Creating a clean and simple design may look simpler to do from the outside but inside, there are so many work details to be done which people are not aware of. Here’s something I learned from Addison Duvall about his modified version of Dieter Rams’ golden rules of design.

Here are Duvall’s modified 10 golden rules of design in conclusion:

1. Less, but better. A designer’s goal is to improve the design’s overall effectiveness so even if there seems to be an essential part that makes the design look inelegant, it should not be eliminated but should still be kept and figure it out how it would work well with the rest of the design.
2. Be Neutral. The design created should provide an easy way for viewers to grasp the information and content they’re looking for.
3. Be Honest. Your design needs to show exactly what you’re trying to convey with your viewers. Everything should be suggestive from graphics to every details of your work so your viewers wouldn’t have the wrong idea.
4. Go for Timelessness. Make a design that would have longevity. Follow some basic principles and fundamentals which will work better. However be careful of following trends as there are certain ones which if followed might shorten a design’s lifespan.
5. Less Design. As a designer, your priority will always be the content. You may have a beautifully created, artistically styled design, but in the end, it will always be the content that’s important.
6. Be Thorough. Even with a minimalist design, you need to make sure that all details are in the right place, serving their purpose. Just because a design is simple doesn’t mean you can get messy with your details.
7. Be Conservative. Not in an old-fashioned way that would look so old, but conservative in terms of resources – time, effort, hard drive space, etc. Make initial plans and studies then start producing the design that would reveal little work that went through it.
8. Take Your Time. Focus on your design’s details by taking your time to get it right. As what Duvall emphasized, minimalist design is like an optical illusion, like a ballet wherein the trick is to make the viewer think that what they’re seeing is effortless.
9. Be Understood. A good design is easily understood and straightforward.
10. Make it Pretty. Your design must be both pretty and useful. The more you look at something, the more impact it has on your senses so take care with your aesthetics. If you work during a bad day, make sure it doesn’t reflect on your work because this could lead to a mediocre design from the negativity of your day. Inspire other designers as well to do their best in producing a good design.

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