Beautiful design is so compelling that I would argue that we (humans) would not exist today without it. Guess what else? I’m not even going to elaborate on that statement in this blog. I’ll make another one about that when I feel good and ready. 

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In the meantime, let me hand it over to one of my designers to tell you why he thinks “pretty design” doesn’t work or at best is overrated. - Cliff Skelliter

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In my short period of time working at the best design agency in the universe (looking for brownie points from my boss), I think pretty design is useless. Why do I say this? Because most of the “pretty design” out there in the world was not carefully considered and crafted to serve the real purpose of what design is designed to do. 

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What is design designed to do?

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In my humble opinion good design (vs pretty design) serves people. Good design has intention, “pretty design” is nothing more than a showcase of the designers technical skillset. 

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You, just like me, have seen so many cool logos, illustrations, and graphics every day eye-catching work that looks amazing. But here’s what I’ve come to believe: If design only looks good but doesn’t solve a problem, it’s not really design. It’s decoration. 

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As a Graphic Designer at Sky Story Creative, I believe our real job isn’t just creating “pretty visuals.” It’s asking: 

• What problem does my client actually need solved? 
• Will this design make sense to their audience? 
• Does this help communicate better or just look nice? 

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I’ve seen it happen often: a client asks for a simple illustration, but a designer creates a super-colorful, complex piece that they love… and the audience? It doesn’t connect. 

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Good design balances aesthetics + function. It looks good, yes (sometimes no) but more importantly, it works. 

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That’s the difference between a “pretty design” and good design.

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Or maybe I’m full of it and “pretty design” is the real MVP. I’ll let you decide.

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