14 Principles Of Good Design For Humans

Created by Damián Di Patrizio | https://www.behance.net/gallery/99554283/Duoma

The idea of design that is good for humans was just a concept. However, as people start to understand that design with feeling is more appealing and touching, the sense of humanistic principles comes to the surface. But what is it? What makes huge principles for a good design? One of the answers is how the result can address the core needs of the audience. 

In this case, the audience should be those that experience the problem. It means to create a human-centered work that captures people's hearts. But, when you want to make a good design for humans, you have to pay attention to certain elements or principles. Yes, some principles help you craft a good project that hits the right person. 

The Principles to make A Good Design That Is Specifically Made For Humans. 

1. Simplicity Is The Key 

There are many cases when designers or creators are simply doing too much. In these principles, one should pay attention to whether the trend of less is more or simplistic. But, it does not mean you should eliminate some of the necessary details in work. So, the point of simplicity is to capture the main focus, goal, or solution and make it a good design. 

One of the best examples is the user interface. You can find that a UI project should have everything, including copy, details, graphics, or branding. But, it does not mean the good one should make everything just as it is. The best way to reach humans in many levels of knowledge is by making it simple, in which even a beginner human can understand it in ten seconds. 

One mindset that makes this good design for human principles spot on is that it is not only what it looks like. Sometimes, you should consider how it works. So, the best way to appeal to humans and make it more meaningful is by using a simple approach. You can strip all of the superfluous content and only focus on the main point of focus. So, the principles will hit the right audience.  

Created by Markhor Studio | https://www.behance.net/gallery/136175169/Bowen-Skincare

2. Strange

There are times that humans are simply weird, strange, and hardly make sense. That is why many design principles that can appeal to humans, in general, might look strange. You can see many abstract pictures or weird songs. Being strange can turn into one a good design idea that you might never have. 

The idea of good in strange principles can be shown in asymmetrical aspects of nature and real life. You can see that every finger does not have an equal length. Imagine if they are equal, you will have difficulty grabbing items. If you look further into the world, many strange things turn into a fascination. And you can do the same with your good design for humans. 

The point of creating something strange, unique, and sometimes weird is not far from triggering people's curiosity. There are times that you can find paintings that portray humans from a unique point of view, such as drawing monkeys that act like monkeys. The idea of these strange good principles is not far from creating a distinctive art that attracts humans. 

Created by Omar. Aqil | https://www.behance.net/gallery/115792843/Self-Portraits-2050

3. Has The Sense Of Suggestive 

One of many good principles you will need for design is suggestive. One thing that you can pinpoint or highlight is the fact that you want to make something that people can understand. Even if it is strange or appears weirdly, have you ever seen a blank white canvas that sold for thousands of dollars? That is a strange design that somehow makes a suggestive meaning. 

How can it get so expensive? One of the reasons is the suggestive point or principles that make people construct meaning for the display. A blank canvas can mean emptiness, eternality, or some unique human out there might suggest an idea that the drawing has disappeared. How about a picture that shows the galaxy? 

The big circle in the middle is the sun. The smaller circles that go around the center are the planets. But some people can also suggest a good image as an electron, atomic emission to a unique eye design. It is also worth saying that suggestive work is more engaging. That is why it is a good design for humans principles.  

Created by Renan Lobo | https://www.behance.net/gallery/105715315/Gradient-Circles

4. Takes Practice And Time 

Why is designer work more expensive? At some point, it can be priced up to thousands of dollars just for a single handbag. One of the reasons is that the good bag also has principles focusing on human use. Working on a design is not as easy as sketching or splatting colors on a canvas. You need to resolve the idea and principles before making it. 

Where do you think the idea of color splash came from? The first person that found it might have to think more than you ever imagine. Why do you think the Monalisa painting is so expensive? Because Leonardo Da Vinci put his life and mind into making her look good and timeless. So, a good design always takes time and practice.

