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Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Content-Driven Design – Let’s Throw out Tradition

First off, I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to all the emails and Twitter messages I’ve received over the impending redesign of Tripping Words; it is going slowly but steadily. The new website design will pay closer heed (albeit with a hint of measured defiance!) to proven aesthetic principles and more importantly it will feature a more robust content-driven interface. 

 

First off, I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to all the emails and Twitter messages I’ve received over the impending redesign of Tripping Words; it is going slowly but steadily. The new website design will pay closer heed (albeit with a hint of measured defiance!) to proven aesthetic principles and more importantly it will feature a more robust content-driven interface. 

With that in mind, today’s article will address my own personal opinions (and gripes) on what the term “content-driven” means to designers/bloggers within the design fraternity. This piece will also serve as an “advanced-justification” to certain trends and stylistic treatments I’ve adopted for the new design.

The Boring Definition – Bla…Bla…Bla

In the most traditional usage of the word, content-driven websites are ultimately more focused in how primary content is presented and delivered to an online audience. Factors pertaining to web-usability and readability emerge at the fore-front when one discusses issues of content. Good web copy and content need to be supported by a sound foundational structure – design. While it is true that content informs design, design should also aid in nurturing the quality of content and emphasize why the stuff you write on your website is worth reading. 

I will be first to admit that the practice of designing for content was something which I (rather ignorantly) glossed over when conceptualizing the original design of Tripping Words. If the pull-factor of your website lies in your content, then it is entirely necessary to adopt a design structure that breathes life into the words you so painstakingly churn out on a regular basis. But is our understanding of content-driven web pages correctly conceived? I think not.   

Why Reader Comments Should Never be Displayed at the Bottom of Your Post

Why do design bloggers/designers (including myself) remain adamant on having reader-comments posted at the bottom of each blog post? Logically speaking, it does makes sense to have the comments displayed after each post, because it ensures that the reader is able to fully decipher the content before proceeding to comment (duh!). There is however a serious flaw in the presentational philosophy of comments.

Reader comments are perhaps the most valuable aspect of a content-driven website. It is a reflection of how discursively engaged your readers are with the content at hand. I do believe that reader comments should be realigned to meet centrally with the main featured article. This means that readers will be able to read the article and also enjoy the comments simultaneously. Web-usability evangelists will probably beat me up for saying this, but I’ve started to get used to these verbal barrages.

While some might feel that a central display for both comments and articles together will be overtly overwhelming for readers, I feel it encourages more discussion. The truth is, many readers often skim over an article but pay more attention to the comments generated from it because they are shorter and generally more succinct and they also provide an overview of what the article is really about. It is my (although empirically unsupported) belief that most online readers rarely read an entire article. It would not surprise me if most of the visitors here on Tripping Words, pay attention to the sub-headings only. That is the general browsing behaviour of an online audience – fleeting and distracted. This is not a good reader/bad reader argument; it is simply an established fact.

Feed the Distraction, Don’t fight it

By displaying reader comments in a more prominent place that is visible together with the main article, we are effectively feeding this distraction, and this, as silly as it sounds, is a good thing. Readers are then pronged from their taciturn zones and encouraged to react and follow the stream of conversation. While an information-overload can present an obvious headache, there is an inner part in all of us that screams for visual/intellectual stimulation; we want our eyes to be kept busy and entertained. Reams of text from a single article often induce a kind of drowsiness which in turn translates to a reader clicking away onto another page. If the front landing page of your website is also the top exit page, then this is probably the case. 

My rule for content-driven design is to always sustain the reader’s attention for as long as possible, and by keeping comments and articles adjoined positionally (with proper white spacing etc), we might just get readers playing to our tune. The principle may seem contradictory at first but by increasing reader “distraction” we might get the right kind of attention; the kind of attention that is directed to the conversational flow of an article/post, rather than a fleeting/fragmented attention to “content-peripherals” such as the sub-headings of a particular article. 

Readers Write the Content

Readers are more important than we think. They effectively write the content of article-driven websites, through their comments and various types of responses. Reader comments often shape our perception on the quality of content that is presented. While this is perhaps an unfair assertion to make, it is a regrettably honest one. If an article receives quality comments (either in terms of quantity or quality), it would automatically be endorsed as a website’s most prized asset.

Show Readers the Respect they Deserve

Since readers are also authors, show them the respect they deserve. It would be great if reader comments themselves could be presented in a fashion that is similar to the main article. Having a simple “By: Author-Name” bar line and allowing headings for comments would effectively place a higher level of importance on reader comments, while at the same time encouraging more readers to take the plunge into adding their own response to an already elegantly presented pool of buzzing comments.

My Question to You: 

Are you ready to break with tradition and explore fresher alternatives to how content is presented online?

Side Note: The New Design

Well, here is a preview (it hardly qualifies as a “preview” but it shows what I am working on!) of the new design direction of Tripping Words. I’ve practiced some of the pointers mentioned above and also taken a keen interest in visual detail. A full screenshot of the whole design will be up in due course.

On a related note, I can also assure you that I’ve moved away from my radical experiments with line-height ratios and adopted a more reasonable font-display measurement that should render decently in all good browsers/resolutions. I understand the discomfort perpetuated for some readers who dislike larger display fonts etc. But nevertheless, in the name of character and tradition (of Tripping Words), line-heights/fonts in this current iteration will not be adjusted until the new design is up.

Would love to hear your responses!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Redesigning Personal Projects – A Critical Analysis

We’ve all experienced the occasional (and sometimes rather persistent) itch to redesign and rebrand our existing portfolios or blog homepages. As designers, it has become part of an instinctual response to search for new ways to reconceptualise our online presence and identity for an ever evolving audience with rising expectations. Redesigning is very much like an anticipated sugar rush; it engulfs your mind with positive ambition, drive and inspiration (serves as a nice pick-me-up) but it can also be the source of many impending headaches. This article explores the 3 noteworthy dilemmas involved in redesigning a personal project and how to overcome them.

We’ve all experienced the occasional (and sometimes rather persistent) itch to redesign and rebrand our existing portfolios or blog homepages. As designers, it has become part of an instinctual response to search for new ways to reconceptualise our online presence and identity for an ever evolving audience with rising expectations. Redesigning is very much like an anticipated sugar rush; it engulfs your mind with positive ambition, drive and inspiration (serves as a nice pick-me-up) but it can also be the source of many impending headaches. This article explores the 3 noteworthy dilemmas involved in redesigning a personal project and how to overcome them. 

Problem 1: How Personal Should I Get? 

Redesigning a personal project presents a greater challenge than commercial/freelance work. In the latter, designers are expected to work within the confines of the stipulated requirements provided by the client while in the former, the designer is faced with the mammoth task of expressing his/her own voice from scratch, without an external, presiding voice. Being your own client is the hardest of all ventures – it can in fact be a nightmarish experience. Why? Well, read on.

Designers are trained (either through formal education or experience) to express their unique styles in a myriad of ways, a trait which is deliberately suppressed in the commercial/corporate world of design work where marketability and function precedes individual stylistic essence. A personal project, at least in theory, represents a licence/opportunity to expand ones creative insights and adopt a more creative personality. This usually translates into a design which captures the designer’s own aspirations and dreams, minus the rigours of ludicrous client-specific demands.

While this usually works out fine, things begin to turn sour, when one realises, rather ironically, that there is nothing “personal” about redesigning a personal website. In fact, on the contrary, a personal website is a landing board for prospective clients and as such, it should also be designed to meet general interests rather than fulfil personal ambitions. This ultimately leaves ‘you’ out of the equation. There is also the question of how to sustain a visual balance between personal style and marketable design.

Solution: Find an Identity and Keep them Guessing

Instead of embarking on a quest to find that perfect balance between a personal and professional identity, designers should look at the redesign process as a chance to merge both identities together in a fun, quirky and engaging manner. The trick is to not only find an identity that best reflects your own self as a professional individual but one that also subtly reveals an alternate, mysterious side of your persona which demands to be looked at only because of its subtlety. 

A portfolio emblazoned with a heavily personalised signature style can potentially irritate viewers who much rather see a personality shine through design rather than explicitly show itself. People generally are more interested in areas of a design that not explicitly decipherable upon initial viewing and provoke further investigation.

Impart certain personal touches on your website redesign (e.g. illustrations which hint to the viewer in a candid way, what you are all about) and leave the rest to imagination. Representing your personal identity (not professional identity) with a certain acceptable degree of mystery is perhaps the best way to stage a well-rounded online presence, in your next redesign.

Problem 2: Should I Redesign or Realign? 

During the course of working on the redesign for Tripping Words, I often pondered, if there should be a complete overhaul in the visual essence of the site (new colour, new graphics and new everything) or should I instead opt for a more calculated and potentially less risky realignment of the website (reworking certain presentational styles but keeping the major visual indicators largely unchanged). 

