There is a fundamental problem with how we showcase our interactive design work – we can’t. Well, not accurately anyway. We place screenshots of our work in our portfolios and see them in print magazines right next to the annual reports and billboards that go along with them, but without actually visiting the website and using the design, we fail to grasp its true merit. It’s like looking at a picture of food without actually tasting it.
Steelcase has designed a chair that is optimized for 9 new postures that we tend to take when using various technologies.
Apple and other industrial design companies have often been accused of planned obsolescence. Planned obsolescence is a business strategy in which a company will knowingly release a product with a limited lifespan so that it inevitably becomes obsolete. This puts pressure on the consumer to constantly purchase the company’s newest product.
Apple is accused of planned obsolescence because they keep such tight control over their products, discouraging consumers to modify, upgrade or even repair them. In fact, they purposely make it very difficult to do so. It would make sense then that Apple is doing this so that when their products become obsolete or broken, the consumer has no choice to purchase a new one. However, I’d like to suggest another reason why Apple keeps their products so tightly closed.
It’s not that they don’t want you modifying or upgrading their product solely because they want to sell you a new one, but more so because they are incredibly proud of their products. Much like a chef doesn’t want you to put salt on their dish, they believe their product is flawless as it comes.
More specifically, Apple doesn’t want their products to be tainted by third-party hardware or software (that’s why the App store approval process is quite substantial). If they weren’t as diligent as they are there would be potential for their brand and products to diminish into the world of mass computing. Apple believes that their products are not just a computer, not just a tablet and not just a phone. These are Apple products and they’re different. Apple doesn’t make repairing their products easy or affordable, not because they want you to buy a new one (though I’m sure they’d love it if you did), but because they don’t believe you will have to. Repairs are considered an edge case in which most consumers won’t ever have to deal with. But is that really the case? or is Apple being naive? Consumers can decide for themselves.
Understand that Apple makes a very specific type of product for a specific demographic. If you’re the type of person who likes to get their hands dirty and deconstruct a product to learn how it’s made then an Apple product just isn’t for you. Apple products aren’t your average computers, they’re Apple products. I guess you could say it’s a case of Apples and Oranges.
The shipping container provided a universal understanding between multiple parties, allowing commodities to be transported easily and efficiently using various vehicles – trains, trucks, boats etc. Metaphorically speaking, this is exactly what computing lacks – a universal means of transporting information.
Since the beginning of the Internet web designers and developers have always had a sense of progressive enhancement. By that I mean they have consistently been looking forward, always trying to deliver the newest and best approach while allowing for graceful degradation where their approach is not supported.
I’ve been reading a lot about the debate among designers regarding whether or not lorem ipsum text should be used when presenting a UI design to a client.
On one side, some designers argue that ‘content is king’ and without using real copy in your design the design isn’t the least bit accurate. Essentially they argue that the content is the design and therefore without having the copy up front, the design bears no real value.
I don’t think too many if any designers would argue with that. However, that doesn’t negate the use of lorem ipsum all together as I believe there are still situations in where it can be necessary, helpful or even beneficial to the design process.
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