That is why you should never doubt how hard it is to develop brilliant work. It is especially true if you are dealing with humans. Why so? Because a lenient, boring picture or something that simply solves the problem does not always move your audience's heart. That is why good design for humans principles will always take more effort. 

Created by Marterium | https://www.behance.net/gallery/100996117/The-Joy-of-3D-18

5. But Look Easy 

The previous point highlights the principle that design is hard, indeed. But, the good work might also look easy. Can you imagine and see how many talented individuals on the internet share their work? They make a good painting, work, picture, edit, or anything like an easy task. They don't need to think or take their time. 

But is that true? No, it is not. These principles point out that humans are pretty easily fascinated with results. But, they might omit or not understand the process. That is where you find that a good designer will make something hard look easy and amazing. It appeals to humans in general, including those that are knowledgeable about the product or not. 

In the programming world and graphic design, you will find that what you see will not tell much about the building process. The smart logo design of KAI or Kereta Api Indonesia looks like a simplistic train. But, to create one, the designer needs to practice a lot. Starting from creating ideas, sketching, finalizing, and many more. So, good design principles will appear easy. 

Created by Cuberto | https://www.behance.net/gallery/96757753/Sleepiest

6. Add A Touch Of Fun 

The next part of the principles goes along with the idea of strangeness. Slightly funny or fun touches in your design make humans feel absorbed or engaged. Design is a medium that helps people to make suggestions, interact, and pour their creativity. But, a good design for humans can make people amused in many ways. 

Yes, ideating and creating is not easy. It is especially true since not many people might not fetch your joke. But the principles can appear in many good facets. From a simple easter egg on a website, a quirky copy on the loading page, or simply humor on your picture. Again, humans love something unexpected. So, adding a touch of fun will help you get good attention. 

Created by Liza Burlutskaya | https://www.behance.net/gallery/142417917/TAKE-EAT

7. Taking Symmetry Inside 

There are many cases where people are attracted to something that looks symmetrical. You can take the ideas as one of the good design principles for humans. In this case, symmetry comes in many means, models, or possibilities. From the product shape, model, drawing, layout, position, and many more. 

One of the best design models that perfectly adopt symmetry principles is Eiffel Tower. The tower model captures symmetry in engineering and math perfectly. Thus, creating proof of how a balanced design creates a striking picture in it. It works in many ways, which make a good design for humans practice, such as in the picture, painting, or UI and UX.

Created by Muxxi | https://www.behance.net/gallery/7478229/We-are-magical

8. Daring 

Being daring means a design that makes people or the audience think further of your good work. At some point, it also means that your work will make such a strong statement. It can be something that is caught attention without being made sense or weird. Or else you can also make a design that challenges the reader or viewer to think about your idea. 

Surprisingly, there are many ways to implement these design principles. Starting from the statement, work, idea to the implication or even your suggestive message in work. Sometimes, the way you make daring designs for humans comes from your phrase to attention-grabbing article. The point is that daring will make people get engaged, interested, and look forward. 

So, a good design is not only answering some questions or looking good. Sometimes, being daring makes people feel more interested in your work. It is a great way to make people come and eventually look further at what you have. The principles themselves work in many media, including UX, UI, or even a book cover project. 

Created by Gilles Warmoes | https://www.behance.net/gallery/104450083/Infinite-Square-Live-connected

9. Solve The Proper Problem 

One of the reasons why you need to make a design is to solve a specific problem. In these principles, a human will need to find answers in the form of design. You got many examples for the work. You can start with UI or UX for games and banking. The project will take different turns and details due to the dissimilar audience or even the goal. 

But, how can you make the best design? One thing is for sure; you will find the real brand design and ideas through many elements. You can start with the color, graphics, copy, language, and many more. It also applies in many human product work and projects. You can find a good example of a four stove burner. 

Putting a dial in a row can help save space. But is it a good design for humans? No, it is not yet perfect. Putting a row only makes some unfortunate people that do not know which dial or knob will match which burner. So, to solve that confusion, the product comes with four dials that have the same arrangement as the burner. The principles help optimize the product. 