Realignments are hugely popular amongst commercial websites these days and some of the major online global brands, such as Facebook, Google and even Smashing Magazine, have chosen this trendy and elegant route. At the other end of the design spectrum, there are situations when a completely fresh look can reinvigorate a brand and launch it out from the abyss of dullness and a new makeover will, if you have the right connections, generate considerable hype and targeted traffic. But which option should you choose?

Solution: If it Ain’t Broke, Realign!

Most designers simply wish to redesign because their current design seems to have wilted through the test of time (it has “aged”) while others want to accommodate their website’s growing content/information architecture into a more manageable layout. The objective behind a redesign is perhaps the most crucial element in the entire redesign process. Without a clearly established goal, a redesign will end in tragedy, in the same vein as a horribly scripted B-Grade horror movie. Drawing up a list of objectives is a great way to kick-start the redesign campaign. It is also quite possible to ascertain whether a redesign would unnecessarily complicate matters rather than solve existing problems. 

While many would be familiar with the age-old saying, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, my maxim however reads as, “if it ain’t broke, realign”. Realigning a website with a more clearly conceived and functional layout will usually solve any niggling problems, unless of course the previous design possessed major faults that required intensive restructuring. 

Realignment, in my own definition, refers to the task of reconceptualising the design environment of a website, not in terms of its aesthetic qualities, but how various sections interrelate and how the on-site information is communicated to readers in a purposeful and functional manner. Realignment is perhaps a more graceful alternative to redesign, as it examines in totality how a website operates and then addresses specific problems within an existing design, without attempting to drastically change the overall feel of a website.

Statistics have proven that readers tend to struggle in “adapting” to major redesigns as opposed to more gradual and subtle realignments that organize information and refine function rather than impose change. All personal websites should maintain a consistent personality throughout all its various iterations (past and present), as it forms the basis of how a website is remembered and hence identified.   

Problem 3: Should I Change the Content to Complement the New Design?

With a redesign on the cards (or realignment), it is common for designers to actively consider adopting new content strategies, to take advantage of this freshness in identity. The problem arises however, when the new design seems to necessitate a radical departure from the usual nature of content on the site (be it articles or lists posts). Over the past few years, during my regular browsing escapades through the design community, I’ve on occasion, noticed an almost immediate change in the nature of content for newly redesigned websites. For example, certain article-based blogs have evolved into purely resource driven community portals replete with list posts and compilations, precisely because the redesign has unintentionally altered the primary objectives of the website. As a result, the website in question upholds a different set of unproven and untested ambitions, disrupting any sense of continuity.

Solution: A Redesign Should Never “Dictate” Your Content Strategy

If your redesign compels a change in the nature of your website’s primary content, then the redesign process has effectively proven to be intrusive rather than constructive. The rationale behind a good redesign stems from knowing exactly how to design FOR your content and subsequently increase its appeal to readers.

Concluding Questions

What are your thoughts on the redesign process? How clearly should the line be drawn between professional and personal identity in design, or are they indistinguishable from each other and thus one and the same thing? Would love to hear your views!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

The Concept of “Intelligent Design” – Form vs. Function

Intelligent design is the philosophical assertion that all design options and choices (for example, the colour of your chair, the positioning of your coffee mug handle) are supported by clear reason (function); there is a concrete scientific rationale behind design and there is no instance whereby design spontaneously ‘occurs’ without prior methodical planning and regard for function. Whilst most arguments on intelligent design are often employed to explain how the universe is formed and structured (which inevitably concerns topics such as evolution and theology), the theory can also be applied specifically to the web design field. For the sake of clarity, I shall now provide two hypothetical examples to explain intelligent design from a philosophically oriented perspective.

After the heady philosophical discussion on design and originality in the previous article, I figured that it would be an opportune time to introduce something more fundamental to design theory: the concept of “intelligent design”.

Intelligent design is the philosophical assertion that all design options and choices (for example, the colour of your chair, the positioning of your coffee mug handle) are supported by clear reason (function); there is a concrete scientific rationale behind design and there is no instance whereby design spontaneously ‘occurs’ without prior methodical planning and regard for function. Whilst most arguments on intelligent design are often employed to explain how the universe is formed and structured (which inevitably concerns topics such as evolution and theology), the theory can also be applied specifically to the web design field. For the sake of clarity, I shall now provide two hypothetical examples to explain intelligent design from a philosophically oriented perspective.

Scenario 1:

Imagine holding about fifty coloured buttons in your hand and then imagine dropping all of them instinctively on the ground, without any thought or deliberation. Take note of the emergent pattern formed on the ground by the sporadically placed buttons. Would you consider that design?

An idea needs to be analysed holistically before it is applied to any sort of design framework.

 

Scenario 2:

A client asks you to design a website for a web seminar conference to be held next month. After finalizing the details, you draw up wireframes and build simple mock-ups in Photoshop before moving on to the design process proper, by hand-coding it in CSS. 

The Analysis

Proponents of the intelligent design thesis would refer to scenario 2 as a more clear-cut case of design. Scenario 1 however is a little trickier because there is no intentional purpose and function which explains the eventual pattern formed by the buttons (it is a random arrangement of buttons organized without any structured thought). As designers, we are inclined towards adopting the belief that good design represents the seamless marriage of form and function, and as such we are (whether we like it or not) subscribing to the concept of intelligent design, the hypothesis that supports logical reasoning behind design decisions.

I have to however respectfully disagree with certain (but not all) principalities concerning the notion of intelligent design. In my opinion, both Scenario 1 and 2 fall under the classification of “design” within their own independent set of terms. My main gripe with intelligent design lies in how it is used in the web design field; as a design philosophy that is rooted to a specific mould of “practical functionalism” thus disregarding the broader implications of what functionality entails.

The Fallacious Balance of Form and Function

In 1896, architect Louis Henri Sullivan announced that, “Form ever follows function.” His quote implies not so much the importance of function over form, but rather that the two are intricately intertwined and inseparable, such that one cannot co-exist without the other, in the field of design. Following Henri’s much popularised assertion; several design experts have erroneously proclaimed the need for design to find a neatly poised balance between form and function. But the truth is (at least to me), that balance doesn’t exist! There is no point in chasing intelligent design because ultimately the equilibrium between form and function is unattainable. In an industry reputed for creative flexibility, designers are expected to test and even challenge/tilt that balance to varying degrees.

If good design is about striking a perfect balance between form and function, then design would certainly be caught within the banality of uniformity and standardization.  Design exists, not to plug the gaps between form and function, but to portray a series of different configurations of how form and function interrelate. Louis’s statement on the inextricable nature of form and function is spot on, but it is often misconstrued to mean a type of “balance”. I elaborate on this later in the article. 

Great Designs Play Naughty

Great compelling designs are bold enough to challenge the metaphorical balance between form and function. Certain designs tend to veer towards form while others prefer the conservative approach of sticking by functional logic (minimalism comes to mind, although the latest argumentative trend seems to support the idea that minimalism is less about function and more about form, but that’s another debate altogether). The point is, there are no fixed rules to play by in the fluid and topsy-turvy world of design. 

Functionality and Usability are NOT the Same

Studies on web usability and user experience (UX) design are commonly interpreted as subject areas which strive towards achieving that elusive balance between form and function/utility. While these topics are specifically geared towards encouraging sound functional practices, they do not represent an effort to impose any form of symmetry between form and function. Web usability tests and user experience surveys are tools used to ascertain if a website achieves its primary objectives; they serve an institutional purpose of ensuring that the minimum browsing standards (think W3c) are met through a reader’s ability to effectively engage with the on-site content.

Research on web usability and related topics, are not supporting fulcrums that somehow initiate the balance between form and functionality. They simply suggest ways in which the medium (the web) can emerge as a more conducive space for users/readers. A design that is usable may not be functional and a functional device (a coffee maker for example) can possibly be a letdown in terms of its user-intuitiveness. World renowned usability expert, Jakob Nielsen, defined web usability as a necessary condition for online survival, and that is what it precisely is, a sine qua non for web operability rather than a determinant of the form-function equilibrium.

There is Beauty in Function and Function in Beauty

Back in the 1900’s, in the European industrial era of steamships and manufacturing machinery, function was of paramount importance to drive fledgling businesses; mass production materialised as an invaluable generator of income. These machines were often candidly referred to as “beasts” due to their sheer efficiency and durability even in disastrous weather conditions. It is however grossly inaccurate to regard these machines as lacking in form/beauty. The preciseness of the mathematical algorithms and physics behind these “beasts” contained a beauty that was inexplicable. Bertrand Russell once famously referred to the mathematical physics of the industrial age as a beauty that was “cold and austere”.

