The Brief: Why taste is your most important design tool
In this issue of The Brief:
Lessons on taste from Jonathan Adler, Herbie Hancock, Ira Glass, and Wakanda Forever cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw
The recipe for cultivating great taste
How history informs your taste
The role of taste in generative AI times
A dream job opportunity
Great books, videos, tools, and albums to dive into
Taste is your most important design tool
By Aarron Walter
Good taste is a concept that I have found frustratingly elusive. It’s easy to recognize but hard to put your finger on where it comes from. People with good taste recognize the best designs, the coolest objects, the finest foods, and unique experiences. Ask them how they developed such good taste and you’ll likely get a vague answer about how they’ve just always had a feeling for these things.
Is it something we’re born with? To some extent, yes. Some of us are born with strong sensitivities to the details of the world around us, which can lead to discerning views and a feel for the traits of greatness. Taste is in part how cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw landed the gig shooting the blockbuster film Wakanda Forever.
Something I always talk about is taste. The level of taste at which you bring to the table. Because that's really, for me, the most important thing is how good is your taste in lighting? How good is your taste in costume? How good is your taste in design?
Autumn Durald Arkapaw, cinematographer on Wakanda Forever and Loki
Autumn has a great feel for the right gear, angle, lighting, and framing to capture a moment in a story and convey the depth of emotion a director is looking for. Was Autumn born with this gift? It’s unlikely, but she certainly has a sensitivity that keeps her tuned into visual details.
If, like Autumn, you too are tuned into the subtleties of life, you know that the downside of this gift is that small things can drive you mad. I recently plopped down on the couch to enjoy a movie with my wife and found I couldn’t relax until the crooked painting to the right of the TV was straightened. Paying attention to details can be exhausting. 😑
Your careful attention is how you build a mental library of the good stuff and the shaper of your taste. In generative AI times, good taste is critical. Gen AI is like a chef cooking up an endless buffet, but there’s a lot on the menu that’s not great.
We need designers with cultivated taste to help us shape the best experiences.