“Understanding that all design happens within a context is the first (and arguably the only) stop to make on your way to becoming a good designer. You can be a bad designer after that, of course, but you don’t stand a chance of being a good one if you don’t first consider context. It’s everything: In graphics, communication, interaction, architecture, product, service, you name it—if it doesn’t take context into account, it’s crap.” – Allan Chochinov

Read more from Allan in his article “1000 Words: A Manifesto for Sustainability in Design.”

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1. Every decision a designer makes molds the future of the people we design for
2. Design strategy is about understanding and meeting needs and aspirations
3. Make sure that whatever you design is fitting a need in the world and has a purpose
4. Understanding the specific activity we’re supporting is critical to good design
5. Good designers can create normalcy out of chaos