Comments on: Addicted to Mediocrity http://www.thisisaaronslife.com/addicted-to-mediocrity/ A Practical Look At User Experience and Interactive Design Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:18:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Dave W http://www.thisisaaronslife.com/addicted-to-mediocrity/comment-page-1/#comment-3005 Dave W Fri, 07 May 2010 14:27:25 +0000 http://www.thisisaaronslife.com/?p=32#comment-3005 I'm not sure if it's addiction or if we are being pushed to accept mediocrity. I guess it depends on each designer's situation. In my experience, always working for a company, people who don't come from a creative background and don't understand what is involved or what goes into the creative process, seem to think designers have the best and refined creative right up front and ready to go. Not always, but they tend to be the people who push to get it done quicker and excepting mediocrity in order to cram more work through. As designers, it is our job to push back and explain that there is no "Easy Button" for every project. It is our responsibility to tell them that skipping steps or just slap something together to get it done sooner doesn't always allow for more work, but turn off potential clients. I’m not sure if it’s addiction or if we are being pushed to accept mediocrity. I guess it depends on each designer’s situation. In my experience, always working for a company, people who don’t come from a creative background and don’t understand what is involved or what goes into the creative process, seem to think designers have the best and refined creative right up front and ready to go. Not always, but they tend to be the people who push to get it done quicker and excepting mediocrity in order to cram more work through. As designers, it is our job to push back and explain that there is no “Easy Button” for every project. It is our responsibility to tell them that skipping steps or just slap something together to get it done sooner doesn’t always allow for more work, but turn off potential clients.

]]> By: Konrad Neumann http://www.thisisaaronslife.com/addicted-to-mediocrity/comment-page-1/#comment-1978 Konrad Neumann Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:21:15 +0000 http://www.thisisaaronslife.com/?p=32#comment-1978 As a designer, I find myself slightly frustrated with this process. I recently had a client that asked us to rework a mock-up they had made, but with several constraints. These constraints immediately made me know that my job would be to take a site from hideous, to mildly ugly. (they have [basically] gone back to their original mock-up). Since I don't make the decisions in the company, i get overwhelmed with these decisions. My questions to you (as a far more seasoned designer), is how do you handle this? I don't feel like I'm just 'cranking these out'... but often feel that i am not allowed the proper time or thought into the project, and very often have to compromise my work. I know I must grow as a designer... i am far from the best, most brilliant, or talented. However, i feel often these compromises are keeping me from continuing to grow. What are your thoughts/suggestions with how to deal with this? as a non-freelancer who can't make the decisions, what is the best way to rise above the mediocrity? As a designer, I find myself slightly frustrated with this process. I recently had a client that asked us to rework a mock-up they had made, but with several constraints. These constraints immediately made me know that my job would be to take a site from hideous, to mildly ugly. (they have [basically] gone back to their original mock-up). Since I don’t make the decisions in the company, i get overwhelmed with these decisions. My questions to you (as a far more seasoned designer), is how do you handle this? I don’t feel like I’m just ‘cranking these out’… but often feel that i am not allowed the proper time or thought into the project, and very often have to compromise my work. I know I must grow as a designer… i am far from the best, most brilliant, or talented. However, i feel often these compromises are keeping me from continuing to grow.

What are your thoughts/suggestions with how to deal with this? as a non-freelancer who can’t make the decisions, what is the best way to rise above the mediocrity?

]]> By: uberVU - social comments http://www.thisisaaronslife.com/addicted-to-mediocrity/comment-page-1/#comment-1977 uberVU - social comments Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:25:46 +0000 http://www.thisisaaronslife.com/?p=32#comment-1977 <strong>Social comments and analytics for this post...</strong> This post was mentioned on Twitter by anca_foster: RT @aaroni268: Addicted to Mediocrity http://is.gd/3HsB6 **great article, Aaron! :)... Social comments and analytics for this post…

This post was mentioned on Twitter by anca_foster: RT @aaroni268: Addicted to Mediocrity http://is.gd/3HsB6 **great article, Aaron! :) …

]]> By: admin http://www.thisisaaronslife.com/addicted-to-mediocrity/comment-page-1/#comment-214 admin Wed, 04 Feb 2009 13:58:13 +0000 http://www.thisisaaronslife.com/?p=32#comment-214 @Rob Thanks for commenting. It is hard to work for the man sometimes... i guess it comes down to finding where you fit best, and what environment lends to your success most. Competition can be stiff, and frustrating at times... I would use that frustration to fuel a desire to be the best, your work, and even more importantly how you crry yourself can and will set you apart from the rest. ~ Aaron I @Rob
Thanks for commenting.
It is hard to work for the man sometimes… i guess it comes down to finding where you fit best, and what environment lends to your success most.

Competition can be stiff, and frustrating at times… I would use that frustration to fuel a desire to be the best, your work, and even more importantly how you crry yourself can and will set you apart from the rest.

