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Good Design is Invisible: Understanding Design’s Impact

February 17, 2020

John Hawley

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Branding

Good Design is Invisible

This article was updated on 03/13/2024

One of the most memorable Steve Jobs quotes that exemplifies the idea of invisible design.

So why is it that good design is invisible? Despite that, there’s an ever-present lack of awareness on the design’s impact on businesses. Design is frequently seen as something that’s either too expensive or easy enough to be done in-house by a non-designer. The digital tools of the twentieth century have provided a false sense of design ability. Behemoth companies with huge budgets like Coca Cola spend about 4 billion dollars on design per year.  One billion of that sum is spent in the United States. So, if all the corporate giants are in on the secret — why doesn't it seem as valuable to everyone else?

“Most people make the mistake of thinking design is what it looks like. People think it’s this veneer — that the designers are handed this box and told, ‘Make it look good!’ That’s not what we think design is. It’s not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”

— Steve Jobs

Thoughtful design is necessary for a business to grow to the next level.

So why is it that good design is invisible? Despite that, there’s an ever-present lack of awareness on the design’s impact on businesses. Design is frequently seen as something that’s either too expensive or easy enough to be done in-house by a non-designer. The digital tools of the twentieth century have provided a false sense of design ability. Behemoth companies with huge budgets like Coca Cola spend about 4 billion dollars on design per year.  One billion of that sum is spent in the United States. So, if all the corporate giants are in on the secret — why doesn’t it seem as valuable to everyone else?

Invisible in design

If you’re involved in the creative industry, you’ve probably heard of the phrase “good design is invisible.”  If it doesn’t ring familiar, no worries, we’ll explain. It means that when something is well-designed, you don’t notice it’s there and how easy it is to use. Take a look at the user interface of a smartphone as an example. Because we use it on a daily basis, we fail to appreciate its well-designed simplicity. Brilliant, uncluttered, and user-friendly.

“Good design, when it’s done well, becomes invisible. It’s only when it’s done poorly that we notice it”Jarod Spool

So why is it that good design is invisible? Despite that, there’s an ever-present lack of awareness on the design’s impact on businesses. Design is frequently seen as something that’s either too expensive or easy enough to be done in-house by a non-designer. The digital tools of the twentieth century have provided a false sense of design ability. Behemoth companies with huge budgets like Coca Cola spend about 4 billion dollars on design per year.  One billion of that sum is spent in the United States. So, if all the corporate giants are in on the secret — why doesn't it seem as valuable to everyone else?
An example of a smartphone interface: Something that we often forget is how simple it is to use these devices, which is by design. Often, we refer to ease of use as UX or User Experience.

Good design should be easy to understand.

The saying refers to two things: the experience of interacting with a design and the process of designing it. Let’s take websites as an example; users will take notice if the design is disjointed or if the navigation is confusing. This will leave someone with a bad experience which will lead them to bounce and find a website that has a design that’s easy to visualize so they can quickly conceptualize what they are looking at.

The messaging, graphics, and navigation are all in sync. While some might think a good layout looks easy to make, as a designer, I can tell you it takes many iterations for all of the stars to align.

Another factor to consider is functionality in the user experience. Using the website as an example, when was the last time you were on a website that took a long time to load or appear? We live in a hyperreality, and we need websites to load quickly; otherwise, it is poor UX and, by implication, poor design.

A good design process strikes the perfect balance between aesthetics and functionality. Good design is intended to be simple for the end-user to understand and interact with. Because people mostly interact with the end product, it’s hard to understand the complexities of what goes into a good design.

Simple design is easy to understand but hard to come up with.

Consider the font on highway signs (or the typeface if you’re a stickler for terminology). Now imagine if every single sign was designed using Papyrus, as shown in the mockup below.

So why is it that good design is invisible? Despite that, there’s an ever-present lack of awareness on the design’s impact on businesses. Design is frequently seen as something that’s either too expensive or easy enough to be done in-house by a non-designer. The digital tools of the twentieth century have provided a false sense of design ability. Behemoth companies with huge budgets like Coca Cola spend about 4 billion dollars on design per year.  One billion of that sum is spent in the United States. So, if all the corporate giants are in on the secret — why doesn't it seem as valuable to everyone else?

