Good Taste Is a Business Skill
Why Aesthetic Judgement Has Real Commercial Value
- Markus Pichorner
TL;DR
Good taste is not a luxury or personal quirk. It shapes perception, credibility, and user behaviour. In creative and digital work, aesthetic judgement has very real commercial consequences.
“Good taste” is often misunderstood. People treat it as something vague, subjective, or purely artistic. In creative work and business, good taste is far more practical. It is a decision making tool.
Good taste is not about decoration
Taste influences what you choose to include, what you deliberately leave out, and how everything works together. Layouts, colours, typography, pacing, imagery, sound. These are not random creative preferences. They shape perception.
Every visual decision sends a signal. Professional or amateur. Premium or cheap. Trustworthy or questionable. Clear or confusing. Taste directly affects how a brand is experienced before a single word is read.
Perception drives behaviour
People rarely evaluate design rationally. They react instinctively. A well judged visual identity or piece of content feels coherent and intentional. That feeling translates into credibility.
Credibility influences action. Whether someone stays on a website, watches a video, engages with a brand, or makes a purchase. Taste quietly affects business outcomes.
Good taste reduces friction
Strong aesthetic judgement simplifies decisions. Instead of endlessly debating options, teams move faster because there is a shared sense of what fits and what does not.
This does not mean uniformity or safe choices. It means alignment. When design decisions feel consistent, users experience less confusion and more clarity.
Taste is developed, not gifted
Good taste is built through exposure, curiosity, and repeated evaluation. Seeing what works, what ages well, what feels timeless versus trendy. It is closer to pattern recognition than mysterious talent.
In that sense, taste is a professional skill. Just like strategy or communication.