So how is good design different from effective design? Do Dieter’s design principles hold up amidst the ubiquity of this newly iconic piece of branding?
Principle #3: Good design is aesthetic.
“The aesthetic quality of a product is integral to its usefulness because products we use every day affect our person and our well-being. But only well-executed objects can be beautiful.”
In this case, the lack of design aesthetic was so sincere and foolproof that it was able to capture a populist mindset. Hillary Clinton’s branding reinforced an establishment narrative with polished typography and a refined system. In this scenario, the aesthetically beautiful choice was undesirable.
Principle #6: Good design must be honest.
“It does not make a product more innovative, powerful, or valuable than it really is. It does not attempt to manipulate the consumer with promises that cannot be kept.”
Is a billionaire wearing a baseball cap an honest application of this design? Or just good branding? Honest or not, the product became so powerful and well-associated with anti-establishment rhetoric, that its owner’s true intentions did not matter.
Principle #10: Good design is as little design as possible.
“Less, but better – because it concentrates on the essential aspects, and the products are not burdened with non-essentials. Back to purity, back to simplicity.”
For some, a red baseball hat with a tagline set in Times New Roman could symbolize something extremely pure: an iconic piece of collateral that represents the persona of an unpretentious, everyday American.