~ Aaron I

]]> By: Rob Wallace http://www.thisisaaronslife.com/addicted-to-mediocrity/comment-page-1/#comment-212 Rob Wallace Wed, 04 Feb 2009 13:27:47 +0000 http://www.thisisaaronslife.com/?p=32#comment-212 I find the competition that us freelancers have has increased greatly in the past 2-3 years. If I don't get a referral and have to go cold calling, Design Quote, or worse yet -- GAF, I find the process difficult and the rejection hard to take sometimes. I would never go in-house though, I am a work at home guy. Glad I could speak my peace to likeminded designers. Thanks. I find the competition that us freelancers have has increased greatly in the past 2-3 years. If I don’t get a referral and have to go cold calling, Design Quote, or worse yet — GAF, I find the process difficult and the rejection hard to take sometimes.

I would never go in-house though, I am a work at home guy.

Glad I could speak my peace to likeminded designers. Thanks.

]]> By: admin http://www.thisisaaronslife.com/addicted-to-mediocrity/comment-page-1/#comment-130 admin Sat, 03 Jan 2009 21:08:10 +0000 http://www.thisisaaronslife.com/?p=32#comment-130 @Chris, Thanks for taking the time to read and comment. Out where I live there are a lot of shops that promote "websites in 7 days" or $99 websites in 24 hours... It gets so frustrating that these types of business water down our trade... It just makes me cringe every time I hear of someone settling for second best, thinking they are getting exactly what they need. I agree with what you suggested on <a href="http://erova.com/" rel="nofollow">your blog</a> about setting up frameworks, and other systems that will help streamline our workflow, so that we are able to provide more quality work. thanks again for commenting. ~ Aaron I @Chris,
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment.
Out where I live there are a lot of shops that promote “websites in 7 days” or $99 websites in 24 hours… It gets so frustrating that these types of business water down our trade… It just makes me cringe every time I hear of someone settling for second best, thinking they are getting exactly what they need.

I agree with what you suggested on your blog about setting up frameworks, and other systems that will help streamline our workflow, so that we are able to provide more quality work.

thanks again for commenting.

~ Aaron I

]]> By: Chris Avore http://www.thisisaaronslife.com/addicted-to-mediocrity/comment-page-1/#comment-129 Chris Avore Sat, 03 Jan 2009 20:53:25 +0000 http://www.thisisaaronslife.com/?p=32#comment-129 ahem, I meant 3-5 a year, based on complexity, research.... my mistake... ahem, I meant 3-5 a year, based on complexity, research….
my mistake…

]]> By: Chris Avore http://www.thisisaaronslife.com/addicted-to-mediocrity/comment-page-1/#comment-128 Chris Avore Sat, 03 Jan 2009 20:52:19 +0000 http://www.thisisaaronslife.com/?p=32#comment-128 Aaron, Great perspective in your writing. What's also a fundamental problem that breeds mediocrity is the source of "Quantity over Quality". Too often businesses soliciting work will ask for "5 to 10 websites you've designed" as part of the application or RFP process. While some shops crank out 5 to 10 sites a month, others are lucky to even build 3 to 5, based on the complexity, research, and depth necessary to provide a good product. Now granted, perhaps a small business who just needs the usual info up on the web may not contact a shop that works on 3-5 sites a year, but there does seem to be a general trend that a dilettante design critic (the potential client) wants to see 10 sites that he probably can't judge any better than he could 1. I look forward to keeping up with your work-- Chris Aaron,

Great perspective in your writing.

What’s also a fundamental problem that breeds mediocrity is the source of “Quantity over Quality”.

Too often businesses soliciting work will ask for “5 to 10 websites you’ve designed” as part of the application or RFP process. While some shops crank out 5 to 10 sites a month, others are lucky to even build 3 to 5, based on the complexity, research, and depth necessary to provide a good product.

Now granted, perhaps a small business who just needs the usual info up on the web may not contact a shop that works on 3-5 sites a year, but there does seem to be a general trend that a dilettante design critic (the potential client) wants to see 10 sites that he probably can’t judge any better than he could 1.

I look forward to keeping up with your work–
Chris

]]> By: erova • Use the Right Shortcuts, or, How to Break the Addiction to Mediocrity - notebook • a user experience blog by Chris Avore http://www.thisisaaronslife.com/addicted-to-mediocrity/comment-page-1/#comment-125 erova • Use the Right Shortcuts, or, How to Break the Addiction to Mediocrity - notebook • a user experience blog by Chris Avore Sat, 03 Jan 2009 14:26:43 +0000 http://www.thisisaaronslife.com/?p=32#comment-125 [...] I finished reading Aaron Irizarry’s December 12, 2008 article Addicted to Mediocrity, I conducted my own inventory of the various pitfalls the author discusses contributing to mediocre [...] [...] I finished reading Aaron Irizarry’s December 12, 2008 article Addicted to Mediocrity, I conducted my own inventory of the various pitfalls the author discusses contributing to mediocre [...]

]]> By: New Blog Friends! | Castup http://www.thisisaaronslife.com/addicted-to-mediocrity/comment-page-1/#comment-115 New Blog Friends! | Castup Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:52:33 +0000 http://www.thisisaaronslife.com/?p=32#comment-115 [...] Addicted to Mediocrity [...] [...] Addicted to Mediocrity [...]

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