Prepared Minds
It’s always great when I come across great design blogs with intelligent, insightful content and passionate writers. Luckily for me I’ve discovered THREE over the weekend!
Niti Bhan’s excellent blog Perspective, which takes on many issues relating to business and design; Ralf Beuker’s equally excellent blog Design Management, which is an excellent resource on design management and business; and finally Does Size Matter? another great blog that deals with issues not only related to design and business but also the intriguing subject of the comparison of “whether large full service companies are better than smaller specialized firms in a loosely knit alliance, sourcing design, innovation, strategy”.
Not too long ago I ranted about how the most designer blogs and forums devote more time to the HOW of design (software, programming, techniques, etc.) and not enough time on the WHY of design (management, strategy, business practices, etc.). Now, thankfully, I have to take some of that back.
.chris{}
Posted on June 22nd, 2005 at 9:26 am. About 'Prepared Minds'.
Hi Chris,
thanks for this nice posting! What I like is your distinction between the HOW and WHY issues of the Desgin (Management) Business.
Even though I see a slight risk that blogging these days gets too hyped and overrated there is a chance here as well: by conncecting and networking among blogs like ours: Niti’s, Yours, Mine, …. we’re able to address and link the: HOW, WHAT and WHY questions from our different perspectives
Continue blogging and have a nice day!
Greetings from Germany,
Ralf Beuker | www.design-management.de | the design management resource
Posted on July 1st, 2005 at 7:07 pm. About 'Prepared Minds'.
Chris - thanks for the nice mention of Does Size Matter - we’re a very new effort, definitely still finding our feet, and we’re looking for more input from people out there - so anyone who can come check it out and ask a question or add a comment - please do so!
Posted on July 1st, 2005 at 7:15 pm. About 'Prepared Minds'.
Hey Steve,
It’s great to find out about you guys! I love the content on your site and the concepts you bring up. Keep up the good work and feel free to leave feedback around here as well!
.chris{}
Posted on July 19th, 2005 at 12:23 pm. About 'Prepared Minds'.
Great Web log. It’s a coincidence, but I am writing an article for an online magazine that concerns the HOW and the WHY (I use those terms exactly).
I am a Web designer and developer-before that a graphic designer and art director for many years.
My take on this is as follows (briefly):
“Designers, particularly Web designers need to be more aware of and incorporate *context* into our work and our internal discussions.
In addition to Studio Art, I majored in Art History in college. When studying a particular artist’s work or a movement she or he belonged to, we examined* formal* aspects, such as medium, technique, composition, color, stroke, as well as subject matter.
We also examined, with equal emphasis, the context of that era; the cultural attitudes and changes in society; the political, religious, and other reforms occurring amid developments in the arts, sciences, technology, business, and other fields.
They are inseparable as they inform each other.
Web designers are focused almost entirely on the formal aspects of our work as we are still defining what they are. Yet they all relate to how we do things. Many of us are quite passion in our beliefs. While this reflects a deep commitment and is also a necessity for us to do our jobs, it’s only half the picture.
In addition to how?, there is the question why?”
I go on and on about the topic, but I just wanted to say thank you for pointing this out. I am launching my new Web log very soon and I plan to cover the human and social aspects of New media.
It’s called “The Humane Web: Design and Technology Serving Human Needs
Posted on July 19th, 2005 at 12:33 pm. About 'Prepared Minds'.
Hey Michael,
Thanks for commenting. I think there is more and more discussion these days into the strategic aspects of what we do. The WHY will continue to take on more imporance since the HOW is becoming increasingly easier to come by.
I look forward to seeing your new blog when you launch it! Keep me posted!
.chris{}
Posted on July 19th, 2005 at 5:39 pm. About 'Prepared Minds'.
Hey Chris,
Thanks for commenting back. I thought perhaps I had missed the live period and gone into the archives already (everything moves so fast in “Web Time”).
You are absolutely right, the “Why” is even going mainstream. In addition to tradition disciplines like the social sciences, philosophy, psychology, etc, these ideas are going mainstream. It would seem the only group not discussing this is the Web professional community.
I’m reading articles in business week, CNN, and books by Author Daniel Pink that make hugely profound statements about what is occurring and why.
My favorite is an interview with Pink in HowMagazine.com called “Follow your Heart” http://www.howdesign.com/db/features/followyourheart1.asp
He claims the profession that is going to be of most importance as we move from the Information Age to the “Conceptual Age” is that of a designer. Of course, I had to send a copy to my parents (they wanted a doctor).
Hey, not to self promote or self pimp, but you might check out my first article in Digital Web Magazine titled “The Web is a Human Creation.” It deals with many of these issues. Here is the link (if you have time to glance at it):
http://www.digital-web.com/articles/the_web_is_a_human_creation/
Keep on writing, this is a great Web log.
Michael