We're all guilty of it. We take one look at a logo, an ad, or a brochure and immediately judge the quality of its design based on our own personal tastes and biases. But none of us are experts%u226 how do we know what good design is? How, exactly, can we determine if something qualifies for that distinction? There may never be a good answer to that question, but I thought these attempts at a definition might help us to take a step back and think about good design from a broader perspective. Food for thought.

"Good design is the process of doing well what must be done anyway." Louis Danziger, Graphic Designer and Educator

"Good design is design that not only achieves a desired effect, but shapes our expectation of what the experience can be." Astrida Valigorsky, Manager of New Media, Museum of Modern Art

"Good design today requires more vision (a larger point of view versus the single brilliant idea), more consistency (a deeper underlying structure of language and form versus the simple, uniform application of visual elements) and more patience (persistence over time versus creative authoritarianism)." William Drenttel, Partner, Jessica Helfand/William Drenttel Design Firm

How much does a typeface say about you, your logo, your business? Apparently, a lot. And one well known typeface is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Helvetica faced some criticism when it was first introduced, but over time perceptions have changed. With all of its simple elegance, it's still going strong in design today. If you're looking to discover the nuances of this typeset, pick up a copy of the 2005 book, "Homage to a Typeface" by Lars Müller or grab some popcorn and spend an evening with the feature-length documentary by Gary Hustwit "Helvetica."