On Taste
Taste versus preference
Taste is one of those words that sounds either pretentious or vague depending on who says it. But I think it's actually one of the most useful concepts in any creative field — and one of the most misunderstood.
Taste is not the same as preference. Preferring minimal design isn't taste. Taste is the ability to perceive the difference between something that works and something that almost works. It's sensitivity to the gap.
The taste gap
The interesting thing about taste is that it almost always develops ahead of skill. You see this in anyone who's early in a craft — they can tell when their work isn't quite right, but they don't yet have the ability to fix it. Ira Glass called this the taste gap. It's uncomfortable to live in, but it's proof that you're paying attention.
How taste develops
What I've found is that taste improves through exposure and reflection — not just consuming a lot, but being intentional about why something works. Noticing the specific choices that make something good. Writing it down.
That's partly why I'm starting this.