understand this technique better, as someone who is absolutely not a designer. 😅 Would they be the same 5 pieces for each design (or fitness infographics for me) or would they change depending on the infographics and subject / theme? This might not even apply at all. I'm trying here. Hahaha.

[@thefutur]

The five things are how you look at an overall problem. For storyboarding it’s this: Clarity Drama Sequence Payoff Transitions

[@CMgraffix]

6:33 WHAT Keir Mclaren PASSED AWAY....!!! I'm so sorry to hear, he's episodes are very good

[@caubevuive_]

that's cool. what's typeface you use in this video ?

[@alfishahrinepatwary7305]

i want to be a graphic design er but i don't know where to start😊

[@the.sixthsense]

I gave it a like before the video even started

[@123gp1833]

How do you price one of a kind handmade products.

[@thefutur]

Depends on your profile. Are you an artist?

[@123gp1833]

@@thefutur yes a fine artist and I see one of a kind items.

[@mingsirakowit3316]

Thank you

[@Jewish5783]

oh wow! lovely video. i really enjoyed and learnt a lot. I also did not know, Chris Do was a Jesus Lover😊. Nice 😄❤🙌

[@stachowi]

This was very good, and i'm not a designer.

[@thefutur]

Thank you

[@macaricheta]

Are we just gonna ignore Chris rocking that dope outfit? No? Just me? ok

[@thefutur]

Haha. Appreciate it. Keen eye

[@PNHassett]

I've been studying Stanford University journals on the creativity of children born of a bipolar parent, or even children that exibit ADHD and bipolar disorder....apparently they like constructs that are not simple nor symmetric. You have to be weary of emotional upheavel though, because that is not the creative force, only your abilty to think in tangents is. People linked to Bipolar Disorder or ADHD are often linked to being the most creative, so this is not an arbituary subject. By the way, I've noted Roland Young speaks in volatile emotional pressure speech, all hallmarks of bipolar disorder. Well, do you study Stanford University journals? Also, if this is all about success, have you noticed the eccentricities of CEOs? How many of them have claimed to be bipolar?

[@thefutur]

I’d like to hear more about your insights into this.

[@PNHassett]

​@@thefutur Do you acknowledge that Art Center use to be more militant then today? That would acknowledge the anger that was pervasive 20 to 40 years ago'. Once you acknowledge that it's difficult to question somebody that is angry, you realize you're dealing with pressure speech. Like they have a monopoly on knowledge and interrupting them would be offensive. Burne Hogarth and Ray Engle use to have that philosophy as well. I think learning is about questioning, not holding back.........keep in mind another trait of BD is grandiosity.

[@MUHAMMEDNUSAIFSULFFI]

Can i start graphic designing as hobby

[@thefutur]

you can do anything as a hobby. it's for joy.

[@MUHAMMEDNUSAIFSULFFI]

@@thefutur can you help me to start

[@tzodearf2596]

What's the rubric?

[@artanddesign8561]

Do you want to find good design? Find good clients, otherwise your job is to serve somebody not yourself… Happy clients equal success.

[@Farahzafarr]

That amazing ❤

[@jaytheunculturist]

You forgot "Make it pop!"

[@thefutur]

haha

[@CasaDeMold]

That ppl don't know their job ai cheaper and faster and better. Yes you still should understand that is good or bad.

[@DiegoCDesigner]

I loved the video ♥

[@adamrook2760]

I love your hat. I've often said "The very first thing God did in the Bible is He ... created."

[@thedesignergamer]

you forgot "make it pop" XD

[@kambria9773]

Would you guys ever be interested in being a guest speaker at graphic design college program? I'm the president of my graphic design club and your info is too good to not share with friends and peers. I'll of course share the link, but I'd love to talk about a virtual speaker event or what not if that's something you guys do! :)

[@sheikhabdullah873]

I love this channel

[@thefutur]

Ty

[@natazer]

A great designer is someone who has exausted every design trick and motif they curated and has to push through empty and uninspiring design ideas to come up with anything that the client likes. Operating with a high degree of pressure and stress has produced diamonds. Embrace that stress.