As I was writing this, I realized that it had gotten really lengthy and wordy. So, I decided to break this up in to a two part entry. Part two will be posted at a later date.

Relationships are difficult. I think that is a universal truth of life. By extension, a good relationship is that much more difficult. When I find myself thinking about design and how to better relate the process to my life, I often times consider how similar good design is to a good relationship.

1. Good design requires passion
Recently, I read on the Huffington Post that one of the main reasons for divorce in America is that the couple isn’t willing to fight for their relationship. There’s no spark, no drive, no passion to try to make things work. It is a clear law of the jungle that you have got to be willing to fight to survive. You have to have that same passion toward your work and be willing to fight for it when the situation arises.Some people will say that it is best to not make such a personal investment in your work. Those people are doing it wrong. Be willing to fight for your work and what you know is good. No one else can fight for what you do better than you can. It’s important to remember, though, that too much of this is a bad thing also. You can’t get so wrapped up in what you do that you become conceited, difficult to work with, or contentious. It’s is also important to be able to set boundaries to keep you as someone people want to work with so you can maintain an income.

2. Good design requires boundaries
To keep a healthy relationship, you have to have proper boundaries with your significant other. If you don’t have boundaries, you’re destined for codependency and lose your individual identity. Very unhealthy. You’ve seen these couples out in public; wearing matching outfits and calling each other pet names. They can’t see anyone but each other and that’s the biggest potential problem for a designer that doesn’t set boundaries. It sounds kind of strange to say that someone can become codependent with the work they do but it is an altogether possibility. You’ve also seen those designers out there that have become so wrapped up in their own work that their vision becomes myopic.You have to understand that you’re not always working for yourself and what your client wants or needs is not what you had in mind. The lack of boundaries lends itself to the so-called “Dribbble Culture” where getting one’s ego stroked takes precedence to actual problems that need to be solved. Design is about solving problems within constraints. Stand for what you know is good or right, but also understand that constraints are necessary and constant and are not a personal attack on who you are as a person.