It is equally important to acknowledge that there is function in ornamentation/decoration; items that are perceivably beautiful but without an obvious functional purpose. (see Scenario 1). Design is a “social creature”; it communicates to us in a myriad of ways and it captivates our attention by instilling and provoking ideas and thoughts in our minds, even when its purpose is not explicitly known.  I’ve included an example below to further illustrate my point.

The kaleidoscope is a tube of mirrors containing loose coloured beads which produces a visually pleasing effect when viewed through one end. It has no explicit function, but it conveys its “message” through a “vocabulary of colours”. It produces a hypnotic geometry that demands our attention as we try to identify the logical patterning of various arrangements of colours. The function of the kaleidoscope lies in its aesthetic complexity, but its design emphasis remains inclined and rooted towards form rather than function.

Concluding Remarks

I certainly agree that every design has to sustain a certain degree of both form and function, but my problem with the intelligent design hypothesis stems from how these elements are often expected to co-exist harmoniously and in balance.  I will leave you with a few questions to ponder upon.

Will there ever be a balance between form and function?  Can design simply occur and manifest by sheer chance/coincidence, without us resorting to some sort of logical explanation on causality and evidence?  Do “designs” that appear unintentionally (without conscious deliberation and action on part of the “designer”), have their own independent form and function, or are they even part of design at all? Would love to hear your thoughts!

 

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

The Death of Originality in Design- Coming to Terms

Originality in the creative world is dead. If originality were a person, its obituary would have been extensively written and re-written several decades ago together with a whole series of memoirs, well before the advent of the Internet. Its demise however has not been readily acknowledged by the design community and till date, several designers are still claiming to have found “originality” in their creative endeavours. Truth be told, I am often left quietly bemused when I chance upon design portfolios emblazoned with opportunistic slogans such as these: “We make wholly original and creative websites”. Are they staging a dramatic (and historic) resurrection of an age-old concept? I think not.

 

 

Originality in the creative world is dead. If originality were a person, its obituary would have been extensively written and re-written several decades ago together with a whole series of memoirs, well before the advent of the Internet. Its demise however has not been readily acknowledged by the design community and till date, several designers are still claiming to have found “originality” in their creative endeavours. Truth be told, I am often left quietly bemused when I chance upon design portfolios emblazoned with opportunistic slogans such as these: “We make wholly original and creative websites”. Are they staging a dramatic (and historic) resurrection of an age-old concept? I think not.

  In the current postmodern era of information technology and social networking (the cast of Twitter and company please stand up), it is near impossible to stake a claim on any idea as being “original” because we live in an intelligent world of derivations – everything is a “copy” of a “copy” and some copies are more uniquely construed while others emerge as blatant “rip-offs”. I am not being cynical but the death of originality is an understood fact which we often deliberately ignore either for commercial (would you employ the services of a design studio that proclaims the death of originality?) or personal reasons. If originality has dissolved then what has taken its place? I have a proposed answer: “deception”. Read on.

Creativity and Originality are Bitter Foes Not Friends

  Creativity and originality do not bear any semblance of interconnectivity. In fact they are polar opposites. Originality in its traditional contextual usage refers to the unique invention of an idea or project, one that has not been explored previously. Creativity however acknowledges the death of originality, and it concerns itself largely with, as what George Kneller once said, “re-arranging what we know in order to find out what we do not know”. Hence, to think creatively, we must trudge through what has been done rather than engage in an aimless quest to conquer unchartered territories/avenues. If you embrace creativity (which I’m sure all designers do), then you are effectively admitting (even if you deny it) that originality has lost its proper placement in contemporary design. An idea needs to be analysed holistically before it is applied to any sort of design framework.

Subscribing to the belief that originality exists; effectively rules you out of the creative equation. Personally, I see it as a paradox and not a logical juxtaposition when someone is described as creative and original. Creativity is about building upon existing ideas, and that in definition is hardly original. Having said that, most linguistic theorists, upon hearing this, would instantaneously hurl brickbats at my direction, because as far as the dynamics of the English language is concerned, creativity is synonymous originality, and vice versa. I strongly disagree with this proposition from a design oriented perspective. Creativity and originality are on two different ends of the spectrum. 

We Are All Slaves of the Ordinary

As designers/creative individuals, we may wish to assert the integrity of imaginative vision in our projects and dislodge our association with ideas of the commonplace, but these are merely baseless desires will never be fulfilled. We are slaves of the ordinary. It is the perceivably ordinary (mainstream) concepts which provide us with the necessary structural foundations to build creatively and imaginatively. I like to think of ordinariness as the “democratic ticket” into the world of creativity. After all, from a philosophical viewpoint, we are born as ordinary beings, physically, spiritually and mentally (although supernaturalists would deem otherwise, but there is no space for that argument here). In the field of design, a thorough grasp of the ordinary will provide you with the ammunition required to re-assemble what is already known into a visual work of art that at least “seems” different. This brings me to my next point; the idea of deception.

The Master-plan of Deception – Illusion is the way forward

In many ways, design, apart from being the science of aesthetics, is also the science of illusion. Design invites us to suspend our beliefs and “play along” with a prepared script (often “written” by the designer). We want to be deceived in a way that reminds us little of actually being deceived. Let me explain. It has often been said that good design merges form and function harmoniously. In design theory, we are taught that all designs should be sensible and practical. The more pressing question is: are these traits simply “achieved” through aesthetic science alone or are they implanted (I’m tempted to use the word “fabricate” but this would then sound like a conspiracy theory!) and specifically manufactured within the minds of users? 

Design is about persuasive convincing as much as it is a methodical science. Good design is also psychologically manipulative; it has the ability to dictate the terms and conditions upon which you “read” and use a design. It is then no wonder that certain designs are referred to as “original” precisely because the design in question has successfully ingrained a very specific “viewing-mentality” amongst users, on how exactly to perceive and interpret its form and function. The concept of originality, under the above pretext, is then artificially resurrected.

There is an element of deception even in the most basic, microcosmic forms of web-development technology. The latest iteration of Cascading Style-sheets, CSS 3 for example, has been adorned with several updated features and functions. Amongst them is the new RGBA CSS declaration which allows you to set the opacity of colours thus allowing web developers to take advantage of embedding text on semi-opaque backgrounds without having the text inherit any of the opacity. The technicalities of this are irrelevant for the purposes of this article, but the philosophical principal behind the concept is interesting. In many ways, this is an example of deception and illusion. The main functionality of the feature revolves around the use of traditional design elements of transparency, opacity and RGB colours packaged within a new design framework environment – CSS 3.

Design is about re-hashing the old in new ways which seem original in both form and function. Please do also note that the terms illusion and deception are not used in a derogatory sense here but matter-of-factly.

 

Never Underestimate the Power of Influence in Design

Influence plays a major role in design especially in the networked online environment. A few weeks ago, I shared a couple of links to two articles, on Reddit. The first article generated a few negative comments, not on its content, but on the design of this site while the second article attracted positive comments on the site design. One member’s comments (we shall call him MR X) however made me think about the power influence has on design. 

Firstly, we can either assume that Mr X is terribly confused or alternatively, we can look deeper into this and realise how the power of influence can alter our perception of specific designs. It is clear that when a design starts to receive positive feedback, then the follow-up responses will always follow suit; what I call, the “herd-mentality”. Mr X however was unaware of his earlier comments and thus became a wonderful example for this point.

Similarly, when a design is (rather erroneously) termed as “original” by a majority crowd, it would then be “original” in terms of its representation. One of the reasons why originality still exist in certain quarters of the design fraternity, is due to the fact that it is a term that is constantly being used to describe design and such it has a very strong power of influence in design. 

Concluding Remarks

Is originality really dead or has its meaning evolved? I am inclined to disagree with the latter view because the whole meaning of originality connotes a sense of uniqueness that is unexplored. To me the issue at stake is not weather originality is dead, but when we would finally accept its complete dissolution. With that I leave you with a quote by 19th century French sculptor, Agueste Rodin, “I invent nothing, I rediscover.”

What are your thoughts?

Thursday, January 07, 2010

Designing an Idea - How to Beautify your Inspiration

Designing a website is, as most designers would already know, a methodical process which typically requisites a fair amount of creativity, knowledge on aesthetic principles and a decent handling of code/mark-up. (primarily CSS). These steps are acquired thorough consistent practice and experimentation. But what about the creative ideas behind these designs, how can they be evolved, and transformed into effective starting points of an overall website design? This article explores how exactly designers can “design an idea”, before integrating that very same idea into the structured paradigm of a new web project.

Designing a website is, as most designers would already know, a methodical process which typically requisites a fair amount of creativity, knowledge on aesthetic principles and a decent handling of code/mark-up. (primarily CSS). These steps are acquired thorough consistent practice and experimentation. But what about the creative ideas behind these designs, how can they be evolved, and transformed into effective starting points of an overall website design? This article explores how exactly designers can “design an idea”, before integrating that very same idea into the structured paradigm of a new web project.

