“Without aesthetic, design is either the humdrum repetition of familiar clichés or a wild scramble for novelty. Without the aesthetic, the computer is but a mindless speed machine, producing effects without substance. Form without relevant content, or content without meaningful form.” – Paul Rand
Read more about the brilliant graphic designer Paul Rand here.
“While great usability is a baseline requirement, there is far more involved in engaging customers on a Web site than simply making sure they can find specific content and perform particular transactions. Today’s mandate is to move beyond traditional usability. Instead of designing only for what visitors can do on a site, superior Web design is now responsible for determining what customers will do.” – Eric Schaffer
Read Eric’s article “Beyond Usability: Designing Web Sites for Persuasion, Emotion, and Trust” for his thoughts on important aspects of design beyond usability.
“Form follows function—that has been misunderstood. Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union.” – Frank Lloyd Wright
This quote’s original source is unknown, but it is frequently quoted. If you know of the original source, please let me know. Quote found from Interaction-Design.org
“I believe that logic + emotion are a winning combination. When useful and useable meet delight—great things happen. It’s about balance.” – David Armano
Read David’s short but powerful blog entry “A Simple Philosophy” here.
“Good design, when it’s done well, becomes invisible. It’s only when it’s done poorly that we notice it.” – Jared Spool
This quote from Jared’s is from a UIEtips introduction to an article by Luke Wroblewski.
“I’ve been amazed at how often those outside the discipline of design assume that what designers do is decoration—likely because so much bad design simply is decoration. Good design isn’t. Good design is problem solving.” – The Art & Science of Web Design by Jeffrey Veen
Purchase Jeffrey’s book The Art & Science of Web Design here.
Catriona Cornett