September 2013 Summaries

There are divergent things happening in the product and interaction design community, with some amazing pieces of writing moving the craft forward, while others are moving it backwards by prioritizing superficial work over real business problems. Designers are often focusing on aesthetics rather than solving problems for people within specific business constraints. A clear mission, vision, and product architecture are crucial for great design, and designers should be thinking about these elements throughout their process. The most important design work is not the visually appealing but the one that addresses real problems and has a clear thought process behind it. Designing systems will become increasingly important as the web permeates everything, and designers need to define problems in terms of system components rather than pixels. The Jobs framework for product design can help frame every design problem and ensure clarity. Ultimately, great design is about solving problems, not just creating visually appealing work.

The web is undergoing a re-architecture towards personalized experiences built on individual pieces of content aggregated together into one experience. This shift is driven by mobile technologies, access to data through APIs and SDKs, and the rise of portable screens. As a result, cards are becoming the dominant design pattern for mobile devices, offering bursts of information, flexibility in manipulation, and a creative canvas for product and interaction designers, marketers, and creatives in advertising. Cards have been used throughout history as a medium for communicating quick stories, commerce, and more, and their versatility is now being leveraged to create engaging experiences on various social media platforms. The trend is expected to continue, with cards becoming the new standard for design and creativity.

Microsoft's lack of focus is evident in its vast array of products and services, making it difficult for the company to concentrate on a few key areas. This attitude has leaked into software development, resulting in cluttered and complex products like Outlook 2013, which was designed and released just a year ago. In contrast, companies like Apple, under Steve Jobs' leadership, made hard decisions to focus on a smaller number of core products, leading to greater success and clarity. Microsoft must make similar tough choices to avoid becoming "miles wide and inches deep" and ensure its long-term survival.