Ken.
I've been thinking further about bases and feet (I know, that's dangerous!)
I believe what really matters is what YOU like! But how will you know unless you experiment, look, and feel? One important thing to me is how the piece feels in the hand - does it feel top heavy, balanced, bottom heavy? As someone illustrated, how would the form look without the base? How will the piece look when turned over to reveal the bottom? How stable does it need to be?
Besides asking on a forum, maybe show pieces to a friend or to a turning club meeting and ask for critique. (That can be brutal at times!)
I personally believe it is vital to turn many different designs to discover what you like and don't like. I've experimented with lots different styles and shapes over the years. For things I want to be very stable, I prefer a wide foot. On some I have no foot. Since people almost always turn it over and look at the bottom, I sometimes turn detail within the foot. People seem to like the little surprises on the bottom (and inside a lid).
One thing that almost always helps me is to make a sketch of a form I'm considering, often with several variations. I can usually visualize the piece from the sketch.
After a while I discover some things I personally like a lot and others, not so much! I keep very few but I take pictures of almost everything. When considering a form, I may review old pictures for ideas.
This is a small sample of a few shapes and feet I've generally liked, for one reason or another. Some are large, some quite small.
I won't show pictures of those I've thrown out.
View attachment 68721
Ha, this reminds me of a story about the worst bowl I ever made. It was so bad I was about to throw in in the fire by the barn when my favorite veterinarian came by to look at a horse. When she exclaimed about the bowl on the ground I asked if she would like to have it, maybe for cat food. My only condition was she promise to NEVER, EVER tell anyone who made it! She promised. Fast forward a few months: I attended a party at their place. When I walked in, I saw the bowl on the table with nuts or candy or something. She said, "Hey everybody, this is John. He's the one who made this bowl!"
JKJ
