A Blog by Dan Shin

A couple great quotes found by Rian van der Merwe about the myth of optimizing for the fewest number of clicks.

The first, from Lukas Mathis:

A great user interface is not one where each goal can be reached with the smallest number of clicks possible, or where the user has to pick from only a small number of choices at each step, but one where each individual click is as obvious as possible.

The second, from Josh Clark:

In mobile, tap quality is far more important than tap quantity. As long as each tap delivers satisfaction, extra taps are good. Taps invite conversation—give and take—that you can get at and explore. Building meaningful click sequences are a form of progressive disclosure that helps you uncomplicate complexity.

Lots of change happening these days. Biggest change: new job, new company, new responsibilities. Slightly scary, very exciting. Happy to be a part of something that I believe in. Looking forward to putting in the work and shipping something worthwhile. Let’s go.

We’re almost halfway into February of this year, and already I’m seeing clues as to how the rest of 2013 might pan out. And although it might have made more sense to do something like this at the end of 2012, I determine the rules here, so shush yourself!

Presenting a designer’s top ten predictions for 2013:

1. Major news broadcasts will incorporate GIFs into their reporting. News memes will have GIFs within GIFs.
2. More clients will demand to “make my site look good on the mobile phones.” Designers and developers will take the necessary steps to optimize the site experience on a multitude of small and large screens. Clients will see the result and say, “wait, I thought you were going to make me an app?”
3. As more digital products move away from the skeuomorphic design aesthetic and towards minimal interfaces, the debate about “flat design” will become a discourse steered by the general public, and will be henceforth referred to as “Psh, I could do that” design.
4. Upon seeing the wild success of Vine as “the Instagram of video,” a startup will pitch a product that promises to be “the Instagram of sounds.” VCs will invest millions.
5. A rebrand of a major corporation will be revealed and designers around the world will praise it and admire it and showcase it and reference it in their own identity projects. A few months later when the rebrand goes live, the general public will hate it and complain about the change. The major corporation will complain to the designers. Designers will complain about the complaining. The rebrand will be scrapped.
6. Somehow, IE6 will make a resurgence that can’t be ignored, and the Internet will weep.
7. More designers will learn how to code, more developers will learn how to design, and all clients will still think that’s great and all but not really care and just want you to deliver what they want.
8. Illustration and photography skills will become prerequisites for many design internships and entry-level positions because the designers that are hiring “never had the time to do that stuff.”
9. Apple will go to a house party and run into Amazon in the room with the coats, and they’ll say hi but have nothing else to talk about, so Apple will quickly pull out their phone to see if Twitter is there yet. Heading to the kitchen where the drinks are, Apple will see Google in the hallway waiting to use the toilet. Both will act as if the other one isn’t there, because it’s just easier that way. Apple will leave when Facebook shows up around midnight with a bunch of uninvited friends and tries to claim the dance floor. Microsoft will realize they weren’t invited when the photos from the party are sent around on Monday.
10. People will make predictions that have no real merit or foundation, but somehow they’ll come true anyway and those people will sit back in their vintage Eames chair, cross their arms over their merino wool sweaters, and say, “I told you so.”