Good vs Bad Design: Know Basic Principles For Design Entrance Exams

The Core Philosophy for Good and Bad Design in NID and UCEED 2027

“A good design is like a good joke, if you have to explain it, it’s not probably that good!”

Let us start understanding what is a good design and what is considered bad design by starting with the core philosophy of the design. In everyday life we are surrounded by many objects or designs that we interact with. When a design works seamlessly and we barely notice, like pen writing smoothly or a chair so comfortable that can accommodate you for the day long, it is said to be a good design.

Contrary when the same piece of furniture hurts you back, it is quite evident and noticeable as an example of a bad design.

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NID 2027 and UCEED 2027: What are the Principles for a Good Design ?

Students preparing for design entrance exams are advised to have a proper understanding of what makes a design a good design in order to excel in design exams with their solutions.

For this, students are advised by experts to understand the Dieter Ram’s 10 Principles as given below:

1. Good design is innovative.

2. Good design makes a product useful.

3. Good design is aesthetic.

4. Good design makes a product understandable.

5. Good design is unobtrusive.

6. Good design is honest.

7. Good design is long-lasting.

8. Good design is thorough down to the last detail.

9. Good design is environmentally friendly.

10. Good design is as little design as possible

How to apply Good design in Real Life and Design Exams

In the design entrance exams like NID, UCEED or NIFT, the examiners ask creative problem-solving based questions to evaluate your micro-interaction, cognition and reflection skill through drawing for conceptual reflections.

Understanding the elements of a good or bad design helps you make better reflections in the DAT exams, under the time pressure. The workflow of a good design based decision is as follows:

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Checklist for students for Good Design in Design Entrance Exams

Below are provided by experts with a checklist for the design entrance exam for students in order to prepare them with solutions that meet the criteria for a good design.

Good Design: Structure

A good design is an outcome of 4 major considerations in your practices as follows:

1. Affordance : The product or idea should be self revealing like how it should be used without transferring the cognitive load to users.

2. Signifiers : Visual Clues/Information the tell the user “where to act”

3. Mapping : The visual obvious relationship between the control and their effects.

4. Feedback : Some clues (visual, haptic or olfactory) to confirm the completion of the action.

   
   

Bad Design: Structure

Similarly a bad design is an outcome of 4 major components in your practices as follows:

1. False Affordance : It gives a false perception of control and actionability.

2. Overload of Details : Too many features/controls burdening the primary objective.

3. Lack of Error Prevention : The bad design allows the user to make preventable mistakes which are not appropriate.

4. Inaccessible Design : Design only considering a niche of users not the masses.

Strategy for Good design for Design Entrance Exams: How to Apply them in Design Solutions

In the exams like UCEED, NIFT and NID DAT, the knowledge of the good vs bad design is tested across multiple sections in applied and theoretical mean as follows:

MCQ’s : Visual Reasoning

Look For Contradictions : Look what are the fundamental violations the objects in the image shows.
Let's take an example of seating chairs, an option for the best suitable seating option based on the Good design principles discussed above. Explain with reason.

Solution : This is a question based on Ergonomics(human posture) and usability of the furniture.

Q : Below are the options of the different handles types of the hand tools. Identify which of the given handle types gives the best handle posture (comfort) for the downward to-and-from motion.

Solution : Option B

In the given option we would look and try to understand the natural grip style for the “To-&-Fro”, but downward motion, which is very critical as asked in the given question.

Subjective Questions : Analysing the Products

Q: Based on the given image, critically analyse the design of the overhand tank water dispenser from the point of view of an elderly user carrying luggage.

Solution Approach: Avoid giving a generic explanation rather the approach should be to use the K-S-A Framework.

K (Knowledge) : Identify the context and user

Have empathy that an elderly person has weak muscles and reduced grip strength, with compromised bending ability.

S (Stick/Critique) : Avoid directly pointing out that “the tap is bad design” rather it should be quoted to have a poor affordance, where there is no signifier indicating which way to turn it on.A (Action- The Solution) : I would replace the rotary taps with a large, front facing push-button(improving the affordance), which require lesser force and auto release shut mechanism to make sure that tap is properly shut, even for a child and elderly person as user with weaker muscle strength.

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