Smashing Magazine ~ we smash you with the information that will make your life easier. really.
Smashing Magazine we smash you with the information that will make your life easier. really.

  • How-To: Fit a Circle In a Square Hole

    By Ann Edwards, August 25th, 2008 in How-To | 33 Comments

    Being a designer in an environment where most people adhere to a strict path of logic can be challenging. There are few logic-centric people who understand the value design has to a product or service. Instead of beating your head against your desk, do something to get the company on common ground. Apple and Orange Think back to the first time you discovered that not everyone holds the same respect for design as a necessary part of business as you do. You were just making your grand entrance into the professional world and, much like a child discovering their own hands and feet, you were overzealous about the impact design has on every aspect of society and business. Then something happened—a conversation with a supervisor or colleague, or a meeting with a client—that took the wind out of your sails and revealed the biggest challenge any designer can face: convincing the world of your work’s validity.

    Read more...

  • How To Communicate Design Decisions To Clients?

    By Smashing Editorial, July 22nd, 2008 in How-To | 124 Comments

    You may have noticed that in certain business and marketing circles there exists a "backlash" against the design community. Despite the rise of attractive, user-friendly solutions, in such cirlces unattractive designs have somehow managed to remain at the verge of acceptance. You'll hear ideas being thrown around like "design is a waste of time — we have a really ugly site which outsells our competitors 3 to 1" or "we are not worried about the design, we'll outsource it or use a free Wordpress theme, let us focus more on the product".

    Eye-Tracking

    You can almost sense a little bit of pride in how ugly their web-site is, or that they are treating design like a commodity. However off base these types of thoughts might be, there is clearly a lack of respect for designers in the business community at times. I'd like to address how you can shatter this barrier and talk to business folk in a language they understand.

    This article provides you with 5 guidelines you can use as a designer to "speak business" — even if it's just to get your foot in the door or land a big project.

    Read more...



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