Tag: design

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Design

Genius Designer – Are you one?

So there has been a lot of talk lately as to what is the best approach to digital design. Should it be user focused? Should it be data driven? How much does any of that matter? Can data driven design be the wrong approach?

Well last night my wife (@alexaseretti) and I got into a discussion about a 3rd type of designer or design team. The GENIUS DESIGNER. From a great article by Jared Spool:

Genius design is a sophisticated approach to making design decisions. Through deep study of similar projects, a team learns what works and what doesn’t. This makes the team more valuable over time, bringing it to a new level with every subsequent project. We’re seeing more teams take the plunge with the genius design approach. It’s a great way to move away from the commoditization of design work, while delivering real value to clients.

I personally consider myself a hybrid between a user focused designer and a genius designer (although I think that title is cheesy). My career has focused me on 4 particular “genius” subjects. Financial, eCommerce, Healthcare and more generically Branding. Any designer who has spent any amount of time with a client or working in-house has probably developed some of these “genius” skills.

I think this all leads me to the approach Google has taken in the past couple of years. It’s a cross between focusing on the user and the data but letting the designer, the “genius”, add their 2 cents. They can really help focus the design taking into consideration the other factors and adding a style to things that is just as important. This has proven to work for them and it shows.

Categories
Design Development UX

Jack of all trades, master of none? I think not.

Is a line being drawn in the sand about what makes a Web Designer?

Possibly. While i agree with some of this excellent article written by GORKA MOLERO, there are some parts of it that are a stretch for me.
I have a lot of respect for Andy Rutldge but I’ve never really agreed with this:

‘A designer who does not write markup and css is not designing for the web, but drawing pictures’

I think there is always going to be a seat in the room for a UX/UI designer that isn’t necessarily an expert at Front-End/CSS or jQuery. Personally I would trust a UX/UI designer to craft the look and feel of a site/product over an expert coder. I mean, have you seen sites created by IT teams or people that have spent the past few years becoming an expert coder? YIPES! I think a designer and developer is a team not one person. This team should be the best at what they do and be able to finish each others sentences so the product is as good as it can be. They should be able to talk each others language and even dabble a bit in each others world. But leave the code to the coders and the design to the designers. Agile and Lean UX/UI techniques play well in this scheme if you have the resources.

I think when you ask one person to be great at both design and development, they suffer from being a “Jack of all trades, master of none.” This produces a sub-par product. But just my 2 cents.

Categories
Design

UX Design Philosophy

I was asked recently by a fellow creative what my UX and Design philosophy is. I was taken back by the fact that I didn’t have a solid answer for him. I’ve been bouncing this around in my head for the past few days or weeks or however long it’s been, and I think I can finally put it into words. Before working at Dicks Sporting Goods, my philosophy for digital creative was actually more of a differentiator between what I thought digital vs traditional creative was. “Traditional creative is simply consumed. Digital creative is actually being used. It is a product, not just a pretty picture. It has to WORK.”

“The user is ALWAYS right. I am NEVER the user.”

To me this says it all. No matter what you think you know about design, or usability, or creativity, if the end user doesn’t get it, you fail.

This is at the core of what being creative is all about. If you can open your mind up to the fact that you’re not always right, in fact you’re probably usually wrong about what your end user thinks, then you’ve reached a point in your career that you can truly be a creative. This is what separates digital/ux creatives apart from the rest. We want to know what works, what converts, what makes the needle move. We can actually go out and find out what works and what doesn’t, we can test and iterate and modify our product to best meet the needs of our users or our clients users. This doesn’t make us less creative, quite the opposite.

This philosophy is worth more to me than an ADDY or WEBBY because to me, at this point in my career, a satisfied user is the real prize in this game of digital marketing. Some might not find that appealing as a creative or marketer, but it’s what gets me up every day.

 

 

 

Categories
Design Tech/Gadgets

Innovation By Design | Co.Design: business + innovation + design

I typically think awards are lame and prove nothing (it’s about the numbers more than the awards) but there is still some great design work in this article, and it’s not all interactive work.

I find searching for different types of creative innovation helps inspire me. Much like taking a walk clears your head.

Check it out: Innovation By Design | Co.Design: business + innovation + design.

There is a specific section for Interactive work also.

 

Categories
Links

Single Serving Sites < my next obsession

Single Serving Sites.

Thinking of what one as we speak. Stay tuned.

Categories
Links

A great read for any designer out there!


One of the designers I follow and respect on Twitter, @iamfinch put together a great article the other day titled Failure by Design. Talking about how failure in design is a must if you want to grow as a designer. I agree. I fail all the time, so I like this idea. HAHAHA His “Lego Designer” analogy is spot on too. Good stuff.

Categories
Video

VOTD: America Is F*cked! (Graphically at Least) NSFW

I’ve felt this way for a while but this guys puts it into a story that I think all quality designers can relate to. I see so much mediocrity that gets through the “approvals” that it makes my mind explode. How the hell did these designers even find a job? Are there really that few good designers out there? Have I been underestimating my talent and eye? OY!

Since working at a large financial institution I’ve probably seen more garbage come from these smaller agencies than I ever thought was possible, and it’s scary that these concepts and designs get approved.

There is such a need for a Creative Director in these situations. Someone who can see what’s good and what’s not and hold those responsible for the shit work to the flame.

The hammer of Thor should be used way more in this business and it’s not.. sad really.

Categories
Images

Clever Shirt Woot today: Where Cursors Come From

Get one here.

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Links

iPad Stencils and Templates for wireframing, such as…

If you’re looking to create an app for the iPad or you want to see how your design will look framed out on an iPad check out these useful stencil and templates, yo!