Canon

A canon is a body of accepted principles or standards, often described and applied as strict rules. However, I find that specific rules and processes can cause two significant issues. The first is that they constrain ideas to a very specific channel, narrowing scope and challenging innovation. The second issue is there is an expectation that all steps or rules must be followed all the time, exactly as they are written, regardless of the circumstances or situation.

In my experience, when you try to set design rules, standards, or processes, you spend at least three times as long identifying and documenting all the exceptions to those rules, standards, and processes, effectively rendering the entire effort frustratingly useless and inefficient (but I'm not bitter).

Adhering to the spirit and not the letter, I wrote out this canon as a set of beliefs rather than rules. It helped me identify the things that I've learned and that are important to me as a designer. It defines my approach and philosophy and (hopefully) guides me toward great work.