korrents

← Topics

Who should design software, and how?

Everyone here agrees that the making and the deciding have drifted apart, and that this is where software goes wrong. The disagreement is about the cure: one person of taste with the final say, makers who work in the medium rather than in mockups, or a definition of design wide enough that everyone on the team, and now the users themselves, are doing it. Underneath runs an older argument about users — whether to study them, obey them, or be one. Dated, in their own words.

66 dated claims from 14 people · 5 views · 1 change of mind · most recent 26 Aug 2026. Every line below links to the person’s own words.

The views

What is a view?

Our reading of what a group of claims have in common, one level above a korrent: a korrent is our reading of what somebody said, a view is our reading of what several korrents share. The claims are printed under it, so the sentence can be checked against them.

Nobody is filed under a view — claims are. A person is named here because a dated claim of theirs sits under it, and somebody whose claims sit under two views appears under both.

  1. One person of taste has to be in charge, because design by committee is bad design

    David Heinemeier HanssonJulie ZhuoDon NormanKarri SaarinenPaul Graham

  2. The maker should work in the medium and shape it rough: build the thing, not a picture of it

    Luke WroblewskiDavid Heinemeier HanssonJulie ZhuoJakob NielsenRyan SingerGuillermo RauchKarri SaarinenPaul Graham

  3. Design is everyone's job: whoever shapes the outcome is designing, and increasingly that includes the users

    Frank ChimeroJakob NielsenDon NormanJared Spool

  4. Design for users without taking their orders, and remember that you are not the user

    Jakob NielsenTuomas ArtmanJulie ZhuoDon NormanPaul Graham

  5. Studying users improves what exists; the breakthroughs come from technology and from questioning the obvious

    Jason FriedDon NormanDieter RamsPaul Graham

A viewour reading

One person of taste has to be in charge, because design by committee is bad design

12 claims filed here, newest first — each in the words of whoever said it.

Most organisations are bottlenecked on ideas, vision and taste rather than on implementation, so making code cheap does not make them productive.

  1. David Heinemeier Hansson The other thing I'd say is that most organizations don't know what they want. They don't know how to make it better. They're not bottlenecked on implementation. They're bottlenecked on ideas. They're bottlenecked on vision. They're bottlenecked on taste. And if you don't have those element in excess of your implementational capacity, it doesn't help. So you can make a lot of shitty ideas come true, then what? 0:20:13 · youtube.com

    Creator of Ruby on Rails, CTO of 37signals

    Their wordsThe other thing I'd say is that most organizations don't know what they want. They don't know how to make it better. They're not bottlenecked on implementation. They're bottlenecked on ideas. They're bottlenecked on vision. They're bottlenecked on taste. And if you don't have those element in excess of your implementational capacity, it doesn't help. So you can make a lot of shitty ideas come true, then what?

    Where this was said

    Watch from 0:20:13 plays here

    ↗DHH: Future of Programming, AI, Agentic Engineering, Vibe Coding & Linux | Lex Fridman Podcast #501youtube.com

    video · 5h 15m · spoken · official transcript

Interesting

Excellence in design is not just craft quality; it is whether a designer is both willing and allowed to create impact.

  1. Julie Zhuo Excellence in design is not just about craft quality. It is about whether a designer is both willing and allowed to create impact. lg.substack.com

    Co-founder of Sundial; former vice president of product…

    Their wordsExcellence in design is not just about craft quality. It is about whether a designer is both willing and allowed to create impact.

    Where this was said

    ↗How to Spot a World-Class Designerlg.substack.com

Interesting

Apple's vertical integration was an advantage under someone with Steve Jobs's taste and turns into a liability under a logistics man.

  1. David Heinemeier Hansson If that fully vertically integrated system suddenly is run by people with not quite as much taste as Steve Jobs with not quite as in tune sensibilities about everything from marketing to the vision of computing but instead by a logistics guy. 16:40 · youtube.com

    Creator of Ruby on Rails, CTO of 37signals

    Their wordsIf that fully vertically integrated system suddenly is run by people with not quite as much taste as Steve Jobs with not quite as in tune sensibilities about everything from marketing to the vision of computing but instead by a logistics guy.

    Where this was said

    Watch from 16:40 plays here

    ↗DHH discusses Linux and Omarchyyoutube.com

    video · 46m · spoken · machine transcript

Interesting

Taste is the ability to distinguish excellence from mediocrity, and the hand can never consistently produce better than the eye can discern.

  1. Julie Zhuo Good taste: taste is the ability to distinguish excellence from mediocrity. The hand can never consistently produce better than the eye can discern. lg.substack.com

    Co-founder of Sundial; former vice president of product…

    Their wordsGood taste: taste is the ability to distinguish excellence from mediocrity. The hand can never consistently produce better than the eye can discern.

    Where this was said

    ↗The Death of Product Development as We Know itlg.substack.com

Interesting

The rule to defer judgment encourages design by committee; effective teams do not defer criticism, they create through it.

