Having learned from my early mistakes of over-complicating my solutions, I feel like I now offer more value to my clients and team members. I know that simple solutions convert better. They also make me more money because I can stay on budget and reduce my implementation costs.
This desire to practice a more simplified philosophy comes from me wanting to create solutions that are not just polished, but more importantly, generate a better return for my clients. Deciding whether to create a solution that looks great and utilizes a ton of new technologies (just because you can use them) is what makes the difference in your solutions and code being timeless or amateurish over a period of time.
Don’t get me wrong. You should explore technology and evolve as a designer, but just know when and where to use it. When in doubt, ask yourself, “What cost will this decision have now and down the road? How much will I really gain by making it today?”
It’s with those types of questions that you start to move past design for design’s sake and on to design that communicates and encourages action.