The difficult points of designing a unique design language
Written: 2020 / 06 / 06
Author: Shane Lee
Position: Head of Global Product Center, TCL Communication Ltd
It takes a lot of effort and time to drive a unique design language to come true, as a qualified design leader, there are a few design principles that you have to secure:
(1) Be confident, force R&D to follow your “naive” design layout.
“It will add cost, and it will be challenging due to the customized component required, …etc.” I always got complaints from R&D, but I believe I can make the right decision in design based on my 20 years of design experience.
(2) Make it outstanding, but not odd.
I don’t like to give a feeling of copy iPhone design or copy SAMSUNG design when almost everybody puts camera module in the corner due to mainstream design layout, considering economic cost, the less effort for R&D. But nothing special, people will not remember your design if you follow the mainstream design with lower risk.
(3) Make a balance between design and cost.
There is no good design if everything listens to R&D and sourcing teams. A good designer needs to understand how is the cost I am spending, make the trade-off for my own design, treat every penny as my own money.
(4) Plan a design language that can be developed and evolved.
A series of family products can commonly use one design language from high-tier to low-tier with different level CMF and cost, which can tell the evolution of design language.
(5) Fine-tune all subtle CMF until production.
Every detail impacts the whole design if you don’t pay attention to it and can’t feel relaxed until it’s produced in the market.
Read more details about the iF Design Award for TCL 10 Pro: https://ifworlddesignguide.com/search?search=TCL#/pages/page/entry/285490-tcl-10-pro
