What “Good Design” Means to Me

The meaning of good design has shifted for me as I’ve grown from just building things to thinking about how they shape people’s experiences. Early on, I saw design as simply making something that worked — a mechanism that moved smoothly or a structure that held its load. But over time, I’ve realized that function alone is not enough. True design lives in the space where engineering precision meets human understanding. Good design is not only about solving problems; it is about creating clarity, comfort, and connection for the people who use what we build.

Balancing Precision With Experience

Mechanical engineering often prioritizes precision, performance, and optimization, but these goals can lose their meaning if the final product feels intimidating or difficult to use. I see good design as the balance between technical accuracy and human experience. A product can be mechanically flawless yet still fail if it frustrates the person using it.

For me, this balance is where design becomes invisible in the best way. A well-designed tripod, for example, does not call attention to its mechanisms — it simply levels quickly and reliably, allowing the user to focus on capturing the moment, not on adjusting equipment. When a design fades into the background and supports the task naturally, it becomes something people trust. That trust is what transforms technical success into real-world impact.

Making Complexity Feel Understandable

Good design is not the absence of complexity, but the ability to shape it into something people can navigate confidently. Engineering problems are often full of constraints, layers, and interdependent systems. Simply hiding complexity can make a design fragile or opaque. Instead, I believe design should guide people through complexity with clarity.

This often means simplifying interactions without oversimplifying the system. Labels, visual hierarchy, tactile feedback, or clear mechanical affordances can turn a dense system into something intuitive. When people can approach a complex object and understand how to use it without hesitation, that is when design has succeeded. It transforms complexity from something overwhelming into something empowering.

Rooted in Empathy and Iteration

At its core, I believe good design begins with empathy. It starts by listening — to what people need, where they struggle, and how they interact with their surroundings. It grows through observation and conversation, through trying to see problems from the user’s perspective. This mindset keeps design grounded in reality rather than theory.

But empathy alone is not enough without iteration. Good design rarely emerges fully formed; it evolves through cycles of testing, feedback, and refinement. Each prototype reveals something new, and often what emerges is not just a better product, but a clearer understanding of the people it serves. That process — curious, responsive, and human centered — is what makes design feel alive. It turns ideas into something meaningful and lasting.