Truly great design requires confidence. Why? Two reasons. First, because great design is design that has not been seen before, and therefore requires boldness and an ability to present new ideas onto a client and a population that are not typically welcome to new things. Second, because great design tends to be simple design. And simple design is scary to present to a client. Thanks for the thousands of dollars, now here’s a green square. And yet the most memorable, long-lasting, quality designs are often times the simplest ones.
Therefore, the greatest designer might not necessarily be the most visually talented one, but is rather the one that is bold enough to stop himself, say ‘that’s enough’, and present a very basic idea to his audience. Conversely, it is the insecure, unconfident designer that will not be comfortable with simplicity. He will layer his work again and again with decoration and needless forms to prove his worth, justify his fee, and hide his nakedness.