Time Suck: 7 Ways A Designer Loses Value by Bryan
June 26, 2008 in Design Strategy with 5 Comments
Ten years of managing the design process has taught me a few key ideas. Here is a short list of the ways I've seen designers lose their value in a project and suggestions for how to get energy flowing and work your way out of it.
- Creative block. Eh. Things need to get done. If the left brain isn't working, switch to the right brain. Find a method to get the ideas out on the table. Force them out.
- Wrong tool. Photoshop is great for visualizing ideas, but it isn't ideal for rapidly exploring ideas. Use appropriate tools for different phases of a project.
- Details too soon. Design is in the details, but the idea isn't the details. Focus on details at the right point in the iterative process.
- Wrong conversations. Don't get stuck trying to figure out the purpose of the page while working on the rounded corners in Photoshop. Having a conversation about the "business goals" while in implementation mode is a recipe for disaster.
- Follow through. Starting and stopping can be a huge momentum killer if things can't get done. Binge sessions are necessary to get closure on an idea.
- Business goals lost. Staring at a computer screen and creating beautiful curves for extended blocks of time creates distance from the business goals of design. Be nimble.
- Designing for the screen. Design for the eye, not the screen. Good design is made by people to solve a problem for other people. 10 hours in front of a monitor will convince you that the problem you've solved is solved *by* Photoshop. Shake that idea off.
Have another to add?
5 Comments
Jessica says:
When I have a creative block when I'm starting a project I always think about how I want my visitors to feel when they visit the site, and how easy it is to use. I'm a fan of simple design that evokes a feeling from the visitor/reader.
Bryan says:
Jessica, empathy is a great way to visualize success. You also need a healthy dose of 'how does this pay the bills' thinking too.
Jeremy says:
Plays solo artist. Sometimes all it takes is an inspired binge by one designer to generate a great idea and follow it through. More often than not, this approach paints even a good designer in a corner.
Design is a social activity that gets you up and out of your seat and presenting your ideas to a team early and often. You want to make sure the good concepts are battle tested before you put them in front of a client or customers. The lone designer's value goes down over time if they aren't working closely with other designers.
Ryan says:
5b. Stay focused. Sometimes it can be helpful to turn off email, IM, Facebook... Whatever it takes to get in into the zone and follow through to the finish.
Jerome says:
Embrace Learning - New ideas come along every day but good value is had by employing the best of what you know with a twist of what's to come. Learning something new can motivate you and give your designs a new energy.
Add your comment...