What makes a good design?

This week we have been considering what makes a good design? In particular what are the aspects of web development that result in an intuitive and memorable user experience. The exact definition of good design is hard to pinpoint and their are various fluctuating ideas on what constitutes a good design. It is perhaps easier to consider what good design is not. The following link below explores this in detail:

http://www.webpagesthatsuck.com/

It is important to remember that design can create as many problems as it solves. When we are taking about design in this sense we are really talking about user interfaces. Jenifer Tidwell's book 'Designing Interfaces' suggests that many designers attempt to reinvent the wheel instead of using established solutions and building upon them. Resources such as patterns (general) and techniques (specific) can help to achieve designs based on a strong foundation. Adhering to resources such as style guides, user analysis, and coding standards will help ensure that designs remain relevant, usable, and perhaps most important of all 'useful'.

Check out the following link to see Smashing Magazine's 10 principles of effective web design:

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/01/31/10-principles-of-effective-web-design/