I often find myself being asked, Do you like this? What do you think of this? Both by my fellow designers, admirers of design and clients (clients not so much, hopefully we have done our job correctly and guided them through so they simply love our work).
So what does make a truly good design? Is it the unquestionable talent of the creator to provide something that looks beautiful, that delivers the intended message and helps market a product or brand? Or perhaps it is the ability of the design agency to create something on time and within budget. Afterall, more often than not this is what the client is aching for; some of the biggest brands we have worked for have had the tightest of deadlines with the smallest of budgets...
In my mind it is the perfect mix of both. Design is not about compromise, it is about understanding the parameters in which we need to create. It's about making sure the both we the design agency and our client is happy with the creation, it's ensuring that our design holds impact and clarity so the message is clear and unhindered. Design is about communication, both before, during and as an end result of the process.