Polish

The best design is often in taking off the shelf components and adapting them to suit a project's needs in such a way that they become completely integrated.

There's an example of this I've had in my head since I first saw it in Vegas three years ago. At the Treasure Island (...excuse me... TI) resort/casino in Las Vegas there is a nightly outdoor spectacular (whose name is so rediculous I won't repeat it here).

In order to accomodate the 50-some odd moving lights in their eco-dome housings, the designers themed them as crow's nest. Now this is not exactly going to rewrite the rules of art. But it takes the eco-dome, the bright white weather-proof housings seen in every theme park in the country, and makes them location appropriate. Doing so brings a level of polish and completeness to the project that I think all of us who consider us "designers" should have in all of our projects.

I wish the photo was better. The integration is a lot more seemless in real life.