Dear Jacques,
Indeed. Context and a wealth of factors always count. And there is the rub.
IMHO, the example I gave was a case where legibility did matter. The
designer was indeed making some kind of statement. It wasn't an airplane
cockpit, but it wasn't a case for free expression, either.
Just this afternoon, I supported one of my staff colleagues in rejecting
what someone believed to be an appealing and attractive PDF-able brochure on
the grounds that the type was too small to be legible with a high quality
color printer, and completely illegible on screen or using an ordinary
printer. The person who accepted this job thought the proposal was fine. My
colleague rejected it when it was sent on for sign-off and approval.
There are many cases in which solutions to problems may be attractive,
expressive, and appealing, yet quite wrong because the designers involved
are finding and solving the wrong problem.
Context counts.
Warm wishes,
Ken
On Wed, 29 Oct 2008 09:06:03 -0700, Jacques Giard <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>Ken, Gunnar, David et al,
>
>The on-going discussion on evidence-based design is thoroughly fascinating.
>The various points of view are particularly stimulating, as often is the
>case when a provocative topic such as this one pops up.
>
>From my perspective, it is rarely a case of either/or. No one would be
>foolish enough to believe that evidence-based design is a panacea for
>designers, much like no one should believe that design cannot occur in
>situations where hard evidence is not at issue. As an example, some
>designers of the Modernist genre perceived the adage of 'form follows
>function' as the ultimate answer to our design challenges. As appropriate as
>this direction was in its time we now know more about human behavior,
>engineering principles, and business models. Consequently, we should shy
>away from evidence that can inform design.
>
>Gunnar provides some valid points in his questions about font size and
>value. In the end, however, the appropriateness of any design comes down to
>context. The graphic designer mentioned by Ken who combined red and blue may
>have been making some kind of statement in one context; however, I would
>hope that the same approach would not be used in the design of visual
>communication devices in the cockpit of a passenger, which is a much
>different context and where evidence of legibility and readability would be
>essential.
>
>Jacques Giard, PhD
>Director and Professor
>
>Cross-College Programs
>BA/MSD/PhD
>College of Design
>Arizona State University
>Tempe, AZ 85287-2105
>
>P 480.965.1373
>F 480.965.9656
>
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