How to take design decisions 
& other visual thinking patterns by Guido

1. How to take design decisions
& other visual thinking patterns
September 11.2019

2. Design is not just what
it looks like and feels like.
Design is how it works “
Steve Jobs
“

3. One could describe Design as
a plan for arranging elements
to accomplish a particular purpose “
Monsieur Eames
“

4. It looks nice“
Guido Baena Wehrmann
“

5. The truth is you will find more than thousand of definitions
of what design means, but the only way to really understand it,
is getting your hands dirty and doing stuff.

6. Take into consideration that design will always,
(besides intended or not) communicate something
and trigger some emotions.

7. Future thinking drives all efforts into one goal.
This method requires planning and structure
to achieve what is projected. Design needs to
deliver an specific functionality or feature.
One concept is developed around the main
purpose and rules the whole process. The
outcome gives potentially, bigger results,
better communication
(in all directions) and a perfect environment
for cooperation.
Product orientated Process orientated
All focus relies on the now thinking.
Your attention is completely in the process/path,
so experimentation is a very big part of the
game.
Intuition and individuality plays a very
important role, and exploring the millions
of millions of possibilities becomes fun.
The esthetics and visual thinking jump straight
away to the beginning of the creation process.

8. > Product

9. What do you want to communicate with your design?
Organize your thoughts around one single, sweet, superb, successful, superior, smart, sophisticated, special,
strong, stylish, sincere,… (sarcasm starts with s too) Idea/concept;
and break it down in your head thousand times until the magic happens (right there one example of process
thinking crossing the line ).
*Attributes on a successful product person: Structure, consistency and perseverance.
> Product

10. > Process

11. How do you want to do it?
What is the format, technique, or tool you feel like using for your approach.
You need to be brave, and start experimenting in any possible direction.
You (your brain, your hands, etc) are just a medium to express something bigger than you,
There is no right or wrong, and your creation will at the end of the day (notice the completely different time
perception) be at least a pure expression of one specific place, and time.
*Attributes on a successful process person: Confidence, patience and curiosity.
> Process

12. > Are you fun or functional ?

13. > Are you fun or functional ?
I really invite you now to take a minute, to think and be aware of how your brain works.
The next question is if you want to grow more into what you already are
(and work with people that complement your skills), or do you want to turn
your weakness into strengths and become more complete ( operative vs strategic)
The truth is (if you ask me), that the word functional contains the word fun too.
So to do something great or extraordinary will always take both ways of thinking.

14. TIPS & RULES

15. Design is in creativity, and creativity is about life.
You design when you take all kind of life decisions,
to be confident about them is part of the game.
RULE 1

16. RULE 2
There is some invisible perfect proportions in our body, nature and
other things that surround our daily life. Design is meant to be perceived
by humans, so our understanding of beauty is influenced by those rules. Search for the
*golden ratio.
*Represents a mathematical relationship between two quantities (the Phi number)

17. Features of the cropping tool
In Adobe Photoshop.

18. Less is More
Some of the greatest chefs cook
with only six ingredients.
They also say that the hardest part
of journal writing isn’t necessarily
reaching the word count,
but trying to stay under it.
RULE 3

19. Life and the universe is about permanent and changing dichotomies.
Light vs darkness, good vs bad, simple vs complex, classic vs modern,
empty vs loaded…

20. Try to seek and apply a perfect balance into your designs,
before you print any special connotation.
*A division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.
RULE 4

21. Quality over quantity. Take your time to get it 99% perfect
(considering there is no 100%). IMHO nobody will remember
how many things you finished on time, but the unique and
memorable expressions of excellence you did.
RULE 5

22. Make your own rules.
Set your own “invisible” rules and hierarchies across presentations, interfaces, projects,
etc… and be consistent with them. You are allowed (even if it means multiple steps
back) to rethink them,
in order to make them match better within a bigger scope.
RULE 6

23. RULE 7
Use negative space.
Big proportional margins and empty spaces
will make your designs dynamic, clean, light
and just beautiful.

24. Establish some creative routines.
Book a specific time slot in your calendar for you to experiment
periodically new things in any kind of field or medium.
The muse does not just appear and tells you
to do something new.
RULE 8

25. If you are blocked… move on at any cost.
Sometimes thinking to much will not allow you to start doing something; take away weight
and significance from any of your design decisions
(⌘ + Z is our friend)
Remember that procrastination is a very real predator.
RULE 9

26. Search for inspiration in new places.
A trip, a printed book, a museum, paid magazines, life concerts…
You should seriously consider paying for your cultural and general knowledge as well:
good content should not necessarily be for free.
Careful: Inspiration can become procrastination.
RULE 10