Being principle-based

By Kristoffer Bohmann, Bohmann Usability

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Being principle-based. Principles are practical in life ... and in web design. Good principles support decision-making by emphasizing the correct path and by de-emphasizing wrong or inefficient paths in the eyes of the decision maker. For instance, principles help a web designer avoid large graphics on a site if the designer values fast page download times (the underlying principle: pages should download in a few seconds).

Professionals who successfully have built up a coherent set of principles will be able to make correct design decisions faster and better than designers who failed perceiving reality or integrating reality into principles. Professionals need to protect their principles by avoiding clients, employers, or employees who don't value the skills. Otherwise the principles held by the professional will erode and the value he adds will decrease. In short, the relationship becomes impractical.

Making principle-based design decisions is a hard road to take since it involves tough decisions. So why do it? Because it leads to integrity, happiness, and (maybe) superior profit.

Kristoffer Bohmann

Being principle-based

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