Do I design something new, creative, and uncharted, or do I adhere to the fundamentals and create a solid, quality design that is safe? This is a question asked daily if not hourly at Design Hovie Studios. As designers, we love to create new and exciting solutions but we then have to question if the new and exciting is better or simply different.
Putting the table of contents in the middle of a publication is different but I wouldn't says it's better and most likely it's a worse solution. Likewise, creating an amazing interactive visual for a web site is great but if 90% of the viewers can't find the menu and click to where they want to go it's definitely flawed.
On the other hand, doing things the same over and over again even if their tried and true can become mundane.
In the end we simply need to constantly examine what we're creating and gauge if it is better, worse, or the same as to what's been done before. If we can create better more often than worse, we're on the right track.