Universal Principles Of Design: 10 Principles Every Designer Should Pocket

Originally written for SaaS Design’s blog. Head on over there now to read the full article. (Don’t worry, Karen, it’s still free.)

Illustration by DrawKit

I very clearly remember the first time I opened up a copy of “Universal Principles of Design,” thinking it would be the peak of nerdiness for me as someone who deliberately spent the least possible amount of time in school.

This was in 2011 when I was only starting to dip my toes into design, which meant most of the book initially didn’t make much sense to me (and still doesn’t entirely — full disclosure.) Back then, I figured that being able to brag that I had read the book and survived it would be better than nothing. I think I even tried memorizing a few, select words so I could throw them out at random to sound like a Smart Person™.

“Why should the button be blue, you ask? Well, I’ve got just one word for you: cognitive dissonance; that’s why!”

Nine years and much more experience memorizing fancy words later, I was recently reminded of the book, thinking I should give it another read. And as I sat down to order a copy, I discovered it had been republished in a “pocket” version, which made me quite hopeful. But the “Pocket Universal Principles of Design” actually includes 150 design principles instead of the previous 100, which, if anything, really makes you wonder exactly what kind of pockets these people have. 🤔

Nevertheless, I was determined on a reread.

Inspired by the “Authors’ Favorites” section of the book, I wanted to share some of my own favorite Universal Principles of Design (in no particular order). However, since this article has been bought and paid for by SaaS Design, you’ll have to head on over to their blog to read it — it’s still free.

Universal Principles of Design: Ultimate Guide - SaaS Design

“What, so I’ll have to click one more time?!” That’s right, first-worlder 🖖 And while you’re there, consider checking out Hannah’s Figma Templates and UI Kits as well. Obviously, I’d also like to warmly recommend the book itself.

The Pocket Universal Principles of Design

Enjoy! 😸

Published in June, 2020

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