Designing an idea is just as important as the actual design itself. It should be seen as a process that is sequentially positioned before the actual phase of designing, but just after that moment of sublime inspiration. In short, this piece will serve as a guide of what you should be doing when struck by that all-elusive “eureka moment”.

Awesomeness is not Always Awesome

  All web projects germinate from a single idea or an amalgamation of various thoughts. It is thus vital to first clearly comprehend a design idea by analysing its practicality and relevance to the project at hand.

Many a times, great ideas can seem overwhelmingly amazing at first but painfully illogical upon execution.

An idea needs to be analysed holistically before it is applied to any sort of design framework.

If you’ve been flirting with an idea for a new design theme for your blog, it is wise to first critically analyse the foundational basis of that idea. Why do you want a re-design and how will it affect the current visual and technical environment of your website? These reflective questions will serve as a type of self-imposed validation on your idea before it is expanded and incorporated within the design workflow. A crucially important question to ask is; how applicable is a design idea to the requirements of readers or clients (in the case of commercial projects)? If for example you are embarking on a series of illustrative comic strips for a client based project, be sure to fully explore all potentialities of how that particular idea you have could be received by the wider public. The bottom line here is to fully ensure that your “awesome idea” is truly awesome within the boundaries of common aesthetic sensibilities, or to put it more bluntly, - everyone should find your idea awesome and not just yourself.

Strip it down to the Bare Essentials

Every idea that arrives into our thought process is usually weighed down with a whole load of other mental baggage. The human mind has the innate tendency to instinctively associate a single idea with several other related concepts. While this is can be a useful mental characteristic to have in the creative industry, it can also be a distracting hindrance. Design ideas have to be stripped down to their bare essentials. More often than not, we implement an idea without ever realising and appreciating its core essence.

The trick is, when you have an idea, make sure it is coherent and understandable to yourself. It is imperative to get into the quintessence of an idea before considering its potential connections (if any) with other related concepts.

When I first had the intention to start a design blog, the whole idea of running a website independently was thoroughly overwhelming. Due to this all-engulfing experience I was initially guilty of overlooking the finer intricacies involved in starting a successful design blog, such as the actual topical niche it would cover and what sub-narrative messages would the aesthetic design itself convey to readers (would the design be humorous, whimsical or impart a blend of seriousness and intellectual authority?). 

An idea is inherently deceptive; it is rarely what it first appears to be. Because of its generally fluid nature, designers must first pin down the crux or central premise contained within the idea (the bare essentials), before launching it onto the drawing board.

Latch on to that Thread of Clarity

The most compelling design ideas are usually concepts that have a clear purpose and objective, but apart from that, they also contain a single “thread of clarity”. You must be able to “mentally document” the initial stages of the design idea right up to its “point of reception” –anticipating the kind of reader or client response you wish to obtain from that particular idea. In certain circumstances, designers may be shouldered with the extra responsibility of eliciting a particular response from viewers (the comic artists behind serials such as “Family Guy” and “The Simpsons” for example have to ensure a consistent comic punch line in all their skits) and as such, they must have prior knowledge of how a specific idea materialises as a functional subject. Designers have to be several steps ahead in the design process. 

The Encoding/Decoding Model of Communication

Designing an idea also involves a precise understanding of how that particular idea can be potentially communicated to a targeted audience. Stuart Hall, an academic theoretician, conceptualised the communication process in a simple encoding-decoding model. He conceived that the communication process in entirety is directed by specific codes and contexts which shape the message from sender to receiver (there is of course more complex theoretical dynamic behind his work, which I will leave out for the sake of clarity).

Tripping Words, for example, is a blog primarily about design philosophy. As such, its chief message (“design philosophy”) will consistently be conveyed to the reader in a myriad of different ways and means, either through design or content. The message however is shaped by certain contextual elements. These elements include the presentational style of content, the popularity of “design philosophy” as a search engine keyword and possibly the existence of other design blogs covering the same niche area. There are a few of the several external factors influencing the design structure of a design idea (that was a mouthful!).

Concluding Remarks

Designing an idea is not a monolithic process, but a multi-faceted component of the web design field. It is hoped that after you’ve read this article, you would see design as an encapsulation of “idea-design” and “practical-design”. Do remember that a well-rehearsed idea is the groundwork for a truly engaging design.

How much attention do you pay to your design related ideas? 

Editors Note: I would like to sincerely thank my readers for all the support/feedback I’ve received through emails/Twitter/on-site comments over the past few weeks. This week in particular has been an eventful one with Tripping Words receiving an all-time high number of unique pageviews (or at least according to Google Analytics). So, thank you!

Sunday, January 03, 2010

The Risk of Being Unique – The Logic of Design Styles

Every designer has a signature style interwoven into the fabric his/her work – it can be an intentional feature of a design project but it can also be suppressed in the case of commercially driven corporate work, where functionality and purpose supersedes personalised creativity. Uniqueness is a facet of aesthetic style, but it involves the courage to be creatively different from standardized design conventions. Is there a risk in being unique in an industry/community which embraces creative ambition but also prefers to preserve certain aesthetic traditions?

 

 

Every designer has a signature style interwoven into the fabric his/her work – it may be an intentional feature of a design project but it can also be deliberately suppressed in the case of commercially driven corporate work, where functionality and purpose supersedes personalised creativity (for most part). Uniqueness is a facet of aesthetic style, but it involves the courage to be creatively different from standardized design conventions. What is the risk (if any) of being unique in an industry/community which embraces creative ambition but also prefers to preserve certain aesthetic traditions?

Website Interoperability – Myth or Truism?

In an ideal world, designs for the web should be accessible and functional to a wide range of users, regardless of browser type and other technical configurations. In reality however, the notion of interoperability, the ability for websites to function optimally on various browser/screen configurations, is much harder to address. Designs which deviate significantly from mainstream aesthetic/functional conventions (designs that are somehow unique in both form and function), face a challenge to ensure cross-browser/screen/-whatever-you-can-think-of compatibility. The point is, uniqueness comes at a price. While I am not making the generalised claim that all unique-designs are not interoperable, it must be asserted that being adventurous with form and function, can at times, upset the balance between accessibility and style.

Personally, I value uniqueness; it is the one central point of differentiation that sets you apart from the millions of other website designers/blog owners. Blogs and other personal design projects (apart from commercial work where fulfilling client requests are of paramount importance) should be platforms which allow designers to inject as much creativity and artistic freedom possible; whilst of course observing the basic tenets of web usability – website content has to be “readable” at the very least.

The Murder of “Design Theory” – Guilty as Charged

As discussed in previous articles, creativity pushes the boundaries of the laws governing design theory. Typographic principles (liberal mixing of sans serif and serifs is a cardinal sin, a principle which as you can see from this website that I’ve “overlooked”), layout styles and other design elements are sometimes breached for a more adventurous aesthetic perspective.

When the laws of design are murdered, other designers will smell the “blood”. I speak on the basis of personal experience, from running this blog and a sports gaming website. I’ve noticed that there is a general tendency for certain designers to take great offence (yes you read right) when a designer or a person who claims to be well versed with design, disregards its sacred laws.

I’ll have to make certain clarifications here. There are certain contexts/situations when a design has to follow strictly to the central aesthetic principles because of the nature of its content and purpose. You wouldn’t expect A List Apart to feature vibrant, colourful, funky illustrations and outgoing typography, because it serves as a ‘serious’ intellectual resource for web industry professionals.

At the other end of the spectrum, personal projects (primarily blog websites) should never be solely constrained by design laws – experimentation is a crucial facet of blogging. Read on. 

A Design Blog Needs Soul and Personality

The “blog” has in the contemporary web world emerged as a commercial entity – every company has a “blog”, and as such people are now running blogs purely for commercial reasons, to fulfil corporate institutional requirements (effective public relations maybe?). 

We must however never lose focus of the original meaning of the blog as defined by the ever reliable Dictionary.com (note the slight tinge of sarcasm) – “an online diary; a personal chronological log of thoughts published on a Web page”. The blog is a diary-like (except that it’s public!) space on the web to share constructive opinions. What the definition doesn’t capture is that a blog is also about establishing your own personal identity and aesthetic flavour. From a purely personal viewpoint, running a personal blog provides the opportunity to exert your online presence in a highly memorable way that evokes interest and provokes questions. If you have set up your design portfolio in conjunction with a blog, then it is all the more important that the blog section of your website encapsulates certain personal and emotive traits about yourself, be it visual, functional or content based elements.

As the classical Russian novelist, Leo Tolstoy, proclaimed during the political uncertainties of a war-ravaged Russia, an era where most art works reflected propagandistic motives and politically charged sentiments; “Art is not a handicraft, it is the transmission of feeling the artist has experienced”.

