4 ms·

As an engineer with no design skills, that's the hardest part in getting together a team...I can't find a good designer. I may be able to pump out an amazing s

by bkrausz 19y ago

As an engineer with no design skills, that's the hardest part in getting together a team...I can't find a good designer. I may be able to pump out an amazing site, but if it looks like crap no one is going to use it. It sucks not being a jack of all trades (then again, I'd hate to be a master of none...)

staunch 19y ago
You overestimate the skill required to create most of these sites. They're usually following some very simple rules. Most are inspired by the style of 37 Signals. Nice fonts, gradients, and pastel colors. Most of what makes these sites seem so nice is that they're familiar and "modern web 2.0". Scribd is very Diggish for example. Inkscape is like magic for creating nice logos, if you keep it simple. Truly anyone can do it. Use a color scheme tool like http://kuler.adobe.com/ http://kuler.adobe.com/. Don't invent a totally unique design, imitate someone at first. Anyone who can code well can easily reproduce nice simple site designs. Overcoming the "I can't design" mental block is the hardest part. Becoming a real design master takes a lot more effort obviously.
- omouse 19y ago
  >Anyone who can code well can easily reproduce nice simple site designs. These are actually a win. Look at reddit, ebay, Google. I bet the coders/engineers/computer-scientists there thought they couldn't design either.
  - plusbryan 19y ago
    Google has always been good at UI's, but they don't have truly talented illustrators on staff (it's not what they need). Take a look at the "Pick a name" button thing on gmail as a reference.
- dshah 19y ago
  I agree totally. Often, half the battle is just knowing good design when you see it (i.e. picking what to emulate).
  - mattculbreth 19y ago
    I think that half though is pretty tough though. I'd call that half more like 80%.
- 8en 19y ago
  I agree that these sites don't necessarily require an MFA to design, but they do require really careful thinking about exactly how the user will use site - not just which rounded font and pastel color scheme to use. Designs may be simple, but simple does not imply that they aren't well thought out. Fortunately, this is precisely what a good engineer should be thinking about the whole time. [As an aside those faded blue gradients make me want to throw a rotten tomato at Jason Fried.]
- plusbryan 19y ago
  Skype is another example of a very striking and original site. But sometimes, like you suggest, good graphic design is simply about paying attention to details like lining things up.
pg 19y ago
If you have no design skills, just try to make things as minimal as possible. Google's UI was designed by engineers with no design skills, and it still works for them. If you can't design the (original) Porsche 911, http://www.idee.demon.nl/911_22/b911-117.jpg http://www.idee.demon.nl/911_22/b911-117.jpg just design a Land Rover http://www.roverclub.org/crmpuf.gif http://www.roverclub.org/crmpuf.gif The thing to avoid is getting halfway to cool design and ending up with a Pontiac Aztek http://www.familycar.com/RoadTests/PontiacAztek/Images2/RightSide.jpg http://www.familycar.com/RoadTests/PontiacAztek/Images2/Righ... or an Edsel http://blog.ninjakiwi.com/images/edsel.jpg http://blog.ninjakiwi.com/images/edsel.jpg
- jsjenkins168 19y ago
  And dont stray too far from traditional design conventions, or you could end up like Weber's new supercar and people will want to throw up when they see your work: http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/04/top-gear-crowns-weber-supercar-ugliest-car-of-2007/ http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/04/top-gear-crowns-weber-sup...
  - pg 19y ago
    Ouch. That's like a distillation of all that's wrong with the latest batch of BMWs. The problem is not that they strayed from conventions. The problem with that car is that it's fugly.
    - rms 19y ago
      "the shape allows the car to reach 62 MPH in 2.7 seconds with a top speed of 240 MPH" People also thought the Aeron was ugly when it came out...
      - pg 19y ago
        shape -> engine
      - Goladus 19y ago
        I wonder how it handles?
ivankirigin 19y ago
Design isn't an exception to most other talents. The way to get good is to do it. It helps to know how to make things, from paper prototypes drawn freehand to more serious tools. Also, from a usability perspective, there are a number of tools people use. Lots of them boil down to "figure out why people can't use this or think it's ugly". But i'm no expert. Also, it helps to have a sense of aesthetics. That usually comes when you admit something is ugly, and grows from there. There are a ridiculous number of design books out there. You could probably finish "Laws of Simplicity" in an hour. http://www.amazon.com/Laws-Simplicity-Design-Technology-Business/dp/0262134721 http://www.amazon.com/Laws-Simplicity-Design-Technology-Busi... Note that I'm no designer.
sherman 19y ago
What if you know a good designer (css/html), but they have no programming experience? Would a partner that knows how to hack but currently lacks design skills be more effective? I too have no design skills, but believe I can create at least a decent site if I tried. The hardest part is overcoming the fact that you probably can build a decent looking site if you tried.

