Is it possible to please everybody with a design? Should that be the only goal?

 

It seems like a silly question, but this article argues that the goal of a design is to please its audience. If the article didn’t delve into the different ways a design can please an audience (surprising, astonishing etc.), I would consider that statement to be wrong. Design is much more then putting a pleasing pattern and image together to present. It’s much more complex.

Design is meant to evoke some sort of emotion or reaction from the audience. Trying to please everybody would render designs meaningless—they would be “pleasing” to look at, but nothing would be daring or risky about them. In order to have a successful design, it’s good to anger some people. That means it gets attention and you portrayed something that received a strong response. It might not be a reliable or stable way to build a brand or design, but it would be eye-catching and interesting. Astonishing the audience is an effective way to grab their attention. Not everything in design has to be aesthetically pleasing. An artist should never be afraid to make something ugly.