RE: FLASH: What drives the process- great design or great code?

[David Jacobs]

Despite the fact that my own failings touched off this debate, I do agree

wholeheartedly with Tom's post. I do have some concerns however, about what

is perceived to be good "design." 


Have you ever noticed that the following are almost universal traits of

sites receiving the most accolades for "design"?


**Use a non-intuitive interface of abstract symbols, or better yet,

something strange that has to be figured out by the user.

**Use lots of random thin lines that scroll about for no particular purpose.

**Make sure the sight isn't about anything. If it advertises something,

don't make it clear what it is.

**Present as little content as possible. Text clutters the design.


Am I exaggerating? The "thin lines" thing is like a plague!


On another note, there are designers coming from the less limited medium of

print, and there are those who cut their teeth on the web. Granted, good

design is good design, but as one of the "designers" who learned within the

limitations of the web, it is difficult to make the transition. I have

always read that Arial-Helvetica and Verdana were the easiest to read web

font choices. For large blocks of text they were mandatory. There is a

definite learning curve for me as far as typography is concerned, as I have

literally never had to take notice of it except for graphics.


I'm sure there are many others having the same difficulty. We're suddenly

using this tool that has the layout power of publishing software, and we

have never learned how to use these. 


Just give it time. I personally plan on being able to out-design Tom within

months. ; )


David Jacobs

Web Developer

Skywalker Communications

http://www.skywalker.com

http://www.itverge.com


Phone: 636.272.8025 x167


> -----Original Message-----

>

From: JGL [SMTP:infodesignthenet [dot] com]

> Sent:	Sunday, March 19, 2000 1:47 PM

>

To: flasherchinwag [dot] com

> Subject:	RE: FLASH: What drives the process- great design or great

> code?

> 

> Tom-

> 

> You drive some very good points and I, for one, believe that this is a

> very

> important topic.

> 

> This industry exploded from nothingness into vast opportunity, companies

> 'needing' to be on the WEB, and quite frankly resulting in a scrambling to

> post a site.

> 

> Availability of 'good developers' is still scarce. Probably will be for

> quite a while. The skills required to create a properly designed Internet

> presentation are not commonly bundled into a single entity. There are few

> exceptions - we have seen these and recognize them. Michael Dunn has shown

> that a good designer and become a programmer. Can a programmer become a

> good

> designer?

> 

> WEB design/development remains to be a 'one-person' show for most of what

> exist on the Internet.

> 

> As with any case of skill - it depends on individual apptitude. We are all

> not 'born designers' or 'coders'. Rarely, some acquire the skills to be

> both.

> 

> Companies creating WEB software are driven to create more design

> flexibility. Example-Varying font style is a 'new' advancement on the WEB.

> Couldn't do that before - except with clunky work-arounds.

> 

> There is still a lot that needs to be done that allows for more

> flexibility.

> Even a good designer/programmer has to work with the limitations of the

> web - sometimes 'good enough' takes front seat after trying for hours to

> make it fit proper design parameters.

> 

> In the near future I believe that collaboration (designer/coder) will

> prevail. It will parallel any industry where technology and design

> co-exist.

> A cinemetographer doesn't necessarilly run the camera but instructs the

> camera person how, where, what to film.

> 

> >Have we become so enamored with the technology of Flash that solid design

> takes a back seat?

> I think your frustration is the exposure to all of the experimentation

> going

> on . . . yes everyone is learning Flash and putting forth an effort to

> capture others opinions of their efforts - efforts in Flash technique.

> 

> >according to Saffo, maybe we don't need designers.

> Good design will always be TOPS! It is what's effective and

> people/companies

> etc. will want it. We will provide it. Those of us that don't - won't

> continue to work in this industry! That's just the way it has been and

> will

> be forever . . .:)

> 

> >pimply faced 15 year olds

> watch it pal, they are taking your advice - trust me . . . and they know

> coding - you're teaching them design. They are the future 'one person

> shows'

> . .

> 

> >That is why designers need to eliminate the word 'interface' from their

> vocabulary and think in terms of interaction."

> It's true - but it STILL is an interface . . . .

> 

> >I suspect we are starting to see the first glimmerings of Saffo's

> predictions on this list.

> Again, I think you are seeing experimentation effort. Your glimpses of

> what

> you are exposed to on this list isn't the Internet. It is an attempt to

> create the skills that develop the Internet.

> 

> >My question: , " Is there a point where collaboration between the coders

> and the designers will find equilibrium or are we heading for a business

> where the code drives the design?"

> You know - IMHO, the coders aren't us - we're designers - the coders are

> Macromedia, adobe etc. Granted, the designers need to learn certain

> amounts

> of code to design for the web. But the coders (Macromedia, adobe etc.) are

> creating the tools for the designers. They're heading the demands of the

> designers . . . if they don't, someone else will.

> 

> I am sure everyone knows the importance of learning 'Good Design'. Either

> you suceed or don't. Tom, your willingness to teach us your design skills

> is

> great. From a student perspective, an angry frustrated teacher is not

> effective. Anyway, isn't design somewhat subjective? I personally wasn't

> impressed with http://www.volumeone.com/ - you were :) (the tops of

> letters

> being chopped off makes me feel uneasy) I could go on as to other reasons

> why I wasn't impressed with that site but that's irrelevant other than it

> just shows me that design is not set in stone . . . your intended audience

> is.

> 

> 

> JGL

> dEsignthenet

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

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flasher is generously supported by...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     flashforward2000 and The Flash Film Festival

  "The World’s Premier Flash Solutions Conference and Expo"

 March 27-29, Nob Hill Masonic Center, San Francisco, California


-Register before Feb 25 and save $200!!-- www.flashforward2000.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To unsubscribe or change your list settings go to

http://www.chinwag.com/flasher or email

helpchinwag [dot] com