THE ZEN DESIGN
Whether we're arguing over human vs. machine or form vs. function, balance always seems to win in the long run, as it tends to foster stability. Well... in many cases, anyway. You see a lot of hot takes and contradictory advice on LinkedIn regarding my neck of the career woods.
IMHO...
Form vs. Function
Great design isn’t just about function, it should be beautiful too, as humans crave aesthetics just about as much as usability. A product or campaign that works well but lacks visual appeal feels uninspired, while one that both resonates with the audience and is visually stunning creates an experience people want to engage with.
Great design isn’t just about function, it should be beautiful too, as humans crave aesthetics just about as much as usability. A product or campaign that works well but lacks visual appeal feels uninspired, while one that both resonates with the audience and is visually stunning creates an experience people want to engage with.
Pretty isn't a nice-to-have — it’s essential to how we connect with and enjoy the world around us.
Beauty + Brains
Analog vs. Digital
I have roots in an analog world that fostered vivid daydreams and real telephone conversations before digital tools began sparking my curiosity and expanding what was possible. I'm not afraid to be personable, and I also embrace tech evolution.
I have roots in an analog world that fostered vivid daydreams and real telephone conversations before digital tools began sparking my curiosity and expanding what was possible. I'm not afraid to be personable, and I also embrace tech evolution.
Digital is here to stay and certainly delights and helps us. That said, it's hard to ignore studies proving our brains are still hardwired for analog. Print still holds our attention better than web. Handwriting still helps us retain knowledge better than typing. Too much screen time messes with our circadian rhythm. And the easily manipulatable, insincere facade of social media is notorious for contributing to depression.
Unplugging will remain a massive part of the human experience for some time to come. We'll wax and wane between nature and electronics as we do with everything else. So while it's important for UX professionals to keep up with progress, we have to remain connected to human needs — what humans need from products, as well as what we don't.
Soft Skills + Hard Skills
Film vs. DSLR
Photography and figure drawing were, hands down, my favorite courses at Flagler College. I was fortunate to study film photography at Flagler College. I attribute my eye for detail to my time spent with film. It forced me to take my time – both in the field and in the darkroom – because I didn’t have the option of Photoshopping everything to flawless perfection.
Photography and figure drawing were, hands down, my favorite courses at Flagler College. I was fortunate to study film photography at Flagler College. I attribute my eye for detail to my time spent with film. It forced me to take my time – both in the field and in the darkroom – because I didn’t have the option of Photoshopping everything to flawless perfection.
The patience I inherited with film helped set a stable foundation for my pursuits in the digital realm in both photography and design.
Care + Speed
Human vs. Machine
The surge of advanced generative AI has sparked reactions strikingly similar to those seen during the rise of the internet. These things are powerful tools that, while yes can be misused, perform wonders when applied correctly. Many companies are hastily unleashing this tool without equipping their workforce with prompt skill development or best practices, yet human expertise remains essential.
The surge of advanced generative AI has sparked reactions strikingly similar to those seen during the rise of the internet. These things are powerful tools that, while yes can be misused, perform wonders when applied correctly. Many companies are hastily unleashing this tool without equipping their workforce with prompt skill development or best practices, yet human expertise remains essential.
I can't shake an excellent point a colleague once made about AI and Sturgeon's Law – a theory implying that a whopping 90% of all content created is of significantly low or mediocre quality. AI is merely piecing together data that's already out there – the good, the bad, and the ugly. Not necessarily innovating and certainly not using any amount of discernment for truth or cleverness.
Gen AI is also an amplifier, a mirror of the user's skill level. For instance, if the prompter isn't a professional marketing Writer, whether skilled in prompting best practices or not, the output is only going to be as good as the prompter's understanding of what is truly good marketing copy.
A true, professional Writer must be at the helm refining AI-generated content to maintain brand voice and avoid generic, uninspiring results. UX professionals must guide AI-driven wireframes, as they're the ones who truly understand empathy, human needs, and the most appropriate solution for any given problem.
AI is a tool just like any other, and worth embracing. But in so many cases, it's generally best to have a human industry expert manually driving it, editing it, and digging deeper for optimal results, and for the common sense required to avoid bias, hallucinations, and ethical issues that inevitably arise.
And then there are cases where it's better not to use it.
Audiences want to see relatable faces in advertisements, not eerily perfect Midjourneyed facades scraped from the vast sea of heavily retouched fashion photos out there. The value that comic fans place on their comics is based solely on the illustrators who draw them by hand. Consumers develop an affinity with certain brands because those brands are unique and employ creatives who know how to speak to their market.
We have brilliant creatives – Illustrators, Motion Artists, VFX Artists, Writers, Data Artists, Designers, Photographers, and so on – whose body of work is being poached and regurgitated by AI for the sake of speed and "good enough". Consuming their original work and using it to compete against them. We need clear regulations around data transparency and copyright infringement, and should be cautious in how we wield this tool.
It's important to learn the art of prompting, always question the results, and put your own logic and creative spin on the output. And just as importantly, hold space for when handcrafted work is still the best choice.
Common Sense + Artificial Intelligence
Business Instincts vs. Data
Successful business development requires a balance of data-driven decision-making and our inherent instincts. While good, quality data provides insights and direction, instinct and experience can help interpret nuances that numbers alone can't capture.
Successful business development requires a balance of data-driven decision-making and our inherent instincts. While good, quality data provides insights and direction, instinct and experience can help interpret nuances that numbers alone can't capture.
Intuition + Analytics
Stakeholders vs. Development Teams
Some marketing, IT, and product development teams may hesitate to include business stakeholders at the table, believing their input isn’t necessary for the building process.
Some marketing, IT, and product development teams may hesitate to include business stakeholders at the table, believing their input isn’t necessary for the building process.
While designers, developers, analysts, researchers, and marketers bring creative and strategic expertise, the best outcomes come from collaboration, where stakeholders and content experts have a voice, ensuring the final product aligns with real business needs and industry knowledge.
Business Experts + Creation Experts
Multi-disciplined vs. Specialized
I'm going to get a lot of flack from other designers for this hot take, but I implore everyone to at least consider this perspective.
I'm going to get a lot of flack from other designers for this hot take, but I implore everyone to at least consider this perspective.
Some Creatives feel we should specialize in just one area, focusing solely on mastering a particular skill set. However, expanding our abilities across a variety of creative fields makes us more versatile and valuable to teams, and enables us to relate more with other field experts, such as devs or motion artists for example.
While this broader expertise can open up new opportunities and greater connectivity, it’s important for hiring managers to recognize that mastering every aspect of the creative industry — along with other highly technical fields like coding and dev — requires deep, specialized knowledge and long term dedication, making it nearly impossible to excel at everything simultaneously.
Broad Horizons + Realistic Expectations