Why run a design blog that looks, feels and functions like a million other design blogs out there? Being inventive with the kind of emotions you wish to convey through design, is a key aspect of uniqueness.

Design with Your Heart and not Your Head

I think a key component of any personal design project is thoughtful reflection. How do we intend to construct an identity that truly speaks for who we are as a creative personality? The design process actually starts through inward questioning – understanding your own emotional configuration and the type of identity you wish to convey. A “soulless” blog is bland and it usually (but not always) provides an uneventful experience for the reader. Designing should start with the heart first before it is analysed under the structured paradigm of aesthetic science (also known as design theory).

Style is the ability to get in touch significantly with one’s own identity and express it in a meaningful and impressionistic manner and that itself connotes an artistic sense of being unique and different.

But one question remains unanswered; do you dare to be different?

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

A “Bystander’s Perspective” on the Design Community

Apart from my weekly musings about design, I’ve been rather engaged in a side-activity of my own. Over the past 3 months, I’ve been religiously chronicling my opinions about the design community on a weekly basis, in the form of an unpublished written journal. Most of these “scribbles” were meant to provide me with a better idea of how the web design community operates as a social entity.

 

 

 

Apart from my weekly musings about design, I’ve been rather engaged in a side-activity of my own. Over the past 3 months, I’ve been religiously chronicling my opinions about the design community on a weekly basis, in the form of an unpublished written journal. Most of these “scribbles” were meant to provide me with a better idea of how the web design community operates as a social entity.

Contained in these notes, are specific observations and idiosyncrasies of the design community together with proposed ways in which we as its loyal members, can further enhance its status as an effervescent and creative hub. Today, I’ve decided to share some of them publically on this space.

Point 1: “Failure” is part of Design

Apologies for starting on a rather dour note, but ‘failure’ is not a hideous social condition/state/plague. Failure is an unavoidable phase, which, we as designers (or “creative enthusiasts”) must confront directly in one form or another. Failure is a prime “necessity” of design.

As, industrial designer David Pye quite succinctly mentioned in his seminal book, “The Nature of Design”, nothing we design ever works the way we want it to, but rather it is through people’s improvisation and adaptation that design achieves that certain level of “success”. Put simply/bluntly, design begins as a type of “failure”. No matter how precise our calculations or how profound our aesthetic sensibilities, no design concept will work entirely as planned, as such is the ambiguous nature of reality. 

A week ago, I received an email from a design blog editor who expressed his immense disappointment at not being able to “design”. He claimed to be facing a dearth of inspiration that was largely responsible for his dwindling morale and depressive state of mind. Despite receiving extensive formal training in the field of design, he often feels that his work falls short of receiving the professional acclaim it “should” receive. To me however, the problem does not lie with the designer but in how he/she defines “failure” in the design field.

Design is, as I mentioned in my previous post, a “conceptualization of aesthetics”. These conceptualizations however, may not necessarily manifest in the exact ways which we pan them out to be. The beauty of design lies in its unpredictable reception – how will it be interpreted and utilised by the wider public or target audience? But the truth of the matter is, nothing we make ever works as it should.

Never be fooled into thinking that good design is without failure, as such a perception, in my humble opinion, does not speak of perfection but of ignorance.

Point 2: When Popularity becomes the Sole Purpose for Writing

For those who run design based websites, it is common to “write for the masses”. “Lists” and “round-ups” are popular (and proven) methods to garner a steady stream of readership. However, when “traffic” rates become the sole determinant of how your website operates, then it is time to analyse your primary objectives. What is your sole purpose in running a design website? If it is to provide a repository of good inspirational resources, then are you really providing YOUR perspective or simply re-hashing “lists of pretty looking websites” that you have in your “favourite’s folder”?

To me, writing about design involves a willingness to stand outside the comfort zone of regularity, and embrace ideas/concepts which do not necessarily guarantee high readership rates or visitor popularity. It is through treading on unchartered waters, that we gain the confidence to be boldly and uniquely creative.

Point 3: Practice Mental Gymnastics

This point relates to the one above. I do often find that several designers (me included) are constrained in specific “moulds” of thinking. We have ingrained definitions of certain elements of design and when those viewpoints are somewhat challenged by rather unorthodox practices which defy common laws, we are quick to defend the “integrity” of the design field as a structured code of practice. There is no denying the artistic institution of design is bounded by “sacred” design principles, but we should always be open to possible challenges and alternative perspectives. 

I’ll provide you with a real case example.

A couple of days ago, I received a 1000-word message from a reader who was “deeply enraged” with how I defined User Experience Design (UX) as a type of “narrative” or “story” (see previous post). The person in question quoted a textbook definition of “User Experience (UX) Design”, which, lo and behold, contained nothing about “narratives”. He then concluded that the article lacked “research” (the attached image is a snippet of the email). Needless to say, I was bemused.

Design is about “mental gymnastics”. It is about knowing when to stick to principles and also knowing when to “bend the rules”. To truly “experience design” we must first and foremost understand the fluidity of design; the idea that concept and theory are never cast in stone.

Till date, I find an innumerable number of parallels between design and other topics which bear little association to what we would traditionally regard as “design topics”. Design in many ways, is nothing and yet everything.

Point 4: Emerge as a Master of “Critical Analysis”

The design community is not critical enough. Contrary to popular belief, being critical does not equate to “fault-finding”. Critical analysis refers to the ability to extricate the essence of a particular argument or piece of art and then attempt to systematically question its logic and context of application. Critical thinking requires the self-discipline of restrain; the capacity to resist making premature judgements before dissecting the entire body of work at hand, in a methodical fashion. I’ve noticed that several blog posts in the design community lack that extra inquisitive edge, the implicit force that challenges established design concepts or ideas. There is one central reason for this.

As Scrives from Drawar fame mentioned in one of his articles, self-thought designers often struggle to fully grasp specific theoretical or technical concepts in design such as the grid system. Ignorance thus becomes a factor that prevents us from making unfounded assertions that can potentially ruin our professional reputation/credibility. Sitting on the fence remains an attractive, safe and non-committal option.

Instead of donning the hat of careful conservatism, engage in research on design topics outside your area of expertise to bridge that knowledge deficit. There is no easy route towards mastering the art of critical analysis, than expanding ones theoretical and practical knowledge on different subjects.

Point 5: Network with the Right “Mentality”

It is important, for both professional and social reasons, to form strong networked allegiances with fellow designers and industry practitioners. More often than not, we are told by industry “gurus”, to network with the “right” people, individuals who can genuinely “provide us with something in return”. Let us look at a hypothetical example.

If you have an influential following on Twitter (let’s assume that you have garnered about 20,000 followers), would you follow a person with, say, 100 followers, whose blog you read for occasional inspiration? While most of you would probably reply with a resounding “YES”, the laws of productive networking (there are no actual laws, but this is what is commonly preached by certain industry professionals) imply that you should connect with individuals whom you think might bring “tangible” benefits to your business endeavours.

The problem however arises when we are so engrossed with advancing our own professional standing, that we ignore the core essence behind social networking and relationships – the ability to receive and give something back in return. Effective social networking is a multilateral process- it is about bringing out the best in yourself for others just as how you expect others to bring out their best for you. (I am being highly vague here, but by “best” I mean any form of explicit help/support/promotion/advertising etc that directly relates to your ventures in the design field). 

Point 6: What does the “Design Community” Mean to You?

A community is more than an organized group of individuals collaborating and sharing information, ideas and other “good stuff”. The design community is an avenue for experimentation and challenge. We have to actively contribute content that not only reaffirms specific design trends/principles but creates new ideas from old ones. The content we regularly churn out as website authors must reflect a sense of imaginative experimentation and learning. An effective community is one that builds upon, modifies what is at first seemingly “ordinary”.

Concluding Remarks

So, I’ve come to the end of my observational streak. What are your own personal impressions of the online design community? What would you change about the design community, if presented with the opportunity?

Design Informer has published an article that I wrote on the concept of community discussion. If you haven’t already done so, please give that a read, as it serves as a nice complementary piece to the points raised here. 

 

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Designing Beautiful User-Experiences for the Web

User Experience (UX) design is traditionally categorised under the broader paradigm of web usability. It pertains to the building of architecture and interaction models that influence a user’s experience with and perception of websites. This article however, will not serve as an ordinary how-to guide on web usability tests/analysis, but rather, it aims to introduce a different perspective to user-experience studies – the meta-narrative. 

User Experience (UX) design is traditionally categorised under the broader paradigm of web usability. It pertains to the building of architecture and interaction models that influence a user’s experience with and perception of websites. This article however, will not serve as an ordinary how-to guide on web usability tests/analysis, but rather, it aims to introduce a different perspective to user-experience studies – the meta-narrative. 

