Over at SEOmoz there is a post and accompanying graph that very accurately describes some ways in which a perfectly good design can fail. It’s a bit flip and somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but, sadly, much of what is said is very true. We see it all the time.
The more time that is spent dissecting, analyzing, and critiquing a design by the wrong kinds of people the worse that design gets. The same trend applies to the number of people involved in the design process.
I think this is an important read for designers, as well as those thinking to hire designers.
As a designer knowing where things can go south can help you advise your clients before the project goes off the rails. As well, it’s important to note that your own ego, style and opinion can act as one of these undesirable elements. Never underestimate a designer as a potentially heavy-handed stakeholder.
For the clients and potential clients out there, this might be a hard read. At the end of the day it’s up to you to help your designers do what they do best and remove the roadblocks that’ll keep them from the best design possible. The best designers aren’t pixel-pushers, don’t turn them into that. Trust a good designer, they’re your best bet to get to a great design.
I’ve said it many times in the past, there is no such thing as a perfect design. We’re usually trying and hit the sweet spot where we satisfy the needs of our audiences, the opinions of our stakeholders, the goals of the business, etc.
This balance is usually easiest found by clarifying direction, increasing constraint, focusing on priorities, etc. Less usually ends up being more, if you catch my drift. Adding more opinions, more stakeholders, more goals, more audiences, more direction and more time to the mix usually gets you further away from that mark. Especially when those opinions, stakeholders, audiences, etc. aren’t the right kind. Of course there’s some subjectivity to that, but, is it really that hard to find the right mix? I think a bit of honest reflection on the above will usually do the trick. To take it a step further, if you want the best design you can get, you need to find that mix.
Ah…anyway, it’s something to think about the next time you embark on a design project.
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I agree for the most of it…