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“Please welcome to the stage the very innovative Bela Fleck”
March 6, 2010Believe it or not, those are not the words I’d want to be introduced by. Every week I see a new article about the secret(s) of innovation. And then articles dissecting the word, suggesting better words, lauding innovation, deploring it. At the least, it’s fatiguing. But often I think it’s just barking up the wrong tree.
Don’t get me wrong: I find nothing categorically wrong with innovation. How could I, right? But as a designer, 90% of the time I’d rather do something really damn well than do something that’s innovative. I like much of Bela Fleck’s music, but I hope we’re not celebrating the man because he can make pitch-perfect quail calls with his banjo or because he’s sure to be the all-time best-selling heavy metal banjo crossover artist of all time. Innovative (if a bit hyperbolic), but not necessarily great.
There’s nothing innovative about any of the design I do, save for (maybe) a CSS hack developed as a means to an end now and then, but I can’t see why there needs to be. I’m in the business of communicating content visually and interactively. I respect the designers who not only push the craft forward through excellence in execution, but actually push the medium forward through innovation. Maybe the iPad (e.g.) will really enable us to better communicate content. I’m not denouncing innovation, but if no one ever calls me “innovative” I’ll be totally okay, as long as someone calls me “really good.”
Recent thoughts: 4-28-2009
April 28, 2009- If you have to start a sentence with “For what it’s worth” or “You probably won’t like this,” just don’t say it!
- Some interaction designer could make a killing redesigning the software used by bars and restaurants.
- When I see job listings beginning with questions—e.g. “Do you get excited about firing up OmniGraffle?”—I associate them with infomercials. Is that what you want me to think?
- Electronic keychains (to lock and unlock cars) are a great example of how physical and aesthetic simplicity isn’t the same as real simplicity. A toggle lock/unlock button would not be a good thing.
- William Blake was a badass.
- I wish designers on twitter would tweet more about design and less about miles ridden on bikes and burgers eaten, etc. Or keep separate accounts.
- The new Lions’ logo is warming on me, but they better win some games or it will be exposed as a pretty buffoonish move. And I’m not inspired by their draft choices.
How many laughs can we get out of economic disaster?
April 10, 2009I subscribe to the New Yorker and have noticed—er, been hit over the head by—a trend of cartoons dealing with the financial crisis. It’s not that this is strange or unwarranted; it isn’t. After all, many of the articles deal directly or indirectly with the economy, too. It’s just that it seems like cartoons aren’t making the cut if they’re not about Ponzi schemes or corporate bonuses or unemployment.…
My twitter username
March 31, 2009I don’t have one. But, if and when I ever sign up for twitter, I think my username should be CraveVileTweet8.
