The quilting design is very important because it highlights the parts of the quilt that you want the viewer to notice first.
How do I choose it? Well, quite often I don't, or if I do it takes me forever and a lot of ripping out because i did something and then didn't like it. I have a very tough time figuring out a design and then making it work, which is why I have a number of tops sandwiched and partly quilted. Especially on a "special" quilt that I have, I'm sort of paralyzed because I'm afraid to make a mistake and wreck it.
I recently purchased a sit down machine and am getting used to it and find you can really cover a lot of real estate with one of those! So, I will be taking on one of my big quilts again on it.
I was terrible on a long arm, but do OK FMQ-ing and ruler work-wise on the sit down.
I think a meander can look quite nice on a lot of quilts and is very good for quilts that are going to be used a lot.
Watson