Comments on: Bring Bad Design to Justice…maybe

By: bg

bg — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 03:12:53 +0000

The work is from Stephen Woowat’s 2005 student portfolio.

By: Pedro Soares Neves

Pedro Soares Neves — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 18:59:27 +0000

Hello,

I just think that bad design doesn’t need stickers, it speaks for it. if it’s ad it’s bad if it’s good it’s good, long term people will notice or the bad becames good.

By: Blog » Blog Archive » Bring Bad Design to Justice … maybe

Blog » Blog Archive » Bring Bad Design to Justice … maybe — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 22:58:38 +0000

[...] El Blog del Ny ^_^ wrote an interesting post today on Bring Bad Design to Justice … maybeHere’s a quick excerptPeter Merholz: "I’m not saying aesthetics aren’t important. [...]

By: Andrew Crow

Andrew Crow — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 05:40:39 +0000

I’m confused by some of the comments. You all know that we didn’t come up with these stickers, right? We’re just talking about them.

By: ej

ej — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 22:00:47 +0000

Yuck! Not sure what’s worse - the snobby attitude prevalent in these “stickers” or the fact I wasted time reading through all the comments. (I admire MOST things that come out of your company

By: Dory

Dory — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 19:06:05 +0000

But if Dan and Kim’s husband understood the jokes insinuated then we would have found a better way to communicate. Graphic designers and we do not understand each other easily. We have different perspectives and objectives. I barely understood half of the jokes on those stickers but the graphic designer right next to me was laughing while reading them. Now I know where to look to slip one of those jokes in assessing his design. Again, internally, better have fun then make fun (through unintentional comments). And while one is very intimidating, the other seems to be relatively educative. I don’t know how Dan came up with those but it sure is some sort of internal graphic design jokes…and they still work beyond the borders (CANADA).
Enough playing the devil’s advocate (I don’t even know who Dan is); I just admire everything that comes out from your company.

By: Andrew Crow

Andrew Crow — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:43:37 +0000

Dory, I think to some degree we’re fiercely agreeing. I think one of the points I was trying to make was that there ways to do exactly what you describe, but on a higher level of tact.

By: Dory

Dory — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:28:01 +0000

It is an over-simplification indeed yet it points out those small details that will only be understood by the illustrators themselves. Let’s be sane and rational, what’s more meaningful to the graphic designer “Match between system and the real world” or “This does not communicate”?
Who’s the intended reader? - Not Nielsen, so maybe more practical and hands-on comments could put them on the right track (Or are we avoiding getting into the details?).
It is our job (information architects, usability specialists, interaction designers, user experience designers…) to do the structure and mechanics BUT it is also our job to communicate precisely (with those small little details) the flaws in a rendered design aka designed by a person who isn’t that concerned about the “visibility of system status”.
So maybe we should give a little bit more credits to this initiative… It isn’t that mindless afterall.
D.

By: Andrew Crow

Andrew Crow — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 17:29:38 +0000

I do not believe that these stickers were meant to bring everyone to a common ground for a rational, sane design discussion. The tone of the stickers is snarky and sarcastic. It may have only been intended for a joke, or to have some fun, but it doesn’t help anyone come to a better or more learned understanding of good design.

To Peter’s point (and I am not speaking for him, only adding my agreement), visual design has been marginalized in many clients eyes. While many people are slowing waking up to the idea of good product and service design, the majority of people still look at visual design as something that can be done with little effort or little talent. Additionally, many visual designers (myself included) have encouraged that by ignoring the bigger picture of design. Typography, color, aesthetics are paramount, but an attitude of over-simplification of priorities doesn’t help anyone come to understand their value.

By: Dory

Dory — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 17:18:05 +0000

“This is the kind of holier-than-thou crap about inconsequential bullshit that has encouraged marginalizing designers because they behave as a bunch of mindless aesthetes with no concern for issues other than appropriate typography, and little interest in things that actually matter”

That is exactly the type of comments that should be avoided when assessing ideas. Maybe that is what makes the idea behind the stickers genuine. It brings everybody, regardless of their personalities and education levels, to the same common ground in commenting other people’s work. I might get offended by a comment similar to that stated above, but let’s be rational, I will be a lot less frustrated by a sticker even if it’s coming from the same person.
Let’s try that: what is more meaningful to tell Peter “You’re a mindless arrogant who thinks he knows what actually matters” or give him a simple bullshit sticker that says “Get your Tone of voice right”?

It is very easy to find flaws in ideas. What’s harder and what makes a good designer, architect and engineer is to find a potential use for the essence behind those ideas.
D.