Some good point counterpoint between Jason Fried of 37 Signals and Andy Budd of clear:left. Jason argues that creating personas for development of products or concepts is bad. Andy has other opinions.

In case you’re wondering, this has root back in what we did for assignment 2. And, I might add, direct relationship to the creative process.

So give both sides a read. What think ye?

The fine gents over at Go Media has posted some great advice about looking for a design job. I must say I agree with them 100% on things to do and not do.’

And check out that header image, eh?!

Job Application Advice

As noted in class a few week back, class on October 25th is not happening as traditionally scheduled. Those that can are asked to attend the talk given by Cameron Moll at SUU. Details are below.

Art Insights: Cameron Moll
Date: Thursday, October 25, 2007
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: PE Building Room 101
SUU Event Listing
SUU Map

You know I don’t believe in extra credit; however, there will be 75 points awarded to those that make the trip, attend the talk, and send me an email detailing how the topics covered affect you as a new designer.

Whilst surfing the ol’ interwebs today, I ran across an interesting article that tackles the topic of dealing with client concerns. A snippet from their conclusion:

Start meetings with a review of the problems you’ve solved and the steps you went through to do so. This sets the stage for you to unveil the work and orients the clients in your process.

As you read through the article, note how many times they point back to the origins of the project. In other words, notice how they call on the client needs and initial project specifications identified early on in the creative process to justify and explain the “whys.”

How to disarm 10 difficult client observations/requests (via)

Quite an interesting debate within the industry has sprung up:

Andy Rutledge says that you never –never –miss a deadline.

Things will not always go smoothly. Bad things happen. Bad clients happen. Accept, however, that none of these common factors are license to behave irresponsibly. When the crap hits the fan it may mean that long hours and extra effort are required in order to meet the deadline. If that’s what’s required, just do it. The alternative does not reflect well on you or your reputation.

On the flip side, Andy Budd respectfully disagrees:

As a project progresses, more information comes to light. Issues will rise up and clarifications will appear. The closer you get to the final solution, the more precise your estimates will become. It’s like looking at a block of marble and imagining the statute enclosed within.

Despite the good response from Budd, I still lean squarely towards Rutledge’s argument: you can and should always hit your deadline. Even if you can justify it as being your clients’ fault, they’ll still remember that you missed the deadline; it’s doubtful they’ll remember their own ineptitudes.

Taking into account that the late policy for this class hasn’t changed, what are your thoughts on the two arguments?

Ted over at NorthTemple.com again graces us with lessons learned from the Tooth Fairy. It’s his daughter’s second go around dealing with this mythical beast and things aren’t all smooth sailing in Ted-land.

She had very high hopes, given her prior experience with the magical exchange of a worthless discarded tooth for three shiny quarters. She went to bed with great anticipation, her tooth tucked into a ziplock baggie under her pillow. The next lesson: Prior experience sets expectations.

You know the drill by now - give the article a read and be ready to discuss. How do the lessons Ted presents here jive/conflict with what we’ve discussed thus far in terms of dealing with our clients?

We spoke last week about natural design limitations (can you name all four?) that are part of any project we will work on. Ted over at North Temple sums up some great design truths after dealing with the Tooth Fairy and a four year old. Specifically, he talks about the subtleties of working within the client specifications.

She had been wiggling her first loose tooth for a few days, and it finally came out last night. When telling my wife what she expected under her pillow in return for her tooth, she said in fine alliterative fashion, “I want dollars and diamonds. Cause I’m a girl.” The interaction design lesson? Know your audience and what they want and expect.

Please read the whole article and be familiar with Ted’s conclusions about client specs. Be prepared to discuss his point and your opinion thereon at the beginning of class.