by bkrausz 19y ago

staunch 19y ago

You overestimate the skill required to create most of these sites. They're usually following some very simple rules. Most are inspired by the style of 37 Signals. Nice fonts, gradients, and pastel colors. Most of what makes these sites seem so nice is that they're familiar and "modern web 2.0". Scribd is very Diggish for example. Inkscape is like magic for creating nice logos, if you keep it simple. Truly anyone can do it. Use a color scheme tool like http://kuler.adobe.com/ http://kuler.adobe.com/. Don't invent a totally unique design, imitate someone at first. Anyone who can code well can easily reproduce nice simple site designs. Overcoming the "I can't design" mental block is the hardest part. Becoming a real design master takes a lot more effort obviously.

omouse 19y ago
>Anyone who can code well can easily reproduce nice simple site designs. These are actually a win. Look at reddit, ebay, Google. I bet the coders/engineers/computer-scientists there thought they couldn't design either.
- plusbryan 19y ago
  Google has always been good at UI's, but they don't have truly talented illustrators on staff (it's not what they need). Take a look at the "Pick a name" button thing on gmail as a reference.
dshah 19y ago
I agree totally. Often, half the battle is just knowing good design when you see it (i.e. picking what to emulate).
- mattculbreth 19y ago
  I think that half though is pretty tough though. I'd call that half more like 80%.
8en 19y ago
I agree that these sites don't necessarily require an MFA to design, but they do require really careful thinking about exactly how the user will use site - not just which rounded font and pastel color scheme to use. Designs may be simple, but simple does not imply that they aren't well thought out. Fortunately, this is precisely what a good engineer should be thinking about the whole time. [As an aside those faded blue gradients make me want to throw a rotten tomato at Jason Fried.]
plusbryan 19y ago
Skype is another example of a very striking and original site. But sometimes, like you suggest, good graphic design is simply about paying attention to details like lining things up.

pg 19y ago

If you have no design skills, just try to make things as minimal as possible. Google's UI was designed by engineers with no design skills, and it still works for them. If you can't design the (original) Porsche 911, http://www.idee.demon.nl/911_22/b911-117.jpg http://www.idee.demon.nl/911_22/b911-117.jpg just design a Land Rover http://www.roverclub.org/crmpuf.gif http://www.roverclub.org/crmpuf.gif The thing to avoid is getting halfway to cool design and ending up with a Pontiac Aztek http://www.familycar.com/RoadTests/PontiacAztek/Images2/RightSide.jpg http://www.familycar.com/RoadTests/PontiacAztek/Images2/Righ... or an Edsel http://blog.ninjakiwi.com/images/edsel.jpg http://blog.ninjakiwi.com/images/edsel.jpg

jsjenkins168 19y ago
And dont stray too far from traditional design conventions, or you could end up like Weber's new supercar and people will want to throw up when they see your work: http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/04/top-gear-crowns-weber-supercar-ugliest-car-of-2007/ http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/04/top-gear-crowns-weber-sup...
- pg 19y ago
  Ouch. That's like a distillation of all that's wrong with the latest batch of BMWs. The problem is not that they strayed from conventions. The problem with that car is that it's fugly.
  - rms 19y ago
    "the shape allows the car to reach 62 MPH in 2.7 seconds with a top speed of 240 MPH" People also thought the Aeron was ugly when it came out...
    - pg 19y ago
      shape -> engine
    - Goladus 19y ago
      I wonder how it handles?

ivankirigin 19y ago

Design isn't an exception to most other talents. The way to get good is to do it. It helps to know how to make things, from paper prototypes drawn freehand to more serious tools. Also, from a usability perspective, there are a number of tools people use. Lots of them boil down to "figure out why people can't use this or think it's ugly". But i'm no expert. Also, it helps to have a sense of aesthetics. That usually comes when you admit something is ugly, and grows from there. There are a ridiculous number of design books out there. You could probably finish "Laws of Simplicity" in an hour. http://www.amazon.com/Laws-Simplicity-Design-Technology-Business/dp/0262134721 http://www.amazon.com/Laws-Simplicity-Design-Technology-Busi... Note that I'm no designer.

sherman 19y ago

What if you know a good designer (css/html), but they have no programming experience? Would a partner that knows how to hack but currently lacks design skills be more effective? I too have no design skills, but believe I can create at least a decent site if I tried. The hardest part is overcoming the fact that you probably can build a decent looking site if you tried.