I picked this up on garrettc’s delicious (always a good source of interesting and useful stuff to read, thanks Garrett) and found it very interesting. It’s Andy Clarke’s presentation from @media 2009, Walls ComeTumbling Down.
He suggests that one way to combat the ‘hard times’ we’re in is to reduce the web design cycle by designing in the browser rather than producing flat designs then coding them up. It’s a nice idea and I think it could be particularly appropriate for short cycle, agile style projects – the design part of such projects we’ve been trying still seems a bit waterfall-y at the moment. It’s definitely one for discussion.
The post is also noteworthy for the excellent way Andy presents each slide with a transcript of what he was saying. It must have been hard work to put together but it works really well for the reader – better than trying to juggle video/audio and slideshare.
http://forabeautifulweb.com/blog/about/walls_come_tumbling_down_presentation_slides_and_transcript
One Comment
It’s a really interesting article : I particularly like the approach to browser compatibility – it makes a lot of sense. Most designers wanting to follow Andy’s method to its extreme would probably need to learn some new skills, but a pair programming approach of a designer directing a skilled (and speedy) HTML and CSS dev may be a good alternative. If the designer gets bored while waiting for his instructions to be carried out, he could start creating some graphics or illustrations.