Obviously, this would be not very good for legibility when driving at 60 miles per hour. Its thin, distressed letterforms do no justice for reading at a distance or while moving at fast speeds.

You probably can see the font regularly used in your mind’s eye. The signs are clean and comfortable to read.

This is precisely what they are designed to do. The United States Federal Highway Administration developed all the signs you see on the roads, and the font is called Highway Gothic. Since it was first released in 1948, it has gone through years of edits and updates backed up by research. Each letter and number was meticulously designed and tested for maximum readability at high speeds and distances. Good design is invisible through years of tweaking.

Simply put, the goal wasn’t to make something purely visually beautiful; it was about something that would enhance our overall quality of life and safety. Good design doesn’t necessarily mean a work of art. Sometimes it is just delivering a good user experience using sound design principles.  

So why is it that good design is invisible? Despite that, there’s an ever-present lack of awareness on the design’s impact on businesses. Design is frequently seen as something that’s either too expensive or easy enough to be done in-house by a non-designer. The digital tools of the twentieth century have provided a false sense of design ability. Behemoth companies with huge budgets like Coca Cola spend about 4 billion dollars on design per year.  One billion of that sum is spent in the United States. So, if all the corporate giants are in on the secret — why doesn't it seem as valuable to everyone else?

Design with Excellence. 

So why is it that good design is invisible? Despite that, there’s an ever-present lack of awareness on the design’s impact on businesses. Design is frequently seen as something that’s either too expensive or easy enough to be done in-house by a non-designer. The digital tools of the twentieth century have provided a false sense of design ability. Behemoth companies with huge budgets like Coca Cola spend about 4 billion dollars on design per year.  One billion of that sum is spent in the United States. So, if all the corporate giants are in on the secret — why doesn't it seem as valuable to everyone else?

Like any other field of expertise, experience and talent matter. That’s why we rely on plumbers to help us out when things when things go south. We leave that to the experts because they know what they’re doing. But fundamentally, designers are no different.

Businesses should think of good designs like plumbing. You have to have it!

Design touches most aspects of a business — from branding to web design and beyond. When a creative agency works with a business to establish a brand identity there is an extensive amount of research that goes into the entire process. We do everything from a deep dive into our client’s company and culture to competitor analysis. And that’s before the pencil hits the paper. Remember our Highway Gothic example? 

Design should be intuitive.

Google had 92.18% market share in June 2023 (Statista), making its search engine interface an excellent example of invisible design. The design consists of a logo, search bar, and “Google Search” and “I’m Feeling Lucky” buttons. This sparse style follows the Law of Prägnanz, which argues that humans simplify complex or ambiguous images.

The basic style, few customization choices, and intuitive element arrangement let users focus on searching. Users’ search experiences will be more targeted, efficient, and satisfying.

Having good design gives you a proven competitive edge. For instance, Stanford studies show that 75% of consumers will judge a company’s credibility based on its website’s design. 

You can read more here if you’re interested in what makes a good website.

Businesses that invest in design thrive.

Every company should care about the details, regardless of whether their customers do. Businesses that understand the importance of good design will always be ahead of the competition that doesn’t. Making a lasting impression is crucial since there is a short window to capture someone’s attention.

Furthermore, this is always supplemented with brand consistency identity. Another function of any design process is consistency. Consistency relates to familiarity.

Half-hearted measures and incoherent design assets for business can make your brand unrelatable. Therefore, it’s essential to take a holistic approach. Also, it lets your audience know you care about what you are presenting to them.

The main takeaway is that the saying “good design is invisible” is certainly fine regarding user experience. However, designs may be as over-the-top or covert as the consumer desires, depending on their needs.

Gaining your client’s trust and confidence is extremely valuable. Feel free to get in touch with us if you have any questions about the design process. It’s what we love to do.

Author

John Hawley
John is the lead designer at Mighty Fine and has been crafting visual solutions for clients for over a decade. Hailing previously from Boston, John graduated from Northeastern University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design. Outside of work, he enjoys drawing, writing music, and playing video games.

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