Space: more or less

Design 101

For various reasons including a great location, I recently moved from a 3,000 sq. ft. condo into an 1100 sq. ft. house. Needless to say, my 2,900 sq. ft. of belongings are a tight fit in my new place. In fact, they don’t fit at all.

After a month of my constant complaining, a coworker pointed out that the problem is really nothing more than an everyday design challenge. And I’m supposed to be good at that. Right?

Right! The solution lies in the basic tenants of good design. So I thought a reminder might help me along:

Function trumps everything

Immediately I identified my needs — sleep, eat, watch TV – you know, the necessities. Every decision should be built upon this foundation. A good design always meets the basic needs.

Stick with a grid

Find the best placement for the essentials. Create a system that looks nice on its own but will look even better as you add elements.

Embellish precisely

Make a few good choices when it comes to adding character. Color, repetition, scale and form are all interesting to play with. But beware of overdoing it. I’m almost always happier in my designs when I’ve practiced restraint.

Editing fiercely then repeat

The art of good editing is an endeavor of its own. All you can do is practice, practice, practice. Eliminate anything that doesn’t fit or complement the overall scheme (no matter how attached you are to that particular item).

Dot the I’s and cross the T’s

Look over what you’ve done and make sure it’s correct. There’s always a niff-naw that can improve it.

I find that design skills can pretty much be applied to anything. My challenge to you: look at something with fresh eyes and have at it.

“Design is the conscious effort
to impose a meaningful order.”

— Victor Papanek