Get taste

This is a translation of a rather old blog post of the company 37signals and the announcement of the blog “Getting Real” on Habrahabr, which I created a long time ago, but my hands did not reach.

Excellent taste is one of the necessary characteristics of a good designer, programmer, and any person. The ability to distinguish "what is good," and "what is bad," in things that look "almost the same." And these are a thousand small details, each of which influences what you do.

The only problem with the whole concept of “taste” is that it is very ephemeral. Some people, in general opinion, simply have it, but someone does not. Either you were born “with taste” and you will always be cool, or you were a bydlovatoe log, created for shitty work. But I would not say that.

Taste is basically the ability of the eye to determine the details that are important, and this is a thing that can be easily learned. And what is the basis for comprehending the world? Comparison! This is the best way to understand what is important and what is not, for example, paying attention to great and "so-so" works.
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True, this will really require focus and dedication, but nothing is impossible. Someone just predisposed, but anyone can seize it. What to expect?