Created by Alexandr Sokolov | https://www.behance.net/gallery/130838231/Real-Estate-Platform-UIUX-Concept

10. Can Resemble Nature 

Nature might be strange, weird, and does not make sense, but many designs go back to nature as its source. The principles take note that nature is the best or good engineering enlightenment and ideas for work. And at some point, it always works. If you don't believe it, take a look at how an airplane resembles a bird's flight. 

The shape, the engineering, and the basic design make it work for humans. It also means that nature is a good guide for your work. For painting, you can see sun rays or sunlight shine in the morning and look different during the dusk. The color blend, natural rays, and hues make it one of the best examples of how a good design will attract people. 

There are also many more ideas out there. Technology and transportation, in particular, take a huge reference to animals. Helicopters make good use of dragonfly aerodynamics shapes. The boats that come with ribs and spines take a great number of designs from the animal's rib cage. Those ideas for humans, and you can do the same for much arts-related work.  

Created by Aykut Aydoğdu | https://www.behance.net/gallery/124383635/2018-2020

11. Come In Portions

Have you ever wondered why a big designer name can fail in their work? One of the reasons goes to the fact that humans have a limited attention span. There are times that even a great artisan might lose their muse in work due to a lack of motivation, burnout, or lose interest. So, many people consider that a good design for humans will always come in portions. 

In other words, artisans can create a lot of work when they are in a zone. But, they might also take a lot of time to develop a good one. It also means that their works might come in one particular chunk, including several plans in a specific period. So, this limited creative time can be those principles and reasons to take a break for better results. 

Created by Jeff Aphisit | https://www.behance.net/gallery/134784579/Jeff-Aphisit-NFT-project

12. Timeless 

Appealing to people and making people use something does not mean anything if it just lasts for a second. When you are looking for principles that lead you to make a more humanistic work, pay attention to the timeless aspect. In other words, try to develop something that will stay long, flexible, adaptable, and appeal to people even in the next 100 years. 

When trying to make sense of these particular principles, you don't need to start with something complicated. Take a look at how the wooden spoon in the 16th century still works even in modern days. People and modern humans still use them as a utensil to scoop food and eat. The same principles also come in different models, including smaller spoons to shovel. 

The principles can apply to many good designs for humans. If you are doing a UX for application, the timeless idea can appear as icon models. The like button, comment, share, delete, send, and others have a similar shape. That is one of the great human works that still takes place even for years. 

Created by Alan love | https://www.behance.net/gallery/114658005/Nordic-Vacation-App

13. People Can Copy 

Being timeless does not mean you can be the only one that uses it. The UX button and icons are the right examples of how a good design can appear in many others' work. You can see how the same ideas appear in the range of application, OS, or website displays. But, the principles also pertain to many more aspects and fields. 

The best point of these principles is not simply copying ideas. However, the pinpoint is on how certain works can provide learning materials for humans in the future. The true form of the arts is not only limited to one person. But, people can learn a good example, adopt it, improve, and help people get the best out of it.

Created by VASK | https://www.behance.net/gallery/138352549/Harone

14. Redesign-able (Flexible)

Related to copy, a design that can fit with humans also means flexible and redesign-able. People tend to enjoy something that can last longer, which is timeless. Thus, a renewable work will help create a sense of relatable and longing. It also helps people remember the same aspect of your project. So, your work will stay in their mind.  

That is why these last principles of good design for humans should be on your list. The best way to underline and make sure you make it is by developing a project that can comprehend many changes in the future. It can be a slight alteration in the color, shapes, or any part. Doing so will make your work hit people's interest as well as make it memorable. 

Created by Graphéine | https://www.behance.net/gallery/141024827/France-Universits-Brand-design

Conclusion

By using these principles, you can make a design that fits a human's way of thinking. Of course, the practice can be different. It is especially true since a good design is not simply a work that sells the most. Sometimes, one needs to make something unexpected, unique, or even random to nail the principles given in this article.