I've recently had a discussion with a co-worker about the so called "like factor." When presenting a design, is "I Like It" enough of a reasoning behind it? Not to me. Is it a necessary component? Yes. I have a strong belief in explaining what you're all about. When presenting a design, I like to hear the story and the message behind your choices. You receive a brief, and have a number of specific things your design must do, but how you do that could go hundreds of ways. WHY you do it is the most interesting part, not to mention, the part that could help you win awards. Most designers out there are more interested in how something looks and they don't stop to think about what it's communicating. You can't plop a logo in front of your client and say "I like this, choose this one," or "This one is green, I like this one." Your client shouldn't choose a design based on looks and colors, they should choose the design that best communicates their needs, which is where the why comes in handy. Designs should have a selling point - the message - the reason behind the design. Now I'm sure you're saying, 'I do that already, what's the big deal?' As long as you give the why, and you're accomplishing the necessary communication, then "I like it" is a perfectly acceptable response, it is also a necessary response. So without going on a multi-page rant, give thought behind your design, tell us why you did what you did and what it's communicating and your result shall hopefully end in "I like it."
