Daniel Mall: Design by Comfort
When I first started learning how to design, I often compared my work to that of those I admired, and justly felt lacking about my own skills. I frequently asked myself, “Why doesn’t my work look that good?” Even now, as the title of designer graces my business card, this inferiority complex hasn’t completely dissipated, but I have found a few tricks to quell it.
The most successful one? Design by comfort.
What does that mean? It means that you have to be realistic about what you can and can’t do. There are some things that you are going to be better at, things that you’ll have a natural affinity towards. And that’s great. It is in this fruitful imbalance that your work can accentuate itself.
Don’t be afraid to use what you know. In fact, overuse what you know. Recycle solutions that have worked for you. Wheels come in many shapes, colors, and sizes, but all of them, at a fundamental level, are still wheels. There’s no need to reinv… well, you already know where I was going with that.
