> "Good taste" is just another phrase that means "style that I prefer". There is no such thing as an objective ideal of good taste.

Strongly disagreed overall. I agree that there are plenty of situations where it is indeed just a matter of preference and is very subjective. But it is disingenous to claim that there is never such a thing as an objectively better preference.

Literally the specific example we are talking about in this thread - plastic prototype iPhone screens and keys scratching them. Is it really not objectively better to have a screen made of materials that don't get scratched by keys in your pocket easily? I don't think it is subjective at all.

"Taste" refers to aesthetics. The plastic screen example isn't related to taste, it's related to functionality.

I would say it is a good taste to consider this a problem important enough to address it, while all you competitors are aware of it and just don't think of it as something in need of a solution.

I think we aren't using the same definition of "taste" here. I think that considering that problem important enough to address was good business, but not related to "taste".

Going with the vision of one man, and the "style that he prefers" is often better than design by committee, or data-driven decisions that end up in the best case being a bland product that nobody hates, and in the worst case in a crappy product designed with the interest of the companies that produces it and its partners before the interests of the users/customers.