vision and philosophy
Keep things simple. I've always believed that simplicity was important in design, and I've tried to embody that principle in my own designs as much as possible. It's easy to get excited and use lots of fonts, colors, and graphics in a project, but I think the clean, straightforwards approach is always better in the end. It's less confusing, usually costs less, and makes for faster download time in the case of web sites. This is not at all to say that one should always design in the same way - exploration and experimentation are both crucial. I feel it is best, however, to always ask yourself: do I need this? How much more complex will adding [detail] make my design?A great example of the simple-but-classy design is Apple Computer and its product line, documentation, and web site. I'll admit to some bias here, as I'm a long time Mac user, but I think it's clear to anyone that Apple has made the most of the user-friendly approach through liberal use of white spaces and neutral color fields, simple but illustrative icons, and a straightforward interface.
Inspiration is a requirement. My tastes in design have been influenced by a number of people and institutions, not the least of which are M. C. Escher, Apple Computer, Pablo Picasso, and the thousands of talented designers out there on the web whose sites I have run across in the four years I've been online. I've always been fascinated by the careful, usually monochromatic renderings of Escher, and the widely diverse sketches and constructions of Picasso. While they are nearly polar opposites, they both have to them an ordered yet distorted complexity that I have experimented with in my own personal artwork.
My family has also played a role in the way I work. My parents, both scientists, have always emphasized rationality and logic in thought and life, and consequently I try, whether I realize it or not, to reflect those qualities in my designs.
Nothing is ever wasted. I see this idea proved all the time in both my designs and in day-to-day life, as ideas and skills that I never thought I would use suddenly come in handy. When I say nothing, I do mean nothing, from discarded sketches to empty orange crates to time spent playing computer games. Sketches can be recycled into other ideas. Computer games are relaxing at the very least, and often contain good graphics, well-designed interfaces, and interesting ideas that can lead just about anywhere. And empty orange crates make great in-out boxes :). Resourcefulness in art is invaluable.
These are only a few of the ideas I have learned in my years of exploring the world and exploring myself, and I suppose that they all can be compressed into one very general idea: Stay open minded. Don't shut anything out because it doesn't conform to the values or expectations you or your world have set for yourself. Or, as one bumper sticker put it so well, "Minds are like parachutes. They only work when they're open."
Makes sense to me.