Great design

Earlier this week, a few designers got together to discuss great design. What is great design and how can we move toward creating more great experiences? As we went around the room discussing this, iPhone was mentioned repeatedly, as was Google maps. For me, great design isn't just about hollow interaction. Its also about functional. It has to have the perfect combination of interactivity and functionality. And while iPhone is a perfect example of this, I'm hard pressed to think of any web sites recently that have completely amazed me.

Typically, I cite Netflix and Pandora of sites that I think have a great experience. For as much content as Netflix contains, it delivers it concisely and doesn't ever distract the user from its primary task. I love that. The only thing its missing is tags.

Pandora also has a very nice interface. Everything makes sense, its where it should be I know what I'm listening to, and what I've listened to. It's a nice experience and a great product. Pandora uses very subtle visual cues which I also like, because I'm not overwhelmed by imagery and color.

Blogger also has a pretty intituitive interface. The dashboard is nice and clean with all the controls in the right area. I don't have to hunt or search, its all there plus more if I want to do more.

I'm still thinking about this, and will post as I continue to find great design.

Trusting my instincts

In my career as a designer I've noticed two things about myself. My instincts are pretty spot on, and I have a tendency to underestimate myself. This year I've had some great ideas on some of our products and designs, I've pitched them to some of my managers, colleagues and co-workers to a weak reception. Suddenly, a few months later someone important notices the issue and it becomes a priority for someone to fix it. This happened again last week. The only problem is that even though it was my idea, that was overlooked and the project was given to someone else.

I've decided that in order for this to not happen again, I will alert my managers of the issues and jump right into designing the better experience. I think just bringing up the issue isn't enough, but I need to show that I have a better designed experience. Next time, when managers are looking for someone to fix it, I can print out my files and show them my concepts. I chalk this up to a learning experience. I let it happen twice already, and next time I'll be ready.