Design Practice
Design Practice

Can the balance between divergent/convergent thinking explain mid career peaks?

Divergent/convergent thinking is a fundamental part of the design process, and something most experienced practitioners are familiar with. Essentially the design process is broken down into two phases; a phase where you open up the problem space and explore as many different directions as possible; and a phase where you start analysing all the possible solutions you’ve come up with, in order to settle on the perfect answer.
Design Practice

Design like a Michelin Star Chef

The England of my youth was a desert for good food. The difference between a "good" restaurant and an average one lay mostly in the surroundings; that and the use of slightly more expensive ingredients. But white cotton table cloths and snooty service weren't enough to hide the mediocre food that lay therein. That’s why I used to relish my regular trips overseas, to eat at restaurants where the owners actually cared about what they were producing.
Design Practice

In defence of the hamburger menu

It’s interesting seeing how quickly hamburger menus have turned from handy UI element to social pariah. Rarely a day goes by without some young designer pronouncing hamburger menus the biggest UI crime since Clippy.
Design Practice

My Advice to Young Designers and Developers

I meet them on a regular basis, tech-savvy teens who've been coding websites from an early age. They'll often seek my advice about breaking into the industry. Should they continue their studies or jump straight into the labour market? I usually tell them that ability trumps education and I don't put much faith on the current raft of tech degrees. So I'd prefer to see three years of experience than three years of study.
Design Practice

Specialism, Ego and The Dunning-Kruger Effect

Every few weeks I see a discussion emerge that tries to dismiss the need for specialists in our industry, or refute their existence entirely. It usually goes along the lines of "I'm a [insert discipline] and I do my own [insert activity] so [insert specialism] is unnecessary or doesn't exist".