Interior Design Basics

How to Develop the Creative Eye of a Designer

Author: vonsassy | Last Updated: September 17, 2024

In this post you’ll learn how I developed my own creative eye for design, and how you can, too!

Yes, it’s “Eye of the Tiger”, but can’t a designer have both?

Becoming an Interior Designer or Other Visual Creative

Have you ever heard someone say they have “an eye” for something?
Maybe it’s, “I have an eye for a good photo” or “an eye for fashion.”
Some people even claim to have an “eye” for a bargain.
But what exactly is this “eye” they speak of?

My boyfriend sees hot chicks when he looks at this picture. I see variety in unity, line and progression, hue, and tone.
(Okay, those models aren’t too bad, either.)

Clearly, “eye” is used in a non-literal sense.

When I first began my design journey, I thought some people were just “gifted” with this “eye,” while others weren’t. It seemed like having “the sight”—an imaginary ability to see ghouls, ghosts, and goblins.

(Just don’t tell my grandma I said that; she actually can see them.)

I’ve had an eye for lines since I was about two years old.
I’d cut up tiny pieces of paper and draw geometric shapes in different patterns and arrangements, then gift them to my dad, who kept them in his wallet when he went to work.

Those were my early attempts to write “words.”
Looking back, they were more like hieroglyphs or Chinese pictographs than actual Roman letters, but this early experimentation with line gave me a head start on seeing the world in an abstract way.

Lines represent shapes, which represent people. It doesn’t even take a whole lot of lines to create some very memorable images.

Lines represent shapes, which represent people.
It doesn’t take many lines to create some very memorable images.
When I say “abstract,” I mean that lines don’t actually exist around real objects—they’re only implied—but they’re crucial in line art, like cartooning.

I eventually got to the point where I could easily draw the shapes and figures around me without much thought or attention—until I started school.
Once surrounded by other kids who couldn’t draw as well (or just didn’t draw much), I was singled out as somehow special for “knowing” how to draw.

But I never really “learned” to draw, I tried to tell them.
I just liked to draw, so I did.
And anyone could draw like me if they tried.
I still haven’t convinced everyone of this, but I believe it’s true.

A designer finds a certain joy in breaking the world down into objects, lines, patterns and relationships.

A designer finds joy in breaking the world down into objects, lines, patterns, and relationships.
I had an advantage over the other kids that I didn’t understand at the time.

What made the difference was that I’d taught myself to see the world in outlines, which made it easier for me to translate what I observed onto paper—3D to 2D.

Design has to do with translating and communicating visuals. It is its own language.

Design Is a Visual Language

Design is about translating and communicating visuals; it’s its own language. However, I had no experience with anything related to interior design when I first became interested in it.

So I ended up with the same notion those kids in grade school had about me: I wanted to see the world the way designers and architects did.
I wished I could. But I wondered if I’d be wasting my time learning something I wasn’t naturally “amazing” at, like drawing.

Around this time, while browsing the architecture & interior design sections of my local library, I came across a book by famed interior designer and author Vicente Wolf, called “Learning to See.”

Vicente Wolf is a photographer and world-renowned interior designer who began his life in the U.S. as a Cuban immigrant model. While working in a furniture store, he became interested in design and started visiting the great art galleries of N.Y. in his spare time.

Through immersion in the arts, he “learned to see,” eventually becoming an acclaimed designer who stunned the world with beautiful minimalist interiors—at a time when minimalism wasn’t even in vogue.

Photo courtesy of Vicente Wolf’s website.

This book changed my whole way of thinking and put me on the path to getting a design education.

I came to understand that the reason some people are so good at seeing things others aren’t—whether it be Sherlock Holmes on a murder case or an antiques dealer sniffing out treasures at an estate auction—is because they have a “practiced” or “trained eye.”

Over time, people with “creative design eyes” have acquired a mental database that enables them to be a “quick study” of the world around them.
They can pick up on little things most of us would miss because they’ve honed their skills of observation—they’ve learned to “see.”

Never mind the old puzzle of black on white or white on black.
Look at the top portion of this 3D object.
Is it convex or concave?
Is there a hollow in the top of this shape?
Or, rather, is there a sphere sitting on top of it?
As a piece of optically illusionary 2D art the answer to this question should be: neither.
What do you think?

