I feel like I can tell I'm becoming a grumpy old developer...

I feel like I can tell I'm becoming a grumpy old developer because anytime a designer argues for a change by calling it "surprise and delight" I'm like "can we get it with less surprise though"

Like 15 Dec 2023 at 16:34 | Open on hachyderm.io

8 comments

Eric A. Meyer

@hbuchel And I would lean in pretty hard to question their competence at delivering delight.

15 Dec 2023 at 16:38 | Open on mastodon.social

Heather Buchel

@Meyerweb A lot of times, in my experience, it only delivers on the surprise part; without the delight! Not great.

15 Dec 2023 at 16:39 | Open on hachyderm.io

Zalasur 🐵

@hbuchel and I'm like, "and maybe let's tone down the delight a little, too." 😅

15 Dec 2023 at 16:39 | Open on mastodon.surazal.net

Heather Buchel

@zalasur YES, sometimes the whimsy isn't whimsy-ing the way they think it is

15 Dec 2023 at 16:40 | Open on hachyderm.io

Jens

@hbuchel
I was gonna argue back as a "designer" but the way I see it the core issue with why software projects tend to become lack-lustre is the fictitious bridge between developers and designers (and users) where all involved tries to find a difference between all three so hard they miss that they are constructing it.

A designer who isn't sitting next to the developer is as bad as a developer who isn't sitting next to the designer and both are crap if users aren't sitting at the same table.

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15 Dec 2023 at 16:46 | Open on social.piewpiew.se

Jens

@hbuchel Now I lack a formal education as a designer, and maybe somewhere there is a course why designers should alienate developers at some Uni that I missed - but it seems so absurd that designers position is between marketing and developers instead of cooperating between all three.
Its like someone took communication out of design.

(will shut up now but I have SO many opinions on the issues with modern design work flow)

15 Dec 2023 at 16:48 | Open on social.piewpiew.se

Jens

@hbuchel I lied... I need to keep talking here:
Design is currently seen as a way to create where developers are the lowly mechanics. This is to me the big problem for us designers. We are told that developers are gatekeepers and if they actually just did what we said, things would be grand.
Its total nonsense. A developer and a designer cooperating can make gold out of straw, a siloed modern work flow that we have now makes straw out of gold and tries to find who's to blame.

15 Dec 2023 at 16:51 | Open on social.piewpiew.se

Jens

@hbuchel Design is at its best finding a way to present a solution to a complex problem to anyone who needs it. The key takeaway isn't to find a situation and design a problem to overcome by creating technical debt for devs to fix so it can be sold as a solution to users.
Its to be part of the innovative chain, not above or below it, but as someone who can be enthused and amazed and enthralled by the shared goal. And be able to communicate it to anyone further down the line. Not with words but--

15 Dec 2023 at 16:54 | Open on social.piewpiew.se