I’ve recently found myself writing more & more design rationales. And so I am reiterating the importance of such. You see, earlier in my career I didn’t put much value on rationales. Maybe it was because of the quality of the ones that I had been subjected to. But I now realize the potential. Regardless of how experienced the account exec may be, I believe it is vital for the client to hear the designer’s thought process and reasoning. I have found that it can mean the difference between a beautiful project and one that spirals wildly out of control. A thoughtful, expressive rationale even helps fend off pesky, scope-creep-induced rounds of revisions.
So the next time you are tasked with writing a design rationale, embrace it. Think of it as your chance as a creative professional to show off your expertise.
Truth in Advertising
The year was 1909. The US Army bought the first military aircraft from the Wright Brothers, Sigmund Freud lectured in NYC, and the Manhattan Bridge