Seems simple enough but these few words strung together have a much deeper meaning.
“Good Design” was a term coined by mid-century designers to describe their work. Good Design was carefully crafted to solve specific problems, inherently beautiful, responsibly used materials, and timeless. More than the axiom of “form follows function”, it was more a school of thought that form and function went together hand-in-hand.
So, is good design a good idea? Absolutely. Whether a chair, a logo, a book, a presentation, a building, or virtually anything manmade, for all the time, energy, and money invested in producing artefacts, they should be recognized, accepted, used, performed well, and last.
As a designer, this is what you should strive to attain. As a client, this is what you want.
But there’s more to this simple phrase.
At its core, a good design is the expression of a good idea. Aesthetics are necessary, but only a solid concept can drive a form to fulfill its intended purpose. Design without an idea baked into it is merely decorating.
As a designer, this is what you should strive to attain. As a client, this is what you want.