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Good idea, but really needs more explanation and examples.

Daniel

I agree with you completely. Execution is so important. Many good ideas have been good for nothing, and many average or simple ideas have turned out amazing all from the execution. Execution, however, must be done well in both the areas of design and programming. If the design is there and the functionality isn’t, the site will still not do well. Looks do not compensate for the lack of usability and functionality. I’ve recently been looking at websites that are used for locating/rating restaurants. There are many of them, and most of them are absolutely terrible. Probably one of the few that has the right formula is Yelp, which is why it is one of the more popular ones.

theres been quite a few blog style articles here lately, you guys ever thought about making a seperate section for these short articles and keeping the home page for the big articles and showcases?

Cmon guys, he’s an “Art Director”. He shouldn’t be expected to actually execute anything successfully… he’s an “idea guy”

I agree with James, not everything is a Eureka moment. In fact, most great sites comes after many rounds of design iterations.

Execution is paramount and also a defining characteristic of a well-seasoned designer. The proper execution can propel a good idea into great-idea territory. I agree, though, that without at least a solid focus around which a design team can rally the project or site can come crashing down.

In regard to the length of the article, other commenters, please note that these contest submissions are under a length constraint of 1200 characters (without spaces). This one clocks in around 900. The authors did a fine job of conveying an idea and spurring a discussion for the rest of us. I’d love to see more on these topics and hopefully our wishes will be fulfilled with some feature-length pieces.

I remember being told by my first-semester design instructor that a successful design needs to have at least one of the two – great concept, or great execution – preferably both. I think he was right.

Hesitant as we are to admit it, not every project calls for a mind-blowing, original concept. I spent two years designing newspaper ads. If I had tried to make every ad for brake repair a stunning conceptual masterpiece, I would’ve wasted a lot of time, and my work would’ve become annoying to look at pretty quick. Execution counts for a lot in an environment like that.

On the subject of length, I applaud the author for not taking up three screens to communicate three paragraphs worth of ideas. That’s good execution.

I 100% agree. To believe that every well respected great website out there started with a stroke of genius is a tad far fetched. It always, in my opinion, comes down to how well the site is designed in terms of aesthetics and functionality. I really would have enjoyed a little more thorough approach in your post though, as it would have been pretty interesting to explore the idea thoroughly. I think most good designers understand that they can’t just ignore the conventions of design just because they have a good idea…

I agree with you completely here; ideas are just a small component of success. Many people come up with an idea and then head underground with it, where they spend months planning out every aspect and imagining how incredibly successful they’ll be. Then they come out and find that someone else has beat them to it by actually acting on the idea rather than over-thinking it. A so-so idea with some action behind it is far better than the most terrific idea that’s left floating around inside your head.

If the idea is shit, no execution is going to rescue it.

Clearly, shitty ideas don’t cut it. But respectfully, the author isn’t talking about shitty ideas, merely unremarkable ones. He even says “Ideas should be solid – even if they’re simple.”

Shitty Idea: “Let’s add this photograph of my poodle in the logo for my car dealership!”

Unremarkable Idea: “Let’s use a picture of a car in the logo for my car dealership.”

One stands a much better chance of rescue through killer execution than the other.

What’s with these ultra-short, under-developed articles from Smashing all of a sudden?

Can someone tell me please what is happening at Smashing Magazine?

Lame articles, updated very fast, more quantity than quality, short articles that aren’t always true, most people here and refusing them…

Please go back to the way it was before :s this is why we all come here regularly.

Stop posting your ideas and thoughts, no one really cares.

in my opinion, 3 sentences don’t make an article, it’s just 3 sentences

This my friends is the worst article I have ever read on Smashing Magazine. No matter how hard you polish a turd, it’s still going to be brown.

Weak, weak, weak article.