EPISODE · Feb 25, 2026 · 1H 2M
Good Taste: A Skill, A Sensibility, Or A Social Signal? | Feb 23, 2026
from Monday Meeting · host Monday Meeting
In this themed discussion episode, host Jen Van Horn leads a wide-ranging conversation about defining "good taste" in the creative industry.This episode covers:"Good taste" as a buzzword: The phrase has become overused and under-defined, leaving emerging artists frustrated with no clear benchmark to work toward — especially as it increasingly comes up in conversations about standing out from AI.Taste is subjective and cyclical: What's considered good taste today was often criticized or rejected in the past, from the Impressionists to flashy gradients finding their way into major brand campaigns. Taste shifts constantly and no single standard holds forever.Taste vs. experience: Rather than an innate quality, taste is better understood as accumulated experience — the ability to discern, articulate, and connect creative decisions to context and audience over time.Soul over technical perfection: Technical correctness gets work into consideration, but distinctiveness and personal voice are what make it stand out. Pursuing perfection at the expense of finishing and sharing work can actively hold artists back.Don't chase trends: By the time you arrive at a trend, it's already moved on. Learning from trends is valuable, but building a point of view is more sustainable than following someone else's agenda.Good taste in client work is a conversation: In freelance and client contexts, taste is less about personal aesthetic and more about listening carefully, mirroring client language, and aligning creative vision with their goals through the discovery process -but also recognizing when you’re not the right fit!Artist vs. designer distinction: Personal artistic expression and client work operate by different rules. When working for a client, the job is to solve their problem — separating that from personal art practice is a healthy and necessary boundary.Upcoming Events/Schedule:Next week: Open discussion on branding and marketing strategies, hosted by Lee SmaltGame night: March 4th (Gartic Phone)Visit MondayMeeting.org for this episode and other conversations from the motion design community!SHOW NOTES:Monday Meeting PatreonMonday Meeting DiscordMondayMeeting LinkedInMondayMeeting InstagramMondayMeeting BlueskyMondayMeeting Newsletter“Good Taste” LinkedIn Discussion
What this episode covers
In this themed discussion episode, host Jen Van Horn leads a wide-ranging conversation about defining "good taste" in the creative industry.This episode covers:"Good taste" as a buzzword: The phrase has become overused and under-defined, leaving emerging artists frustrated with no clear benchmark to work toward — especially as it increasingly comes up in conversations about standing out from AI.Taste is subjective and cyclical: What's considered good taste today was often criticized or rejected in the past, from the Impressionists to flashy gradients finding their way into major brand campaigns. Taste shifts constantly and no single standard holds forever.Taste vs. experience: Rather than an innate quality, taste is better understood as accumulated experience — the ability to discern, articulate, and connect creative decisions to context and audience over time.Soul over technical perfection: Technical correctness gets work into consideration, but distinctiveness and personal voice are what make it stand out. Pursuing perfection at the expense of finishing and sharing work can actively hold artists back.Don't chase trends: By the time you arrive at a trend, it's already moved on. Learning from trends is valuable, but building a point of view is more sustainable than following someone else's agenda.Good taste in client work is a conversation: In freelance and client contexts, taste is less about personal aesthetic and more about listening carefully, mirroring client language, and aligning creative vision with their goals through the discovery process -but also recognizing when you’re not the right fit!Artist vs. designer distinction: Personal artistic expression and client work operate by different rules. When working for a client, the job is to solve their problem — separating that from personal art practice is a healthy and necessary boundary.Upcoming Events/Schedule:Next week: Open discussion on branding and marketing strategies, hosted by Lee SmaltGame night: March 4th (Gartic Phone)Visit MondayMeeting.org for this episode and other conversations from the motion design community!SHOW NOTES:Monday Meeting PatreonMonday Meeting DiscordMondayMeeting LinkedInMondayMeeting InstagramMondayMeeting BlueskyMondayMeeting Newsletter“Good Taste” LinkedIn Discussion
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Good Taste: A Skill, A Sensibility, Or A Social Signal? | Feb 23, 2026
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