Developing Your Artistic Eye

Can you tell the difference between a well-taken photo and one that isn’t?
How would you judge it?

At the most basic level, you might dislike a photo based on what it features.
But with the eye of an artist or designer, you could tell whether the photo was taken by someone who knew what they were doing or by an amateur with no sense at all.
You might instinctively be better at this than you think.

Could you explain the principles you use to separate a well-taken picture from a badly taken one?
What ‘rules’ did you come up with to help you compare the two pictures and decide what was right and what just seemed “off”? Beginning to describe and compare what you see is the start of you learning to “see” with your budding artistic eye.

Good job, you!

Let’s Test Your New-Found Skill

So, similarly, how do you decide what is good design and what isn’t?

Think of it this way: Buildings and interiors represent larger groupings of the same shapes you encounter in drawing or photographs, but with more complex compositions.

Naturally critiquing design can seem a little more daunting, at first.

What’s wrong with this landscape picture? Too much grey sky is the first thing I notice. The focal point is not very clear. The eye is drawn to the colorful buildings in the picture that appear too far down the frame in relation to all the whitewashed sky and haze. We could say it has poor composition.

Learning to See Takes Practice

Many untrained people tend to think that the aesthetics of objects and spaces are purely subjective.
“What you like is what you like, and what I like is what I like.”
Or they believe that there are strict rules that must be adhered to or copied judiciously to achieve good design results.

I’ve got news for them:
Neither approach makes for good design.

Now compare the picture above to this landscape shot. The eye is drawn to the center of the photo, which feels natural and comfortable. The clouds at the top and the water at the bottom share similar amounts of real estate within the frame and the entire grouping can be seen in a division of ‘thirds’, a clear top, middle and bottom. This is an example of good composition.

Design is a process, not a set of hard and fast rules.
What I love most about design is that it’s a journey.

While this journey goes through navigable steps, these steps may take you in different directions as you explore good design.
For example, you and I might start out with the same design directive, materials, and suppliers and follow the same sequence, but our results may be quite different.

What matters most in the end is that the design fulfills the technical and practical requirements and at least satisfies or exceeds the project’s needs and goals.

Although we tend to think of design as how something looks, the aesthetics are just one part of the overall solution.

Designers should be patient people because a design never happens in a day.

Design Is a Process

A designer’s work doesn’t happen in a day.
You don’t just jump into designing a room or a project.

You might have great ideas, but the final design needs to be informed by many meetings with clients, considering all the data, resources, options, and even expected obstacles.
When you present your final design, you need to show how you got there.

To create your design you’ve followed a step-by-step process—listening, conceptualizing, designing, and then going back to listening again, refining the design through editing until you reach your final schematic design.
The final design will ideally be something you and your client are both happy with, because you’ve been working on it together.

If your creative offering doesn’t meet all the requirements of the brief, it’s back to the drawing board, and the process begins again.

For a designer there’s almost no such thing as a ”mistake” in the early part of the design phase when you’re first coming up with ideas. There will be good ideas and less good ideas, but you have to learn to let it flow without judging. The judging, more like ‘refining’ will come later.

Good Design or Personal Preference?

Designers do have personal tastes and preferences, built up over years of learning and practice.
Generally, the more someone practices something, the better they get at it.
Ever heard of the 10,000-hour rule?

A designer might have a highly refined sense of style, but that doesn’t mean they can’t design well in a style they don’t personally find appealing.
This is like saying a photographer couldn’t take a good picture because they didn’t like their subject.
It could happen, but for a professional, it should never get in the way of “seeing” what needs to be seen and working with it to get the job done.

It’s precisely at this time that the principles of design are best called upon—when there are no distractions or ‘fluff.’
The “eye” of the designer is trained to look for solutions to visual and spatial problems or to recognize and catch flaws before they become real problems.

At heart, a designer is a visual-spatial problem solver.

Is this a mess of fabrics and tools or the raw components of the next great design?

Becoming a Designer Is a Process

Do you have what it takes to develop a creative eye or even become a designer or visual artist?
If you’re interested in it and determined to see it through, then yes, you do!

Forget natural talent.
Yes, it exists, but it’s not the whole story.

