Balance, Economy, Transparency, and Accuracy resonate with me the most. Balance between the weight of a design often appears “satisfying” or “aesthetic.” Subliminally, balance can make a viewer feel calm or alleviate their agitation. The subconscious will recognize the thoughtfulness places in the balance of a design, and most times associate a positive emotion with that piece. One of my former bosses firmly believed balance has a true power in quickly making a potential customer feel good. A large shift in my own designs has been in utilizing whitespace-especially in my presentation slides. Whereas three years ago I would have utilized intricate shapes and patterns, large words covering ~10% of the slide space now dominate. Designs that lean on economy draw my attention because they let the subject speak for itself, oftentimes contributing to the power of the subject. Transparency not only allows for a play in concealment, but a contrast in dimension as well. The juxtaposition between transparency and opaque elements can really come across as fresh, modern, and eye-catching. Photo and shape transparency collaborations also allow for text to cover an image more easily. In turn, we’re more able to convey 1000 words with an image, while still having the capacity to add important text. Accuracy allows controversy. Many may claim the moon-landings are fake due to a fish-eye lens. Others question the reality of GoPro videos with the invisibility of the connected stick. Accuracy lets us push the boundaries of reality with perspective. Harnessing that power can lead to dramatic and emotion-provoking work.