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Ah, what I meant to say was "The reason big companies with bad design are the way they are is because they are run poorly from the top, with philosophies that f
by dcurtis 17y ago
Ah, what I meant to say was "The reason big companies with bad design are the way they are is because they are run poorly from the top, with philosophies that force the entire company to behave like its lowest common denominator."
- gills 17y agoYou sort of have a point, but it's not just about the top. Ending up with bad design (be it websites, airplanes, processes, packaging, whatever...) requires the complicity of and/or lack of political aptitude by the folks at the lower levels, "in the trenches" so to speak. One can achieve good design even when the warring factions of management above you can't make it a priority. But it is much more difficult in such an organization, because you must often personally get buy-in from a diverse set of teams and then walk the line with management just right -- pull it off in a way that makes them all look brilliant without stepping on any toes. It can be done but it takes perseverance and political aptitude beyond what most big company employees are willing to commit to their jobs.