"Form follows function" is a frequently used phrase, incorrectly quoted from the original "form ever follows function" by architect Louis Sullivan. His point from the 60's is that architecture's style is determined by its functional purpose. Le Corbusier's Brutalism concrete architecture as found in the suburbs of Paris is a perfect example, an arguably outdated approach to urban planning and design.
The other ... Read more
Working in the creative industry, I have asked myself the question, what makes a great innovator? Is there anything that people who think radically different have in common? In design there are two approaches: To play safe and give the client what they are looking for, or to take the risky approach of recommending something different. Innovation however is not a question of preference. After ... Read more
Often, especially when pitching for new work to clients who have little understanding of what you do, it's worth reminding them of the value you bring to their business. User experience and interaction design brings value when it is purposeful, understanding, aesthetic, timeless, honest, and simple. These six principles I created over time, working as a UX designer and art director at SapientNitro. ... Read more
What marketers and UX designers are measured against is the effectiveness of their work, which mostly implies an increase in sales. An alternative measure however is consumer satisfaction. So what are the underlying motives that drive satisfaction (and happiness in a broader sense).
The British economist Richard Layard suggests that the amount of wealth doesn't matter as much as the amount people have ... Read more
Things we take for granted don't always happen by chance, they happen by design. Well designed buildings affect peoples' lives and well designed websites have an impact on sales. Good design isn't only about good looks than it is about making things usable and useful. Usability goes beyond sales, it determines how we use products or interfaces and interact with them. Whatever the objectives are, ... Read more
It has always been the conviction of copy writers and art directors that creativity in marketing and in particular advertising, increases the chances of breaking through the information clutter. Ads based on solid concepts have better chances of being memorized by prospects than pure information-driven campaigns, which only recently has been proven by empirical research.
Writing and designing emails for commercial purposes follows coherent objectives and adheres to technical principles. The objectives have an impact on how you approach the task.
Is the email a reminder to do something familiar, is it informing about something familiar or new or is it persuading someone to interact or buy something. Each objective has a different approach and is measured differently. ... Read more
In my job as Art Director, often there is little or no information as to what a client is looking for in a design for print material, websites or app interfaces. Especially when the brand is new. There are five simple steps you can follow to establish a look and feel from scratch confidently.
A friend of mine who makes websites for small business recently told me something that reminded me vividly of my past. Why working for small business is such a pain. It can be summarized in the following dialogue between business owner (BO) and consultant (C):
BO: We want to have a new website.
C: What problems are you hoping it will solve?
... Read more
What is the value of a good design or designer? How can you find out? Markets naturally create prices for products and services depending on demand and supply but prices vary drastically for design services. There are no requirements to start working as a designer professionally, no exam or license is needed, as there is to become a hairdresser or school teacher, no membership of ... Read more
On the way to work we rush along some 6.500 adverts and hardly remember any of them. Hardly means we do remember some of them, or at least elements of some of them. These elements are central to visual attention and memory. They are central to successful communication - not only advertising.
We are generally more receptive to information that confirms our interests ... Read more
Designers are natural inspiration seekers, and inspiration as a form of learning is aquired through observation. Usually designers search for inspiration from other designers or in the field of arts. Looking beyond these boundaries offers potential to gain insights from a different perspective. Designers can learn from other professions that deal with creativity, like economists.
While coupon counting were one of the essentials of measuring response rates in direct mail, data is king online. Never before the first days of tracking-links and cookies was it as easy to gather information about users and their behaviour. But click through rates aren't everything. So far only very little attention has been paid to brand or ad recall as measure for online advertising ... Read more
The gap between designers and developers is widening. Increasing difficulties of implementing Flash into online and mobile devices and the scarcity of good AS3 developers raise an important question. Is Flash losing its prospective relevance?
It all started with the launch of Action Script 3 (AS3) which was a tremendous step forward for the possibilities in Flash development. It also had negative consequences ... Read more
How much are you willing to pay for a pint of Stella down the local? How much for a glass of Grüner Veltliner white wine? Unless you are wine connoisseur, answering the latter would be a bit more tricky. Why? Because you either don't care about white wine and/or you don't have a benchmark to compare with.
This aspect of comparison ... Read more
