Comments on: Good design makes a difference in online communities too http://blog.freshnetworks.com/2008/10/good-design-makes-a-difference-in-online-communities-too/ Social media, Web 2.0 and online communities Fri, 09 Jan 2009 20:57:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: FreshNetworks Blog » Blog Archive » Design matters. Understand who you are designing for. http://blog.freshnetworks.com/2008/10/good-design-makes-a-difference-in-online-communities-too/#comment-1959 FreshNetworks Blog » Blog Archive » Design matters. Understand who you are designing for. Sun, 23 Nov 2008 23:35:00 +0000 http://blog.freshnetworks.com/?p=354#comment-1959 [...] posted before about how and why good design matters in online communities. We spend a lot of time at FreshNetworks understanding the audience the online community is aimed [...] [...] posted before about how and why good design matters in online communities. We spend a lot of time at FreshNetworks understanding the audience the online community is aimed [...]

]]> By: jj http://blog.freshnetworks.com/2008/10/good-design-makes-a-difference-in-online-communities-too/#comment-1661 jj Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:56:03 +0000 http://blog.freshnetworks.com/?p=354#comment-1661 I'm often frustrated by the expression 'good design', because it can be interpreted so many ways. Most graphic designers will think 'good design' refers to look and feel. Most developers will think 'good design' refers to supporting architecture. Most interaction designers will feel that 'good design' refers to usability and goal achievements. And most education designers will think of good design in terms of outcomes and learning. (Probably most lawyers and accountants think that 'good design' is something that can be patented and/or charged for.) Of course the obvious point is to say that a site needs all these things. But the truth of the matter is that 'good design' to a graphic designer may be in direct conflict with 'good design' as defined by an interaction and/or education designer. What Apple do is create hardware and software with a high degree of simplicity, very clean lines and strong usability. Most people regard it as 'good design'... until you start talking about proprietary systems and appropriation of code. Then suddenly it becomes Evil. I think when it comes to building online communities, 'good design' is absolutely dependent on the kind of community you wish to develop. A visual community will appreciate simplicity and visual richness, and an entirely logical community will appreciate access, speed and functionality. I don't think there are any hard and fast rules with regard to design style. I agree that a well-designed site is one that is more inclined to sustain the interest of a community longer, I just think that assuming everyone should be following the Apple standard is problematic. I’m often frustrated by the expression ‘good design’, because it can be interpreted so many ways. Most graphic designers will think ‘good design’ refers to look and feel. Most developers will think ‘good design’ refers to supporting architecture. Most interaction designers will feel that ‘good design’ refers to usability and goal achievements. And most education designers will think of good design in terms of outcomes and learning. (Probably most lawyers and accountants think that ‘good design’ is something that can be patented and/or charged for.)

Of course the obvious point is to say that a site needs all these things. But the truth of the matter is that ‘good design’ to a graphic designer may be in direct conflict with ‘good design’ as defined by an interaction and/or education designer.

What Apple do is create hardware and software with a high degree of simplicity, very clean lines and strong usability. Most people regard it as ‘good design’… until you start talking about proprietary systems and appropriation of code. Then suddenly it becomes Evil.

I think when it comes to building online communities, ‘good design’ is absolutely dependent on the kind of community you wish to develop. A visual community will appreciate simplicity and visual richness, and an entirely logical community will appreciate access, speed and functionality. I don’t think there are any hard and fast rules with regard to design style. I agree that a well-designed site is one that is more inclined to sustain the interest of a community longer, I just think that assuming everyone should be following the Apple standard is problematic.

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