Translation of the article “Good Designer, Bad Designer” by Tarun Kohli on what really separates a good designer from a bad one!

If you run a company and still haven’t read Ben Horowitz’s book Good Product Manager / Bad Product Manager, then I urge you to click on the link now and read it. Despite the fact that the book was written 20 years ago, it is still of great value.

And now, inspired by Ben, I was thinking, “What separates a good designer from a bad one?”

And here’s what happened (even with illustrations):

Showing empathy for the user

A good designer thinks about users’ problems, a bad one – about himself and his solutions.

Formulating questions

A good designer asks questions in order to understand the whole essence of the problem, a bad one is afraid to ask.

Come up with an idea

A good designer offers many solutions, a bad one stops at the first option.

Designer accent

A good designer focuses on creating the most useful designs, while a bad one focuses on the latest tools and trends.

Seeking Feedback

A good designer seeks criticism, a bad one avoids it.

In relation to planning

A good designer believes that “not having a plan is a plan to fail,” a bad one relies on a good game.

The path to the result

A good designer is disciplined in this regard, a bad designer only works when “he is in the mood”.

Responsibility

A good designer is confident that the work is not ready until the design is approved in relation to user analytics data. A bad designer is confident that the work is finished the moment the design is handed over to the developers.

About errors

A good designer learns from mistakes and improvises, a bad one doesn’t believe in failure.

Transparency

A good designer shares his inspiration, a bad one tries to take all the glory for himself.

Translation: Alina Patsyuk