Casual Thoughts

How can I improve it?

Written by brendror November 16, 2011

It doesn’t matter if you’re developing a physical product, a website or a certain service – In the field you work in you’ll probably find experts waiting to see what you’ll pull out of your sleeve.
They are your focus group.They are your early adopters.
They have already seen it all and know what can be done and what can’t.
The ground they are standing on is very solid.

Let’s say that you’ve created some new innovation in your field. It probably isn’t perfect yet, as it’s an early iteration.
Let’s say that it’s a “game changer in the rough”. The thing about game changers is that they usually scare experts and shake the ground they are standing on. Game changers challenge their perception and it takes time to adapt to them.

The early reactions you’ll get from experts in regard to game changers will probably be along the lines of “This will never work”, “What were you thinking” and lots of “LOLZ”.

At this stage you might be tempted to go head to head against the experts and prove them wrong. BUT – The great thing is that your possible innovation might get them thinking.
And at this stage – the best thing you can do is ask the experts – “How can I improve it?”

You’ll get two positive outcomes by doing so -
1. Switching them over to your side
2. Getting some really useful feedback you can practically use

In any case, cherish the experts of your field. With the right approach, they can be your greatest asset.

11.16.2011 // Leave a comment // Continue Reading »

Love it.

Written by brendror October 25, 2011

That is, as in a command – “I demand that you’ll love this product, right now”.

Wanting your clients to love your products is completely understandable, even noble I’s say. When you create a product for people to love, you’re mindset is focused on the users’ needs. You emphasize fun and function and pleasurable use on all levels. Just like in the real world, anything you do is better with a touch of emotion.

Now, the thing with love is that there are all kinds of it. Even in the relationship between you as a designer and your clients. In some cases designers have good intentions and a baggage of love for their users, but it ends up being overwhelming. Think of a situation where a designer invests so much in a product that he ends up so involved with it, so in love with his creation that he protects it at all costs, pushes it and practically tries to force it on whoever his client is.

Would that work? Well, maybe in some very specific cases actually. But most of the time it’ll just be annoying as hell.

When doing design, love your clients, love the process and love your work. But let other people choose what they love for themselves.

10.25.2011 // 1 Comment // Continue Reading »

Foolproof design

Written by brendror October 10, 2011

“This product is completely foolproof” means that it’ll withstand all kinds of foolish misuse possible.

Foolproof products and packages are designed to prevent errors when the product is out of your hands and you won’t have any control over it.

But the thing is that the very definition limits you and forces you to design to the lowest common denominator.

Designing foolproof is ok, but designing smart is way better.

10.10.2011 // Leave a comment // Continue Reading »

Design for change

Written by brendror September 30, 2011

I love buying new furniture, getting a new closet or a couple of shelves can actually give me a feeling of renewal and optimism. I think that’s because I believe design is a progressive process, and that even rearranging my apartment gives me a sense of that.

It’s a physical manifestation of the fact that my life is moving, changing and from time to time demand that I move my bed from one spot to another.

Today is Rosh Hashana, the jewish new year. It’s a good chance to notice the changes in our lives and embrace them. My two cents on embracing change are -

1. Think about what has changed in your life recently. Design your living space to suit those changes.

2. Once you’ve made up your mind about whatever you want to change – try to fix it up by yourself. Building your own furniture is so much more fun than buying it.

09.30.2011 // Leave a comment // Continue Reading »

Shake it like a polaroid picture

Written by brendror September 14, 2011

Some actions become usability myths.

I’ve just seen an Iphone photo app which imitates the photographic qualities of a Polaroid cam – You know, the slightly vintaged look and the imperfect focus. Now, I don’t want to get into the nostalgic bit which is obvious or the magic of pseudo-chemical photo development. The thing I found interesting about this app is that it requires that you’ll shake your phone in order to produce the photo. In a way, that’s totally understandable, I mean, everyone knows that Polaroids are magically fun. you point, click, and a card pops out. you shake it and a photo magically appears. The best part is the shaking and seeing the photo appear.

For arguement’s sake, please ignore the fact that the last time you’ve probably seen a polaroid was a bunch of years ago. Please think about this – What if I told you that the shaking part was totally unnecessary, had no effect at all and that vigorous shaking might even hurt the developing picture? That’s absolutely true by the way, in modern Polaroid shaking has no effect. Would knowing that stop you from shaking the card till the photo appear? I hope not. Because it’s plain fun. And that’s a part of why the Iphone polaroid app is fun. It’s as plain and stupid as the fact that people just like to shake things.

Fun is so important in a good product’s experience that even if it’s unnecessary, irrelevant and might sometimes undermine function it should stay there, in all it’s silly glory.

09.14.2011 // Leave a comment // Continue Reading »

Clicks

Written by brendror August 29, 2011

If you’re reading this you are probably in front of a computer, which means there’s probably a keyboard in front of you with lots of clicking buttons. I want you to try out a small experiment. Open Notepad, word, or whatever text editor you like and just type a bit. Sentences, Gibberish, whatever. While you are typing, listen. Do you hear the keyboard clicking away under your fingers? That’s the sound of words being created (or gibberish, whatever).

Has it ever occurred to you that the clicking sound of your keyboard has been designed (or at least, should have been)? Have you ever thought about the importance of clicks as a product’s feature?

