Tag Archives: design

Not Creating User Experiences

Dec
9
2010

an empty Perth hay st mall on a late night shopping night, with no one around - the perfect experience

It’s a little frustrating and amusing at the same time.  Of late I have been reading and talking with a fair few designers who are sprouting on about building and creating user experiences.

Er, No.   You have it wrong.

Let’s consider this for a moment, (yes I’m being picky).

Yes that’s right they said they are building, creating the user experience for the web site concerned.

They are so sure of their design abilities that they can state that when the audience arrives at the said site they will have the exact experience they had planned and designed.

Redesigning the World, maybe not

Jul
14
2010

Butterfly

Lately  there has been a resurgence in the discussion over using design for the greater good. From using design principles at the boardroom table, to solving third world problems with better interaction design.  Who are we really kidding!

While the concepts are very noble and I can see how it can be done. There really needs to be a dose of reality in all this.

The overriding principle is that we can change the world through design. We do this by influencing everything we design.  Such that we are producing high quality products that take into account sustainability, inclusivity and still focus on the business and audiences at hand.

Capturing Creativity

Mar
14
2010

Coffee Creativity

Creativity is a strange beast. Often creativity is blocking us, running away.  We often talk about it, discuss it at length and even say it can be learned.  Sometimes it’s even hard to find that creative spark.  However what is creativity.   In reality creativity is a hard thing to define as a  specific reproducible item.

Doesn’t help that creativity is different things to different people.

You see creativity can be related to the newer western principle of making products, building things for a purpose, the expression of scientific or technological innovation.  Where as in older cultures, there has always been an undertone for creativity being more for personal fulfilment, private goal setting, the taking of an inner journey.

Failing at Design

Feb
28
2010

Too Much Lego

I was talking to the local UPA Perth chapter (in formation) about aspects of UX visualisation.  It was an interesting topic that brought up a good number of discussion points.

One point was on the design process. The way we design.  The way that we just don’t allow ourselves time to fail at the design.  Or if we do, it is hidden in the back room so we can appear to be “magical design wizards” that produce the perfect product, interface design, IA or the like.