I think it's important that a designer has a philosophy when it comes to design, I also think it is important that perspective clients get a feel of a designers philosophy in order to be able to pick the right designer for the right job. Design for me is not a job, I am one of the lucky people that love what I do, turning an abstact idea into something useable, readable and goodlooking is what I live for. Design is by no means a way of making "big bucks" and quite frankly, a designer who is in it for the money will never deliver good artwork. Design, like any other form of art is a way to express feelings & emotions, even if graphic design might have a few pre-set parameters. A good design incorporates allot of things. By no means can you write a formula for a 'good design' but there are certain things that makes a design 'work'. A design has to be an artwork, a thing of beauty BUT also it has to be functional, unique, easily readable, good looking and simple. Money doesn't really come into it, obviously everyone has to eat. But a designer should not be thinking of the paycheck while designing.