No matter how creative we are naturally at birth (and if you’re interested in design, you’re probably creative in the first place!), we all learn to perceive or to “see” the world in different ways.
Our individual perception is based on how we interact with our environments, the education we acquire (real life or formal), and the influences we pick up on.

From the time you begin to make your way in the world, you’re starting to “see” more than just the objects in front of you.
You’re learning about relationships between objects, their environments, and other people—and, more importantly, the subtleties of what those relationships might mean.

What are you good at distinguishing between?
Start there.

Remember that becoming an artist, designer, or other creative professional is a process—either learned or inherently adopted—but always refined over time.

Designing Your Eye for Design

So, wait, you’re designing your own “eye for design” as you become a designer?
In a way, yes.

As long as you can be self-critical, get rid of what isn’t working, and be prepared to make iterations and changes.
The process of ‘becoming through practice’ trains the eye to see the world and more specifically, the items we work with in our trades, in terms of their shapes, forms, functions and relationships.

Later we factor in relationships to space, time, even light.. and a host of other variables. So, the good news is that there is always more to learn. As designers we can always expect to stay challenged.

Building Your Own “Eye” for Design

So, do you have an eye for something? If you think you do, that’s fantastic! But if you feel like you don’t—or that you haven’t honed it yet—don’t worry. Developing an eye for design is something anyone can do with practice, patience, and a genuine interest in the subject.

Start Small, Build Confidence

One of the best ways to start building your eye for design is by working with smaller, manageable tasks. Here are a few exercises to help you get started:

Study Optical Illusions: Optical illusions are a fun and fascinating way to challenge your visual perception. They force you to question what you’re seeing and encourage you to think about why you’re seeing it that way.
Sort and Organize: Try sorting objects by different attributes, such as shape, color, and texture. This simple exercise helps you to see patterns and relationships that might not be immediately obvious.
Create Table-Scapes: Set up a table with a mix of objects, like books, candles, flowers, or bowls. Experiment with arranging them in different ways to see what feels visually pleasing.
Keep a Design Sketchbook: Start sketching simple shapes and objects. Over time, try to add complexity, like dimension lines and perspectives. This practice helps you develop your ability to translate what you see in the real world onto paper.
Use Pinterest or Tear Sheets: Collect images that inspire you. Over time, you’ll start to notice patterns in what you’re drawn to, helping you define your aesthetic preferences.
Organize Your Space: Take on the challenge of organizing your bookshelf or a small area of your home. Think about how the arrangement of items can change the feel of the space.

Learning Through Observation

As you start to develop your own eye for design, you’ll begin to notice more details in your everyday surroundings. Pay attention to the layouts of rooms, the color palettes of spaces, and the design of everyday objects. Ask yourself what you like or dislike about them, and why.

Engage in Critique

Don’t be afraid to critique your own work. In design, self-criticism is crucial to growth. When something doesn’t look right, don’t be afraid to ask why. Experiment with changes and observe the results. Over time, this practice will sharpen your ability to judge your own designs and make improvements.

The book that started it all for me: “Learning to See” is an amazing introduction to design as related to homes, interiors and objects.

Written by Vicente Wolf, legendary self-taught photographer and designer who made the “Top 100 Designers” lists of both Metropolitan Home and Architectural Digest. Wolf has a practice in New York.

Check out his work at http://www.vicentewolf.com

The Path to Mastery

Remember, developing an eye for design is a journey, not a destination. Whether you’re drawing cubes, arranging flowers, or designing entire interiors, every step you take is part of the learning process. And while natural talent can give you a head start, it’s practice, dedication, and a willingness to learn that will truly refine your skills.

In conclusion, if you’re passionate about design, give yourself the time and space to explore it fully. With time, you’ll develop an eye that not only sees the world differently but also transforms it into something more beautiful.

Personally, I’ve gotten a lot better at finding Waldo since becoming a design student.

Trust me, once you learn to “see” the way a designer does, you’ll never “un-see” it again.

Do you feel like you have an ‘eye’ for something? Share it with me in the comments below. I’d love to know how you developed your creative eye! Also, be sure to check out this related post on the difference between design and style.

Happy design learning!

–Von Sassy.

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