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I think the root issue preventing more designers from working on open source projects is that, unlike development, design doesn't improve when the work is distr
by johnthedebs 16y ago
I think the root issue preventing more designers from working on open source projects is that, unlike development, design doesn't improve when the work is distributed.
Development is modular – pieces can be added, removed, or changed out for other pieces. Several developers can work on the same project at the same time and not step on each others' toes (esp. thanks to modern version control). This works great with the open source model.
Design, on the other hand, benefits from being unified and consistent. The best-designed projects have one designer, or a small group of designers working together closely. This doesn't work well with open source at all.
This becomes pretty obvious when you compare Mac systems to Linux systems.
Until this issue is resolved (by, eg, open source projects bringing on dedicated designers) the symptoms are unlikely to go away.
- jamesteow 16y ago"The best-designed projects have one designer, or a small group of designers working together closely. This doesn't work well with open source at all." This is a pretty important point that gets overlooked. I think designers can help make something more intuitive and generally more readible but if we're talking about a cohesive person, it usually has to come from one person with a vision for the project.