A good test for visual design is the word test. What are all the possible words that can be derived from your design? You don't have to agree with them. They ju

A good test for visual design is the word test. What are all the possible words that can be derived from your design? You don't have to agree with them. They just need to be possible. Then decide on three words you want people to think of the most when they see your design, and try to eliminate all inferences to the rest. Three is enough. And your goal is to make your design more explicit than the words themselves. This leads to concise and potent designs. Visual design is visual expression, where expression is communicating a feeling. But I had it backwards for the longest time. I thought expression was to radiate something. Expressing happiness would be me being as happy as possible. I would radiate happiness. I would express myself. Except, with visual design, our attention should be on communication. It should be on how the recipient feels. This makes expression an induction. Instead of me being as happy as possible, the right question to ask is instead, what would it take to make you feel as happy as possible? When we are focused on ourselves, people could still be indifferent about you being happy. But when we focus on them, they get excited. It's about them being happy. The art is for them. So a good graphics designer would need to have a thorough color vocabulary, as well as an understanding of what abstract shapes and lines convey what. Some shapes are friendlier, some are sexier, etc. Same with fonts. And at the end of the day, if you need to scream "car" just throw a car in there. But most importantly, you would need to understand your audience, and understand their visual vocabulary. If you make them feel something they've never felt before, you win. This is never easy. I guess my point is, the original article is more about the elements than principles.