What is a Meta-Narrative?

Simply put, a “meta-narrative” is a story that a website communicates to its readers. Every website is supported by a meta-narrative. It conveys to the reader of how exactly to interpret/read and of course ‘experience’ the content presented. An analogical equivalent (but more explicit in its function) to the meta-narrative would be the “user manual” of a particular appliance, say a microwave. In the latter case, the document explains to the user in clear and concise terms, how to operate the mechanism in question. 

For the online world, meta-narratives are usually constructed and conveyed through visual indicators – the graphical/typographical/technical composition of a web page is a crucial storytelling device. Designing user experiences for the web refers to the of shaping these meta-narratives in a manner that meets the website’s primary objectives and satisfies specific user requirements, whatever they may be.

Most websites usually comprise of a series of browser and media specific style-sheets, an all-rounded content-management system (the “admin area”) and finally a landing homepage. The meta-narrative is an active interaction between these various components.

The current design trend of employing varying magazine styled page layouts for blog posts is a true testament to the phenomenon of the “meta-narrative”. Every blog post tells a unique story; not only in terms of content but more importantly how a user can potentially engage with and decode the displayed information. Visual cues, such as font choices, and layout structures, are utilised to construct a meta-narrative that is unique to that post alone. There are however certain consistencies in varying meta-narratives. The “site footer” for example, might remain rooted at the same absolute position, apart from undergoing certain subtle stylistic treatments, like a change of colour or font.

To summarise, the meta-narrative basically represents a “back-story” of any site. It is the story that subtly (or even subconsciously) informs the user how to experience a particular webpage. It is the cumulative effect of various visual (stylistic) and technical elements which eventually give rise to the meta-narrative.

Do not Underestimate the Intelligence of your Users

The meta-narrative of a website should never interfere (or become a hindrance) with the overall browsing experience. Its sole purpose is to function as an “invisible guide” for the user to navigate though a website’s information hierarchy. Javascript pop-up boxes, containing lengthy text descriptions, that are activated every time a link is hovered, can, under certain contexts, lead to a meta-narrative that is overwhelming to the extent of disrupting user experience. In my opinion, designing a user intuitive online platform requires a large degree of constraint (do not go overboard with informing your users how to behave). It also involves knowing exactly how certain visual indicators work to initiate specific responses from the reader.

Several usability articles often lament at how websites fail to provide substantial visual cues for users to interact and navigate. It is also equally vital that designers know how to construct a meta-narrative that guides users throughout the whole browsing process.

How to tell an Effective Story?

Let’s do a quick run through of what has been covered. I’ve defined what meta-narratives are, and spoke about how they function as usability ‘guides’. The next series of points addresses the ways in which designers can create effective meta-narratives that translate into positive user-experiences.

Good Narratives Make an Immediate Impact!

A good meta-narrative does not only serve as a usability guide for users but more importantly it immerses them into a ‘new’ and ‘fantastical’ experience outside the banalities of tradition. A well-designed and usable site offers a memorable ‘experience’, one that transcends all expectations and yet remains foundationally functional and easy to use. A simple and nifty MooTools effect applied on a website’s navigation for instance, can go a long way in ensuring a highly unforgettable user experience.

Discovery and Exploration

Meta-narratives should encourage user exploration- a feature that can only be fully developed through extensive usability tests. In certain situations, users may want to perform a particular action that runs against the “narrative flow/fluency” of the website. Wikipedia provides an excellent example of this. In any Wikipedia entry, there are hyperlinked words (in that particular article) that may or may not topically relate to the article you are reading. So a search in Wikipedia about Labrador Retrievers may lead you to a research ‘adventure’ that is on an entirely different scale, like rocket science! 

Well crafted meta-narratives facilitate user exploration and learning. Providing link tags at the end of each article/post (presuming that you run an articles-based site) is a novel and simple way to promote discovery, within the navigational boundaries of your own website.

Provide Carefully Considered Exit Points

Exit points are links to other sub-pages on the site that have a complementary relationship to the main content featured. These “exit pages” will usually contain snippets or interesting information relating to the primary content but it is less formal in its delivery and it also serves as a much needed reprieve for the reader. Exit points are the “breaks” between various chapters of a meta-narrative.

Understand the Concept of Knowledge Cartography

Cartography is the business of making geographical maps. Knowledge cartography is a project run by the Politenico di Milano (Italy) and it refers to the construction of knowledge maps. Knowledge maps show various relationship strains between different bodies of content. These maps are not simply symbolic representations of content but they have narrative meaning in explaining the similarities, differences and alternatives between various on-site articles/content. A contemporary design-based equivalent to knowledge maps would be “site maps”, which provide a largely superficial and taxonomical break down of the various sub-sections of a website (but this is hardly groundbreaking).

Online technologies are still (believe it or not) not equipped with the technical capabilities to syndicate dynamic knowledge maps on the fly, to allow readers to make distinct/detailed comparisons between different content. Nevertheless, if you are designing a content-heavy website it would be good to think about the information architecture of the site. How will the content be connected together as a cohesive networked whole?

In conclusion, the meta-narrative is an integral facet of user oriented experience. It is an ever-present user-guide to online browsing. I would certainly be interested to hear your thoughts!

Editor’s Note: I would like to wish all my readers a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year. Tripping Words has,till date, been serving the design community for 3 whole months, housing over 25 articles, and without your constant support, it would not have been possible. So thank you very much.

Friday, December 18, 2009

What is Design? A Thorough Analysis of Definitions

“Design” and “Designer” – are words that are often used rather liberally to refer to the profession or craft of “making functional and perceivably attractive things”. Design in its contemporary linguistic usage bears an almost absolute resonance with “beautiful aesthetics”; a connection, which is understandable but inherently myopic. Design is creativity and beauty but also much more.

“Design” and “Designer” – are words that are often used rather liberally to refer to the profession or craft of “making functional and perceivably attractive things”. Design in its contemporary linguistic usage bears an almost absolute resonance with “beautiful aesthetics”; a connection, which is understandable but inherently myopic. Design is creativity and beauty but also much more.

The key word here is “conceptualization”; the process of meticulous planning and the management of functionality and purpose. In this article, I aim to formulate a more feasible framework for interpreting the meaning of design and hopefully shed some light on why it is imperative that we reassess traditionally popular definitions of design.

The Reason for the Confusion

The fundamental reason behind our skewed conception of design lies in how designers (presumably the same people who claim to be well-acquainted with “design”) contextualise and represent the subject. It is more commercially viable to refer to design as the “creation of creative and stunning visuals” as opposed to something more abstract and philosophical (see definition above). Why?

Well, for clients, it makes more economic sense to invest in a service which promises resounding tangible results; design is thus portrayed as a material visual manifestation that is at once noticed and appreciated. As a consequence, design is now limited to definitions which characterise it as a purely aesthetic art or a field of pure creativity. My argument is that, design extends beyond creativity and beauty; it is an institutional practice that is catered to finding practical and functional solutions in an environment of limited resources. 

Let’s Get into the Nitty-gritty

Video game developer, Dino Dini, once defined design as the “management of constrains”. Constraints are merely perceived “problems” that need to be addressed with the right kind of solutions. These “problems” are not conventional obstacles in everyday life, but rather they are specific goals and objectives that designers/clients want to achieve. These are the constraints that a designer has to work with. For example, if you are designing a coffee table, then there would be specific set of constraints.

Firstly, the table has to be able to take on a certain load (weight) to be functional and it has to stand independently without external support. According to Dini, these are non-negotiable constraints. On the other hand there are negotiable constraints in constructing a coffee table, such as the choice of materials used and other finer intricate aesthetic qualities; these elements can be altered accordingly. Design involves the clever “tinkering” of these variables to satisfy non-negotiable constraints and fully capitalise on negotiable constraints.

 

The Methodical Process of Design

The first stage of design is the design brief/proposal – a statement of goals, aims and ambitions. This is followed by a structured analysis of these objectives to develop an understanding of how/if they can be met (which brings us back to the earlier point on negotiable and non-negotiable constraints). More often than not, the “analysis” phase is followed by research, the practice of seeking related design solutions to similar “problems” or design “constraints”. Research is an absolutely vital facet of design because it involves a creative sense, in making connections between interrelated ideas/concepts and applying these ideas in to a new perspective. The final aspect of the design process concerns visual presentation; how an idea is conveyed in an aesthetically pleasing way. 

As you may have noticed, several aspects of design that I’ve mentioned so far, pertain to a three-tier approach: problem-solving (identification of constraints), conceptualization (analysis stage) and documentation (design brief). These are the central tenets of design.

Once a topic is selected, start with defining your design concept. If your subject area requisites multiple topics, then be sure to define each area with sufficient depth. It is also crucial that you set the context of your argument – from what perspective will you be examining the proposed areas of design?

