Building websites typically involves several participants, each specializing in specific tasks like project management, strategy, information architecture, programming, and of course design. But I’ve been thinking – aren’t almost all of the members of the project team responsible for designing the website? Why does someone have to be a Photoshop jockey to be considered a designer?
Archive for the ‘Uncommon Sense’ Category
What is a Designer?
Saturday, December 20th, 2008
What’s Wrong With Easy? How to Achieve Simple Goals
Friday, December 12th, 2008I recently participated in a team building exercise where teams were responsible for designing and building sculptures out of canned goods. After the structures are built and judged, the canned goods are donated to shelters and food banks to feed the hungry.
During the brainstorming process when our team was determining what to build, several ideas were presented—including mosaics, user interfaces, corporate logos, sculptures of food and immersive physical environments. The ambiguity and complexity of each idea varied, but I noticed an interesting trend: many of the less abstract ideas were dismissed by members of the group as “too easy.” This got me thinking, what’s wrong with easy?