I love this piece, but I think design can't just be different or distinct - it has to offer measurable value. It's essential that we're essential. Otherwise it's too easy to trade down or make other compromises.
This is one of the biggest issues facing designers. Today amateurs can deliver 80% of what experts can, at 5% of the cost. Most of the time that 80% will get the job done. When is it a good business decision to invest in the remaining 20%? How do we offer a compelling value that's worth investing in?
Even if there are times when it's worth investing in expert design, the overall trend is going to impact the profession. It's going to reduce the number of designers needed and increase competition. I see no way that it doesn't negatively impact what designers can charge for their work.
Hi John, thanks for your thoughtful comment. When I said that design needs to be different or distinct, I did not mean it just needs to be so. The fact that it needs to offer measurable value was assumed.
I appreciate you reading my newsletter. Thank you 🙏
What are your thought on the design of mastodon vs Xitter?
The signup to threads is indeed smooth, but what about meta holding your instagram account hostage, meaning if you want to leave threads after seeing it is not that interesting, you'd delete your instagram account as well. That is blackmail into keeping "userengagement" and "usercount". Not to speak of the rights the threads apps wants to have on your phone, the app is forbidden by law righfully so in the EU!
Perhaps, in the case of Threads, the beauty of the design is in making it similar, not different. Why? Because the underlying conceptual model is the same, a feed of updates from people you follow. Therefore the designers choosing a conventional feed archetype or design pattern was the right choice. But I definitely agree with you that the timing was spot on. Perhaps, though, one of its failings was that privacy wasn’t designed in, hence Threads not being available in the EU yet
I agree that the beauty of the design of Threads is the familiarity/similarity. My point is that if that's all designers are expected to do - to copy other successful things - our futures are limited.
This is such a wonderful articulation of something I have also been thinking. Love reading your posts and thanks for sharing your wisdom — Lydia (SF AKQA alum 2006!)
I love this piece, but I think design can't just be different or distinct - it has to offer measurable value. It's essential that we're essential. Otherwise it's too easy to trade down or make other compromises.
This is one of the biggest issues facing designers. Today amateurs can deliver 80% of what experts can, at 5% of the cost. Most of the time that 80% will get the job done. When is it a good business decision to invest in the remaining 20%? How do we offer a compelling value that's worth investing in?
Even if there are times when it's worth investing in expert design, the overall trend is going to impact the profession. It's going to reduce the number of designers needed and increase competition. I see no way that it doesn't negatively impact what designers can charge for their work.
Hi John, thanks for your thoughtful comment. When I said that design needs to be different or distinct, I did not mean it just needs to be so. The fact that it needs to offer measurable value was assumed.
I appreciate you reading my newsletter. Thank you 🙏
What are your thought on the design of mastodon vs Xitter?
The signup to threads is indeed smooth, but what about meta holding your instagram account hostage, meaning if you want to leave threads after seeing it is not that interesting, you'd delete your instagram account as well. That is blackmail into keeping "userengagement" and "usercount". Not to speak of the rights the threads apps wants to have on your phone, the app is forbidden by law righfully so in the EU!
That is one of the many tactics I don't appreciate about Meta and how they blackmail us to keep us hostage. Grow at all costs mentality...
Perhaps, in the case of Threads, the beauty of the design is in making it similar, not different. Why? Because the underlying conceptual model is the same, a feed of updates from people you follow. Therefore the designers choosing a conventional feed archetype or design pattern was the right choice. But I definitely agree with you that the timing was spot on. Perhaps, though, one of its failings was that privacy wasn’t designed in, hence Threads not being available in the EU yet
I agree that the beauty of the design of Threads is the familiarity/similarity. My point is that if that's all designers are expected to do - to copy other successful things - our futures are limited.
This is such a wonderful articulation of something I have also been thinking. Love reading your posts and thanks for sharing your wisdom — Lydia (SF AKQA alum 2006!)
Lydia! So good to see your name here. Thanks for reading and commenting. Need to keep up with my posts! Hope all is well.