Creativity and Design Completely Separate Entities?

Creativity and design are interrelated, no matter how intensely we try to disconnect both fields.

There are a considerable number of designers however who vehemently claim that creativity and design are separate entities, hence arriving at the conclusion that creativity masks and compromises the true essence of good design practice. Their premise is based upon the idea that the concept of creativity does not follow any guided set of design-based principles (Grids, specific visual conventions etc), and it is this perceived freedom (artistic license) that is inconsistent with the highly structured/coded paradigm of design. Proponents of this view have pointed out that an intellectual appreciation of design (the syllabus thought in universities) does not include within its grasp, an acknowledgement of creativity. It thus follows that creativity is not design and vice versa. 

I however completely disagree with this view.

Having lectured on creativity in an academic environment before, I can quite boldly attest that design has everything to do with creativity and more. Creativity does not connote a sense of “lawless” artistic freedom but a method of thinking. Creativity is about taking seemingly disparate entities and joining them up in inventive but logical ways that meet objectives and provide solutions.

Design is problem-solving. It involves extensive research of practical solutions (for example what type of grid-based design is appropriate for a news portal website), a process which demands creativity to a large extent. One cannot hide behind the vanguard of intellectual knowledge and leave the wider context of design unacknowledged.

Concluding Remarks

I sincerely hope that this piece has perhaps cleared the air on what design actually is, as an independent subject of study. Once again, I urge you to leave any comments, viewpoints and feedback that you may have on the subject of design, as these responses will certainly serve to clarify any lingering doubts we have on the subject.

     

Monday, December 14, 2009

A Guide to Writing Killer Content for Your Design Blog

Over the past couple of months, I’ve spent most of my time trudging through several design-related articles in my RSS reader, in an effort to better understand the finer workings behind writing compelling web content. The central purpose of my inquiry revolved around the following question; what makes an effective/engaging editorial in the design industry? If you are an editor of a design blog, then you would be fairly familiar with the rigorous demands involved in churning quality, thought-provoking articles on a daily or fortnightly basis. The truth of the matter is that many blog writers have resorted to rehashing arguments and topics that have already been exhaustively discussed before. The tendency is there, amongst bloggers, to reproduce (or paraphrase) the main ideas contained in various other design articles and compile it into a single ‘new’ piece.

Over the past couple of months, I’ve spent most of my time trudging through several design-related articles in my RSS reader, in an effort to better understand the finer workings behind writing compelling web content. The central purpose of my inquiry revolved around the following question; what makes an effective/engaging editorial in the design industry? If you are an editor of a design blog, then you would be fairly familiar with the rigorous demands involved in churning quality, thought-provoking articles on a daily or fortnightly basis. The truth of the matter is that many blog writers have resorted to rehashing arguments and topics that have already been exhaustively discussed before. The tendency is there, amongst bloggers, to reproduce (or paraphrase) the main ideas contained in various other design articles and compile it into a single ‘new’ piece.

In this write-up, I examine a few basic techniques to add that extra dash of spice and creativity to the content of your design blog. This article should be read in conjunction with my other piece, “A Guide to Writing Effectively about Design”.   

Choosing the Right Niche Area

Everyone has a specialised niche area in the field of design. It is important that you identify your area of expertise prior to launching a blog site or writing a new piece. A person competent with user-interface design for example, should engage with various discussions surrounding the prescribed topic (e.g. create a Twitter #list dedicated to twitter feeds of selected topic areas). There is no benefit (for yourself and the reader) in writing about something that you have limited knowledge about. Being the “voice of authority” on a particular design area is never easy, but it is something that should be achieved over time. 

Command and conquer your niche area, by reading extensively from both print and web mediums. A writer who is well acquainted with his favoured subject area is more likely to produce insightful content. The main idea here is to get more conversant with a specific subject area within the field of design.

Explore the Fundamentals of Design before Venturing into the Profound

I am a strong proponent of keeping articles concise and comprehensive. Design is a vast topic and it is easy for writers to delve into the full-blown intricacies of certain design techniques, which can at times be frustrating for the average reader. The trick here is to provide the background context of the chosen design topic. Attached is an example on a piece I did for Designers Couch sometime ago.

The snippet below is taken from an introductory opening on minimalistic philosophy. 

The sentence above may be a mouthful but it captures the philosophy of minimalism within a single paragraph. I’ve defined the context of the subject from the start, making clear to the reader, the exact terms and conditions upon which I will be defining minimalism. More importantly however, I’ve set a definition/marker for myself to refer to in the event that I veer off topic.

Here is a subsequent quote from an article I wrote on CrowdSourcing in the design industry.

The above introductory paragraph features the application of a common literary convention. I described “Crowdsourcing” as a social phenomenon first (the fact that “crowdsources” are a “vibrant community” that remain thinly disguised beneath other web design agencies) BEFORE launching into an actual definition of what crowdsourcing is. This is an effective way to draw the reader into your subject area before supporting your observation with a clear-cut definition.

Draw Up a List of Sub-Arguments/Topics

In web design, it is common practice to commence work on a project with a wireframe, detailing the site layout and dimensions (pixel widths). Similarly, when writing an article about design, have a skeletal plan of the sub-topics that you plan on covering. The info-graphic below illustrates a rough framework.

Once a topic is selected, start with defining your design concept. If your subject area requisites multiple topics, then be sure to define each area with sufficient depth. It is also crucial that you set the context of your argument – from what perspective will you be examining the proposed areas of design?

The next step requires a breakdown of the various arguments that will be contained in your piece. In the diagram above, I’ve assumed that the arguments put forth stand alone. When writing an actual piece, you will find that most arguments might have overlapping connections, so be sure to include whatever interrelations that you envisage. This is to ensure the fluency of your overall article. 

A conclusion can be presented in 2 distinct ways. If you are writing an opinionated piece then it would be advisable to end with an assertion – reinstating the main point of your overall argument. Certain articles however are meant to invoke debate and discussion and would thus require an open ended conclusion that poses a question rather than a solution.

A Website’s User-Interface Must Encourage “Dialogue” 

If your design blog is meant to provide interesting articles relating to the industry, be sure that the website’s interface is in tandem with your website’s objective/goals. Nothing annoys me more than being unable to express myself fully on a website that sets a limit to the amount of “characters” you can post, either through a contact or comment form. No matter how many comments or emails you receive per day, it is an absolute cardinal (web-usability) sin to set an imposed limit to the length of comments and emails. User posted comments are part of a site’s overall content architecture and it is thus vital that a reader is able to express themselves fully without any barriers. 

Develop a Unique Presentational Style for Each Article

Each article should always offer a unique browsing experience to the reader. Ensure that all articles are aesthetically differentiated either through accompanying pictures or customised illustrations. Having an introductory graphic at the beginning of each post will certainly add a sense of exclusivity.

Observing subtle stylistic conventions in your illustrations will further solidify the brand identity of your blog. If black and white illustrations are a reoccurring feature in most of your posts, then it would be logical to continue with this trend because it provides readers with a memorable reference point to remember your site by. Achieving visual consistency is of paramount importance in attracting a loyal readership following. 

Readers are the Pulse of Content

Readers form an influential part of a website’s content. Reader comments/responses and other interactive submissions from users will characterize the quality and level of sophistication of the content you produce. It is imperative that blog editors constantly engage with readers at an individual level to further understand exactly how their content is received and interpreted. This will also allow editors to adjust their own writing styles to better convey specific design ideas and concepts. 

What are your own personal challenges in writing for a design blog?

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Twitter

EXPRESSION ENGINE DOES THE MAGIC

Tripping Words runs on a customized version of Expression Engine. This whole website is dynamically randered through multiple EE templates.

 

Currently Reading Category Updated (Site Footer)

Professional Ajax
by Joe Fawcett

Mighty Design - “Under Visual Perspective” (Site Footer Update)

Mighty Design is the brainchild of Jason Santa Maria. Emblazoned with a brightly themed colour scheme, the studio has a distinctive “New York” feel.  The typographic style employed by the site is very appropriate.

 

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Transform Creative Ideas into Stunning Designs

There are at present a multitude of websites showcasing a delectable array of inspirational material, (more aptly termed as ‘showcases’ or ‘lists’) within the realms of the design fraternity. While these trusted repositories of wonderful resources are an indispensible part of the creative process (one would be “inspirationally naked” without them!), designers need to understand how to translate “clipboard” ideas into compelling visual masterpieces. Turning great ideas into an even greater design requires an understanding of creative ideas and how to harness them effectively. In this article I develop a guideline on transforming design-related conceptual ideas into a well furnished design product. 