Think about your keyboard again, in a different context. Think about a small child who plays with a keyboard – She pretends to be typing by mimicking the clicking rhythm she hears when her dad is typing away. In a way, ‘Clicks’ are probably the most important sound a product can make. It tells so much about the product in terms of build quality, functionality and attention to details. They affect the overall experience and can bring joy or grief to the user.

There are many types of clicks. There’s the click of a well made car door, which tells you “Your car was well made. You can trust it, it’s safe”. There’s the famous click of a gun being loaded, used in all action movies to tell that “Shit just got real, this machine is ready to operate”.

Clicks can also have a negative aspect. You know that thing when you’re in a quite room and all of a sudden you notice that the clock on the wall is ticking, and now you just can’t quite get that ticking noise out of your head? I swear that when I bought the watch I currently own I held it up to my ear before buying it only to avoid annoying sudden clicks.

So next time you’re appreciating a product’s design, don’t just watch and feel it. Hear it. It speaks – you just need to listen.

08.29.2011 // Leave a comment // Continue Reading »

Beautiful monoblocks

Written by brendror August 13, 2011

In many cases, design serves as a mediator between the manufacturer and you, the user.

Design helps you understand and use the product as it was intended to be used, it allows you to enjoy the product you now proudly own.

In many cases, that isn’t a simple task due to the fact that many products are comprised of an assortment of various different parts. Even a “simple” product such as a toolbox has it’s complexities. It’s made out certain types of plastic and metal. It’s handle works in a specific way. It’s hinges are supposed to move in a certain angle and above all else, it’s supposed to give you a certain level of trust that your tools are well kept in it. The designer’s job is to make sure all of the above happens. That’s a toolbox for you. More complex than you’ve imagined.

I’m not even beginning to talk about electronic products here, they bring along an entire different assortment of complex potential design fails (or wins!). But the thing is, simply put, most products are conceptually complex. They have different parts that do different things.

On the other hand there are the monoblocks. The monoblocks are the tried and tested items that usually have one purpose, one part (or close to one part) and have usually evolved over many years. Good examples of a monoblock are a nail, a chef’s knife or a Japanese wood saw.

Of course, by no means am I suggesting that they are easy to design. Each product comes with it’s challenges, whether they are ergonomic, functional or even marketing related. What I’m stressing out is that these products are unique in their very singular, functional purpose which makes them beautiful.

The beauty of the monoblocks, in my opinion, lies in the joy of the simple function and in their refined versatility.

Think about that next time your hammering a nail, or cutting a finely chopped salad.

Appreciate the simplicity and pureness of the monoblocks.

08.13.2011 // Leave a comment // Continue Reading »

Over analyzing a process

Written by brendror July 29, 2011

I had a chat with a friend this week about a process he’s taken part in -
He has a new company and is working on developing a product. We talked a bit about how he’s working on it, and I told him that in my opinion he really needs to build from the ground up – start with defining his main goals, users and clients, etc…

“You see”, he told me, “My partners and I started working just like that earlier on, and the discussions were never-ending.” He told me that once they’ve decided that they should focus on a certain client sector, they’ve felt the need to delve deeper and analyze the different parts that that sector is made of.
He carried on and explained the different semantic dilemmas they’ve ran into and it seemed so familiar.
It’s called over analyzing. And it’s a project killer.
The thing is that over analyzing is a result of good intentions. You start off with an idea but you don’t want to rush unplanned and start off right away. And that’s good.
But make sure that the planning stage doesn’t stall you or worse – sends you back.
When you feel that the analytic planning stage is becoming a burden just be brave enough to make a decision, cut it and get going.

07.29.2011 // Leave a comment // Continue Reading »

Career plateaus and design jumps

Written by brendror July 24, 2011

Career progress isn’t a straight climbing line graph. It’s a graph made of sharp rises followed by long plateaus. The thing is that you can’t always tell when the jumps will arrive and how big they’ll be. A good example is getting that dream job and after working at it for a couple of years you start getting bored. That’s the plateau. There are reasons to stay at it – stability, experience, etc. That said, when you get bored with the plateau, you should jump it.

It’s very similar to a product design process (and other development processes in general). A new tech, a new material or a new design usually lead to a jump and to a successful product. And then the product gets old and hits the plateau. And then it dies off, naturally, due to competition making jumps themselves.

Just like you’ll try to make the jump with a new product when your last one gets old, make sure you jump in any other area you’re dealing with. Jumping the plateau is completely up to you. It’s never certain that it’ll be a successful jump; you might not make it and fall down. The time to jump is usually instinctual and hard to define, but when you’re asking yourself whether you should jump, remember that the alternative to jumping is eventually becoming irrelevant. As a wise mentor of mine once said – “These days, the riskiest thing you can do is be safe”

07.24.2011 // Leave a comment // Continue Reading »

Inspiration is a mixtape

Written by brendror July 24, 2011

My inspiration mixtape is full of old 80′s cartoons, storm trooper helmets and videogames.
It has ideas I got from Victor Papanek, Don Norman and George Carlin.
There are works by Banksy, Picaso and Stan Lee in it.

It’s diverse. But it’s also very specific.
It’s the mixtape of a geeky nineties kid, who grew up to be a designer
I’m pretty sure some of you won’t even use the “mixtape” metaphor to define inspiration, but that’s a part of the thing – That even its definition and interpretation is yours to create.

Make sure you know where your inspiration’s at. Harness it and use it. Nurture it and grow it. It’s endless and it’s the source of all your creativity.

07.24.2011 // Leave a comment // Continue Reading »

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