Archive for the ‘rant’ Category
Pixels & Ephemera
October 18th, 2008Web design is a maligned field. Maligned because it is by nature a visual medium everyone can see, but not always understand. How often do you hear the phrase “I’m not designer…but I think…” or, for artists, the popular variation “I’m no artist…but everyone can have an opinion.” Really? Can you? Other disciplines or fields of study have litmus tests. In sports we have the execution of physical mechanics, combined with natural ability and experience. There are tangible things that separate us from them. We can enjoy sports, play them, be part of the sport, but when I play tennis I’m under no illusion that my opinion or play on the court matters as much as that of Rafael Nadal or Roger Fedderer.
In Web site development, unless we’re interested in looking under the hood, we don’t see how it works. Either it works, or it doesn’t. We can ‘feel’ if an application is responsive and reliable, and to be sure, there is beauty, artistry and creativity in software development – this is not a post pitting development vs. creative direction.
What designers do is mysterious, ephemeral, and does have requirements for critique. To have equal opinion just by virtue of the fact that you can see what’s in front of you is akin to becoming a music critic on account of the two ears attached to your head. It involves gut instincts that can’t be taught, constant practice and introspection. By all means, engage, have an opinion and critique, but remember this one thing: good design is hard.
Tags: design, rant
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