 

 

 

There are at present a multitude of websites showcasing a delectable array of inspirational material, (more aptly termed as ‘showcases’ or ‘lists’) within the realms of the design fraternity. While these trusted repositories of wonderful resources are an indispensible part of the creative process (one would be “inspirationally naked” without them!), designers need to understand how to translate “clipboard” ideas into compelling visual masterpieces. Turning great ideas into an even greater design requires an understanding of creative ideas and how to harness them effectively. In this article I develop a guideline on transforming design-related conceptual ideas into a well furnished design product. 

Great Ideas CAN be Forgotten

Ideas can be re-worked and re-analysed in an infinite number of ways but they can also be forgotten in an instant. Because of their natural volatility, it is essential that we keep them recorded. When you have a consistent flow of ideas running though your mind relating to a particular project, the wisest thing you can do is to grab a piece of paper and jot them down immediately regardless of the place or time (great ideas have an uncanny tendency to materialise in strange places and at odd times!). Although this might seem like a basic human instinctual response, you would be surprised at how many creative people are left ruing over their inability to recollect ideas which they previously thought were unforgettable. Writing ideas down or even drawing them out is an obvious but mandatory step, even if they seem marginal or somewhat indirectly related to the project at hand. 

Annotate Your Ideas – Inject them with ‘Personality’

If for example, you are engaging in a quick brainstorming session at the commencement of a new project be sure to annotate these preliminary ideas. Let me explain. Annotation – the process of writing a short description beside a body of text or images, is the perfect way to inject meaning into your ideas. A pencil drawing of trees and a hammock (let us hypothetically assume that you are designing a logo for a beach resort hotel), can convey several meanings that are similar and yet subtly different. It is vital to annotate these images with concise phrases that pinpoint the exact message you wish to impart. What does the hammock symbolise? (E.g. Relaxation, the tropics, the beach?) 

Design projects that overlook this step often come across as “confused” and disjointed. The end product will provide a very ambiguous (and wishy-washy) depiction of the intended message, without really hitting the nail on the head. A short description beside each of your preliminary ideas will go a long way in terms of ensuring a polished and purposeful finished product. 

 

Studying an Idea’s “Design Environment”

Every idea is nestled within a broader scheme or paradigm of presiding ideas. If you are commissioned to design a website for a client, then your design concept should be embedded within a client-specified list of site objectives and goals. Designs that are developed in isolation without an acknowledgement of the presiding plan/scheme usually fail user-interactivity tests, as the design in question will fall short of meeting its functional purpose or ambition. All design elements are contained within a broader context of ideas, higher up on the hierarchy. Study the “design environment” of your concept/idea first prior to launching into the design process proper.

Waltz with Change

As mentioned earlier, creative ideas are rarely cast in stone. If you find yourself veering in a new artistic/visual direction, rather than abort all progress, carefully analyse if this alternative perspective is consistent with the broader objectives that have been stipulated (the design environment). In a previous entry, I defined creativity as the ability to assemble various presumably disparate ideas into a single cohesive whole. The same concept applies in this instance. Waltz with change, mix and match and be flexible in adopting different strategies.

Understand the Context of Criticism

When soliciting feedback on a particular design idea, be sure to fully understand the context of criticism. Certain critical assessments may only address a single aspect of the overall design concept proposed. It is thus important not to land on any premature assumptions about the overall coherency or clarity of the original idea. Put criticism into perspective, and tinker with your idea accordingly. It is also equally necessary to garner comments from people outside the design industry. Feedback providers who are not design practitioners tend to provide simple and concise opinions on the real-world practicality/feasibility of a particular creative idea thus providing you with an opportunity to tailor that design concept to a wider audience.

Collaborate and Discuss

Collaboration and information sharing are absolutely imperative in nurturing creative ideas. Share your resources with fellow members of the design community to facilitate a rewarding learning experience. No matter how established a designer you are, learning is an endless adventure of self-development and discovery. Discussion is often an understated component of the creative process. There are several online design websites which engage in high quality discussion on ideas, concepts and events around the community. Sometimes the best way to cultivate an idea is to talk it out with a bunch of like-minded people. 

How do you nurture your creative ideas?

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Branding On the Web: The Identity Dilemma

In recent times, the term ‘branding’ has achieved a certain synonymy with the humdrum of corporate commercialization. The construction of an effective brand identity is now a prerequisite for firms aiming to establish a well-grounded presence in an economically competitive industry. Traditionally, branding refers to the conceptualization of a unique (often aesthetic) identity that is capable of capturing an organization’s broad objectives and aspirations, whilst retaining that sense of glossy and sophisticated professionalism. While such an explanation is fairly accurate in an industrial context, it fails to account for the social dimension of brand identity- the idea that all brands are indeed, carefully tailored user-experiences.

In recent times, the term ‘branding’ has achieved a certain synonymy with the humdrum of corporate commercialization. The construction of an effective brand identity is now a prerequisite for firms aiming to establish a well-grounded presence in an economically competitive industry. Traditionally, branding refers to the conceptualization of a unique (often aesthetic) identity that is capable of capturing an organization’s broad objectives and aspirations, whilst retaining that sense of glossy and sophisticated professionalism. While such an explanation is fairly accurate in an industrial context, it fails to account for the social dimension of brand identity- the idea that all brands are indeed, carefully tailored user-experiences.  A brand immerses the user into a unique realm that is professional and yet invitingly persuasive – brand identity is all about designing ‘experiences’. Branding on the web is less than clear-cut.  

Branding is the Essence of Client-Firm Individuality

An effective brand identity concept is often one that connects with its client base at a fairly personal level. There is an acknowledgement (and embracement) of individuality; it exudes the following message:  “you are not another run-of-the-mill person, but a distinguished guest whose opinions are highly valued and cherished”. Branding is an organized method of acknowledging the individuality, of both client and firm. In the current impersonal era of automated technologies (E.g. auto responder emails and the like), branding emerges as a platform for corporate conglomerations to reinstate the notion that there are humans behind “the well-oiled commercial machine”.

In some quarters, the personalization of user interaction has meant that firms are now more ready than ever express a more down to earth and quirky side of its professional operation. Self-deprecating humour is a widely utilised tactic in breaking the monotony of commercial mechanization. From comical mug shots to full-length portraits of underwear clad designers, identity branding is a strategized effort to breakdown the rigid impersonal barriers between firm and client.   

Blogging, to me, is the hallmark of the branding process. At a perfunctory level, the blog is a ‘journal’ detailing an individual or firm’s own reflections on a particular topic. Embedded beneath that superficial veneer however, is a motivated commitment to convince, persuade and educate readers on the firm’s own individual personality and its capacity to “come up with the goods”. 

The Voice of Content is the Arbiter of Design

Never underestimate the power of content in brand identity construction. Content is the spirited soul of branding; the central cog within the highly complex layers of identity design. Web copy (content) has the immense potential to influence our visual (aesthetic) perception, because words inform design; they breathe meaning into what we see. No writer can claim that he represents the practiced hand of a master-craftsman or reached the vineyard of intellectual excellence but the least he could do is to ensure that the content he produces is purposeful and makes logical sense. 

A List Apart (ALA), one of the pioneering online periodicals specialising the field of web design and web usability, has over the years, gradually evolved into an authoritative voice of the professional design fraternity. A large part of their overall success is attributed towards the very nature of the website’s meticulously structured content regime. Apart from the clean and professional aesthetic approach adopted by ALA, they have sustained a favourable reputation for their deeply analytical treatment of design related topics. Design for them, is a serious matter both as a commercial operation and social phenomenon, thus imbuing it with a sobriety that demands respect and attention. For branding to work, a realization must be attained that content and design are synchronously linked; they both depend on each other.

 

“Trust” is the Magic Word

An organization that is exclusively based on the web medium for its operation has to make a concerted attempt to win the full trust of its prospective clients, many of whom they will never meet face to face. The brand in question has to appear transparent and dedicated to its primary objectives without coming across as overtly pretentious or condescending. The bottom line here is to strike a healthy balance between being professional and yet cordial, an equilibrium that is often difficult to fully attain. Several designers have now resorted to publishing “About Pages” that are enriched with personal anecdotes/philosophies on life; information that is volunteered in the hope of winning the hearts and minds of clients. These are some of the many measures that collectively shape the “branding experience”.

The Bottom Line

Branding is more than an aesthetically pleasing logo, a witty slogan or a killer looking website; it is the whole immersive ambience of association – the prestige, happiness and satisfaction of being linked to a particular identity.  What are your thoughts?

Editor’s Note:I’ve received quite a few concerned emails over the “price-label” that is placed on the introductory graphic of each post. Rest assured there are no hidden costs incurred in reading Tripping Words (that’s transparency for you…ahem), nor is there a print version of this humble blog. I just seem to have a rather strange penchant for price labels…no but seriously, the label was meant to add a bit of whimsical character to Tripping Words!