I went to Drupalcon in Portland a few weeks ago and am still processing everything I learned. I hope to have time to write a few longer posts in the coming weeks on some of the larger themes from the conference. While I procrastinate I figured I’d highlight some of the more interesting tidbits from the sessions I attended. Since I was on Twitter, these are going to take the from of tweets from myself and others.
“This all wrong.Its too grey, it’s too boxy and I hate the font.” — Every Client who ever reviewed wireframes.#drupalcon
— Todd Zeigler (@debaser) May 23, 2013
I believe this was a quote from the Design Smarter, Not Harder session by Ken Woodworth.
This is obviously a bit of an overstatement, but in my experience around half of clients simply aren’t going to be able to provide you with good feedback on wireframes. Wireframes are intended to separate the form from the function, and some folks can’t make that leap. Wireframes are simply too conceptual in nature for some folks.
“Working software always trumps documents about working software.” #DrupalCon
— Troy Swanson (@gerphimum) May 23, 2013
I believe this is from the Designing on Purpose session featuring Jared Ponch. There is a place for specifications and planning and process, but the best feedback will come when you have something tangible to play with. Processes that give users things they can touch and feel sooner are what is needed.
.@jponch – “We can’t solve problems for our clients based on their personal preferences in color, typography & texture.” #drupalcon
— Todd Zeigler (@debaser) May 21, 2013
This is another one from Jared Ponch. He compared designers to architects. Architects ask clients what they are hoping to achieve, not what their technical approach to the project should be. Web designers should follow the same process.
“Content management was commoditized as soon as open-source solutions reached sufficient competency at a no-cost price point.” #drupalcon
— Todd Zeigler (@debaser) May 23, 2013
This tweet came from Deane Barker’s presentation on Why the CEO Matters More Than the Developer. Simplifying greatly, his point was that content management is no longer a point of differentiation during the sales process. Instead, firms must “sell” products and services that move their clients bottom line through increased sales or increased efficiency.
Visual design and ux design are two completely things that require two completely different sills sets. #drupalcon
— Todd Zeigler (@debaser) May 21, 2013
I don’t really remember which panel this quote came from, but it really struck me. Web design is a big field and different jobs require different kinds of skills. The person who can create beautiful illustrations for an interactive piece may not be the one you want designing your forms.
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