It's interesting when talking to other designers about how we communicate our work to non designers. I think one of the pitfalls that we all fall victim to is to attempt to communicate our passion for what we do, as opposed to communicating what our work actually entails. Similarly, if we as designers do our work well we won't need to explain the passion behind our products because that passion will have been translated into the product itself. I alone cannot do justice in defining something that is perceptually, of culture, ideas, passion, form, and function. As close as I can get is that culture, society, decides what good design is.
Good design is essentially part of society, with it's ideas, passion, form, and function.
In ancient times good design was a pyramid, passion in perfection, idea with it's sides lined up north, south, east, and west perfectly, it's form was of a pyramid, and it's function was to house the dead. Now a building of our time has it's own idea, passion, form, and function that is influenced by culture of the society. This is why things might be good design in Europe might not be good design in the United States. European culture is different, European ideas, passions, forms, and functions are different. It thus leads me to say good design to me will be the one which will make difference to the life of people in place like india.