If you've got a secret, for god's sake don't tell it to Michael Beirut23rd November, 2006

Adaptive Path: Conversation with Michael Bierut - Part I

It’s a dirty secret that much of what we admire in the design world is a byproduct not of “strategy” but of common sense, taste and luck. Some clients are too unnerved by ambiguity to accept this, and create gargantuan superstructures of bullshit to provide a sense of security. Not only do designers enthusiastically collude in this process, but many have found ways to bill for it.

Design Council: A very modern designer

There’s a dirty secret: that much of it is a God-given talent. As an instructor of design I come across students that don’t need help and others who can’t be helped. It’s an accident that kicks in at conception.’

My feeble attempts at humour aside, I’d certainly question the second ’secret’. Michael’s a graphic designer. It seems to me that there’s an implicit assumption in what he’s saying: graphic design is difficult, but anyone can teach. Michael takes the easy route by placing responsibility for the perceived problems of design education on genetics rather than looking inward. Indeed, you could read this as a public admission of failure by an individual design educator - I can’t stretch those that are good enough, and I can’t help those that aren’t.

We need many more designers and that’s something that can’t be left to chance. Let’s hope that it’s the ability to teach and inspire the next generation that’s not the god-given talent.

Excellent errors from Google Docs2nd November, 2006

A great example from Google Docs of how errors should be handled. I want to add tags to a document, but I’ve forgotten to select one. Rather than let me go through the process of choosing tags and then telling me something’s wrong, Google puts the problem right up front. And because this is modeless feedback there’s no dialog box to decode or buttons to press so I can get on with putting it right straight away. To err is human; to help you recover as quickly and smoothly as possible is humane, and as interface designers that’s where we want to be.

Humanised hospitals heal faster21st October, 2006

Well-designed hospitals help patients recover more quickly according to this New York Times article.

A sprinkling of architects and designers around the world are working to greatly change hospitals by humanizing their design, a concept that is slowly gaining influence in Europe and the United States.

The idea is obvious: Build inviting, soothing hospitals, graced with soft lighting, inspiring views, single rooms, curved corridors, relaxing gardens and lots of art, and patients will heal quicker, nurses will remain loyal to their employers and doctors will perform better …

Their research shows, for example, that patients who can see trees instead of cars from their windows recover more quickly …

Actually, this is a concept that’s been gaining influence for over a hundred years. If you ever visit Barcelona, check out Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. Completed in 1910, this working hospital is the equal of it’s better known architectural neighbour the Sagrada Familia, but is often overlooked. The architect, Lluis Domenech i Montaner, wanted to create an environment that would stimulate patients, helping them recover more quickly. Having visited it, I can say that he definitely succeeded (are any of the hospitals in your area tourist attractions?) In fact he may have been too successful. It’s such a wonderful place that as a patient you can’t imagine ever wanting to leave.

Via 37 Signals. Photo from Mariana Steiner on flickr. See more Sant Pau pictures.