Comments on: What we do Revisited

By: Uli

Uli — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:33:28 +0000

I think that there is a distinction between “Design” and “UI design” or Usability. To me, design is a general term that points more in the graphical view of things, while I view you as more of a complete usability solution design house (that incorporates functionality with design), where the functionality is equally important. I don’t see this in the diagram.
Regards, Uli

By: Rez

Rez — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:23:47 +0000

From an aesthetic point of view, I find this diagram a lot more engaging. I see a flower that blossoms, acting as a nice metaphor for a process that results in something with which people associate positive things. Unlike your previous diagram, the organic shapes infer fluidity and flexibility, reflecting the nature of processes involved in what you do.

While this sums up what you do, my experience is that different clients understand words like “concept” and “strategy” in different ways. Explanation of processes/methodologies alongside the diagram could help you communicate more comprehensively.

~ j

By: devesh

devesh — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 06:25:06 +0000

I partly agree to Dave that it is not completely the role of a designer to create an idea. That is not how it always goes. Sometimes ideas come from a combination of sources.
But again, ultimately its about value proposition. Its about who builds upon an idea and gives it shape. I think, the diagram still stands valid because designers are responsible for creating concepts on those ideas (whether its the idea by design team or anyone else).

Good effort.

By: Dave Malouf

Dave Malouf — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:32:23 +0000

Ok, better, but I do believe that sometimes the concept comes from outside of us and sometimes the concept comes directly from us, or more accurately from a combination of sources.

i.e. where would the work of Jan Chipchase fall into this? or look at the case study of IDEO’s BofA “the change goes into your savings” project. Design generated the concept out of nothing more than to say, “We need to find a way to get people to use their savings accounts more.”

Now the reality is that the “problem” may be well defined by an outside source, but in my work at moto the problems were sometimes so broadly defined that they could be anything. Like, “how can we make retail better?”

this may not be what most of us are doing, but it is in the purview of design.

– dave