When I’m writing code to add a new feature or change an existing one, I try to listen to the little nagging voices I hear about the details. What I want to do is cover all the necessary parts, consider all the cases I can, and make sure that there are good reasons for the [...]
Entries Tagged as 'design'
More on criticism
February 24th, 2011 · No Comments · business, design, work
Nice response from Andi Farr to my post about criticism. He raises a good point: Once the work is launched, it’s another story – even if they were to agree with incoming criticism, the prospect of going back to a client to say “we did this wrong” is an uninviting one. I agree that criticism [...]
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How do we criticise web work?
February 21st, 2011 · No Comments · design, learning, work
A local web design agency that I used to admire has started to churn out insipid work. It’s made me think about this aversion we have for talking publicly about this kind of thing. I don’t want to name them, and I’d consider it rude if I did, but I don’t know where this politeness [...]
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Why is it so hard to subscribe to a blog?
February 5th, 2011 · 1 Comment · design, internet
So I’m reading a blog (hosted by Blogger, now owned by Google) in my browser (Chrome, built by Google) and I decide I want to subscribe to it in Google Reader (also a Google product don’t you know) and I have to scroll right down to the bottom of the page to find a button [...]
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Spec work does not equal design
June 30th, 2010 · 1 Comment · business, design, work
In website design, speculative work stems from the idea of the designer as an artist. The idea that each designer has an identifiable style. The idea that the designer approaches each project with the main aim of creating something new, as opposed to building on what has worked well in the past. Also the belief that [...]
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This Website is an Elephant
December 16th, 2009 · No Comments · design, internet
Metaphors are a great way to improve the way you think about what you’re working on. But they can also limit the way you think about something. I overheard someone describe their website as being like a brochure for their company. Personally, I think that’s a big mistake. Brochures are something you deliver to someone, [...]
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Quick! Redesign the logo!
November 11th, 2009 · No Comments · design, marketing
Here is Steve Jobs talking about Paul Rand who designed the logo for NeXT computers: Steve makes the point that companies have to spend 10 years and a hundred million dollars to associate a logo with a company in the customer’s mind. And this is the key thing that is overlooked in most discussions about [...]
Tags:logo·Paul Rand·Steve Jobs·Windscale
Design that helps nobody
February 11th, 2009 · 1 Comment · design
The most striking thing about this bench is that the seat is angled towards the ground. To sit here, you have to brace yourself with your feet, which causes strain and discomfort. The seat is also very narrow and has a back that offers very little support. If I was designing a bench, my main [...]
Chicago from the air
August 8th, 2008 · No Comments · design
Chicago looks great from the air. Miles of tiny suburbs and then suddenly a short burst of skyscrapers and then Lake Michigan to the horizon. The building height here is kind of like a Black Swan. The average height is probably just above normal house height, which tells you nothing. It doesn’t describe the suburbs [...]
Tags:average·black swan·Chicago
Free textures
July 15th, 2008 · No Comments · design
CG Textures is a great site that gives away pretty good texture images for use as you see fit. I needed some for a project I’m working on, and these are better than a lot of the dross I’ve found.