Good design is not aesthetic. It is not taste or polish. It is the reduction of effort for the user and the reduction of ambiguity for the team. When both conditions hold, the product becomes easier to use and easier to build. When they do not, design becomes expensive and unstable.

Good design starts with constraints. You decide what the product must support, what it cannot support, and what rules protect the system as it grows. Without constraints, teams invent their own logic and the product fractures. With constraints, design decisions stay focused and consistent.

The effectiveness of design shows up in behavioral clarity. Users should know what to do without thinking. They should not interpret, search, or guess. If the path is clear, they move. If it is not, they hesitate. Teams feel that hesitation through support tickets, drop-offs, and rework. Clarity is not a visual quality. It is the outcome of decisions that respect how people actually behave.