Analysis Paralysis

Analysis paralysis. Wikipedia describes it well: “a situation where the opportunity cost of decision analysis exceeds the benefits that could be gained by enacting some decision, or an informal or non-deterministic situation where the sheer quantity of analysis overwhelms the decision-making process itself, thus preventing a decision.” Another name for this is paralysis of choice.

To prevent analysis paralysis then is simple (or so it seems)—reduce the number of choices. However, some companies instead provide a plethora of options to consumers, believing that amongst those options a user will find at least one of them to be perfect for them. They believe that users want choice, and some users do, but for the majority it’s not the case. For example, although one of those options may be perfect for me, the process of narrowing down all of the options can be daunting and cause… you guessed it… paralysis. Continue reading “Analysis Paralysis”

The web ten years ago

Smashing Apps recently published a post titled How Popular Website Designs Looked Like In Late 90’s. They went in the wayback machine and grabbed screenshots for current commonly praised sites such as Apple.com and Google.com, and like one would expect, the sites from the 90’s were horrible.

Note though that both Apple and Google’s site, which have both always been fairly simple in design, have barely changed. Take Apple… Continue reading “The web ten years ago”

I have a new job

Anyone who visits LucianTucker.com immediately learns three things about me—I’m a designer, a writer, and an avid gamer. I’m very passionate about all three, and I believe everyone should follow their passions, no matter what. Following your passion is one of the secrets to happiness people often deprive themselves of.

I once knew someone who washed windows for a living, and was passionate about it. He told me that if you can find something you’d do for free, you should do it for a living. For him, it was washing windows. Makes you think, doesn’t it? Continue reading “I have a new job”

Twittered Quotes: 2nd Edition

Just about everyday, I tweet a quote (@luciantucker). The quotes are usually not directly related to design, but they help to exercise the mind, and the mind is an important tool in design.

The mind is an important tool—I know it’s so obvious it sounds weird to say, but really, it’s important to note. Designers need to read, travel, sketch in their spare time, and things of that nature, if they want to stay sharp.

One tool I use to keep sharp is reading and analyzing quotes, and I’ve decided that I will make a habit out of sharing these quotes with you, thus the title “Twittered Quotes: 2nd Edition.” Continue reading “Twittered Quotes: 2nd Edition”

Your design philosophy not style

Whenever I think of how a person designs I think of the term “design style,” but I’ve been thinking recently maybe it’s not the right word to use. “Style” seems to imply that a person visually designs a certain way all the time.

I think a better term is design “philosophy.” What I’ve always been interested in is why someone designs the way they do, not how. A person can potentially design different ways visually, but there will seem to be a connection between their designs if they have a certain philosophy. Continue reading “Your design philosophy not style”

Why I write

I was never much of a fan of English when I was growing up.

Well, I take that back. As a child, my mother read me books, and I was a reading-level ahead of most of my classmates. In elementary school, they gave test in every English class to see what kind of textbook to give to each student, and I was always one of the few using the textbook a grade-level ahead. Also at this point in my life, I was obsessed with R.L. Stine and read Goosebump novels whenever I had free time, including my lunch periods.

But somehow when I got to middle school I lost a passion for reading. I don’t remember liking books at that stage of my life at all actually, and I have no idea why. After my English grades began to slip, I came to the conclusion that I hated English, and acted as such. Continue reading “Why I write”

Charles and Ray Eames

On my short list of designers I admire, I’ve just added two more—Charles and Ray Eames. I just learned about them through TED, which is a site I frequent since it is updated often with inspirational videos.

What I’ve always been interested in is not a designer’s final designs, but the process behind why they design something the way they did. The video below gives a sneak peak into the “why” of the duo  Charles and Ray Eames. Continue reading “Charles and Ray Eames”

Be frank with clients

For some, dealing with clients can be difficult. Clients don’t always know what is best for themselves, yet designers often give in to client demands, no matter how ludicrous they may be.

A technique some designers use to combat such clients is the “portfolio exclusion” technique. To implement this technique, what the designer does in response to an absurd demand from a client is say, “Sure. I can do that for you, but so you know I’m not going to put it in my portfolio.” Naturally, the client will be stunned by the response and will begin to question themselves. Once they ask “why?” the designer has them where they want them.

The designer kindly explains to the now potentially vulnerable client that they don’t agree with the clients absurd demand and with some luck, the client may give in. But if you’ve read my previous posts, you’d know I don’t condone this method. Continue reading “Be frank with clients”

Screw the client

The two most common ways for designers to deal with clients are to either do whatever they say, or attempt to form a collaboration. But I say, “screw the client.” This is rarely practiced, but I think in the end this method is best for all parties involved. Continue reading “Screw the client”