Most people make the mistake of thinking design is what it looks like. That’s not what we think design is. It’s not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” Steve Jobs in an article on the birth of the iPod (http://tiny.cc/h0rw7)
I’m viewing with great interest the fight between Joshua Porter and YongFook. “Fight” because of the interesting language used.
So Porter was claiming that design is the key in startups and YongFook said its horseshit. YongFook argued that “Everyone’s a f*** designer now”. Porter rebutted here, this time with a better quote (see above main quote) that led me to think: “Is there even a need to claim which is king or which is horseshit?”
Honestly, I think both engineering and design holds their own right. I don’t think everyone’s a designer now, and I don’t think reading “Lean Startup” will make you one. I think design is still undervalued as of this year. That said, both are kings in their own right, not above one another. Pretty obvious statement but oblivious to some, how else do you think major wars started?
Oh, before you get the wrong interpretation of what I meant by design, read the quote above or read this. Steve Jobs summed it well, and I think his Apple embodied the balance of design and engineering well.
If there were to be an evil/loser, it has to be senseless, un-user-focused business demands.
This is best embodied in the example of Path. They have great balls to prioritize design and engineering above business demands. Check out the interview of its co-founder, Dave Morin, here. In the midst of the hype on “launch-first-is-everything”, and “user-growth-above-everything”, I thank Path for being dedicated to making a product that is so personal for its users. I love Path and I use it as a journal shared between me and my girl (sorry if I never add you to the network!).
Note to self:
Users first. Have a balance of design and engineering to meet users’ needs and create better engagement.
