Why? Your whole being leads to a design process. Your whole being, the circumstances you grew up in determined what you value. This determines whether you like

Why? Your whole being leads to a design process. Your whole being, the circumstances you grew up in determined what you value. This determines whether you like cozy spaces, or stark sterile spaces, dark or light wood, pops of colours or neutrality. If you grew up with hoarders, perhaps you were always drawn to zen minimalism. And if you nourished that seed, later in life, you wouldn't just be able to leave that need at the door when you started designing something. You'd bring your whole value system to it. You'd look for elimiation. Same with if you like symmetry, or if you like "authenticity" which is maybe just a posh word for transparency of purpose. My favourite example of this is the Windows Phone. They assumed people are digital natives, and don't mind flat rectangles which tell you just the information you need (live tiles) and no more. It started the downfall of skeumorphism and put paid to Apple's old iOS design too, but in effect, it was driven by a value system of an interface being digital-first and not needing to conform to physical reality since people are well-versed with the digital world. Perhaps designers love to talk too much about this stuff, all of it in hushed worshippy tones which can be off-putting. But there are kernels of truth in it, I think.