  1. Don Norman We challenge this approach. It encourages design by committee and infuses a superficial sense of collaboration that leads to compromises and weakens ideas. Our view, the product of years of studies of and participation in innovation projects, is that effective teams do not defer critical reflection; they create through criticism. jnd.org

    Cognitive scientist and designer

    Their wordsWe challenge this approach. It encourages design by committee and infuses a superficial sense of collaboration that leads to compromises and weakens ideas. Our view, the product of years of studies of and participation in innovation projects, is that effective teams do not defer critical reflection; they create through criticism.

    Where this was said

    ↗Why Criticism Is Good for Creativityjnd.org

Interesting

Founders, designers and developers need to develop their taste the way a sushi chef develops a palate, and appreciating culture is how.

  1. Karri Saarinen Like sushi chefs, we as founders, designers or developers, need to develop our tastes, in order to build things people can be impressed about. karrisaarinen.com

    Co-founder and CEO of Linear

    Their wordsLike sushi chefs, we as founders, designers or developers, need to develop our tastes, in order to build things people can be impressed about.

    Where this was said

    ↗Jiro’s Dreamkarrisaarinen.com

Interesting

A product needs a soul, and for that it needs one person of great taste who is its living, breathing aspect and gets furious about every small detail.

  1. Karri Saarinen For the soul, you need a person with a great taste to be the living and breathing aspect of the product. The one forging the blades. The person who thinks about the in and outs of the product and the business. karrisaarinen.com

    Co-founder and CEO of Linear

    Their wordsFor the soul, you need a person with a great taste to be the living and breathing aspect of the product. The one forging the blades. The person who thinks about the in and outs of the product and the business.

    Where this was said

    ↗Your Product Needs a Soulkarrisaarinen.com

Interesting

In making products, taste is not a matter of opinion but a sense of sophistication, learned by making something real rather than at school.

  1. Karri Saarinen In making products, taste is not a matter of opinion, but an actual sense of sophistication that a person has. People who make new things need to practice taste and recognize beauty when they see it. Schools or education have very little to teach in the area of taste, you need to get involved in making something real. karrisaarinen.com

    Co-founder and CEO of Linear

    Their wordsIn making products, taste is not a matter of opinion, but an actual sense of sophistication that a person has. People who make new things need to practice taste and recognize beauty when they see it. Schools or education have very little to teach in the area of taste, you need to get involved in making something real.

    Where this was said

    ↗Your Product Needs a Soulkarrisaarinen.com

Interesting

Big companies have software designed by committee to avoid disasters, so a startup wins design wars by having the same people design and implement the product.

  1. Paul Graham The place to fight design wars is in new markets, where no one has yet managed to establish any fortifications. That's where you can win big by taking the bold approach to design, and having the same people both design and implement the product. paulgraham.com

    Co-founder of Y Combinator and Viaweb

    Their wordsThe place to fight design wars is in new markets, where no one has yet managed to establish any fortifications. That's where you can win big by taking the bold approach to design, and having the same people both design and implement the product.

    Where this was said

    ↗Hackers and Painterspaulgraham.com

Interesting

Good design requires a dictator: design by committee is a synonym for bad design, because a design has to be all of a piece.

  1. Paul Graham I'm inclined to think there isn't-- that good design requires a dictator. One reason is that good design has to be all of a piece. Design is not just for humans, but for individual humans. If a design represents an idea that fits in one person's head, then the idea will fit in the user's head too. paulgraham.com

    Co-founder of Y Combinator and Viaweb

    Their wordsI'm inclined to think there isn't-- that good design requires a dictator. One reason is that good design has to be all of a piece. Design is not just for humans, but for individual humans. If a design represents an idea that fits in one person's head, then the idea will fit in the user's head too.

    Where this was said

    ↗Design and Researchpaulgraham.com

Interesting

The only style worth having is the one you cannot help; setting out to develop a personal style is the wrong goal.

  1. Paul Graham But if you just try to make good things, you'll inevitably do it in a distinctive way, just as each person walks in a distinctive way. Michelangelo was not trying to paint like Michelangelo. He was just trying to paint well; he couldn't help painting like Michelangelo. The only style worth having is the one you can't help. paulgraham.com

    Co-founder of Y Combinator and Viaweb

    Their wordsBut if you just try to make good things, you'll inevitably do it in a distinctive way, just as each person walks in a distinctive way. Michelangelo was not trying to paint like Michelangelo. He was just trying to paint well; he couldn't help painting like Michelangelo. The only style worth having is the one you can't help.

    Where this was said

    ↗Taste for Makerspaulgraham.com

Interesting

The recipe for great work is very exacting taste plus the ability to gratify it; it is easier to see ugliness than to imagine beauty.

  1. Paul Graham Don't ignore those voices. Cultivate them. The recipe for great work is: very exacting taste, plus the ability to gratify it. paulgraham.com

    Co-founder of Y Combinator and Viaweb

    Their wordsDon't ignore those voices. Cultivate them. The recipe for great work is: very exacting taste, plus the ability to gratify it.

    Where this was said

    ↗Taste for Makerspaulgraham.com

Interesting

A viewour reading

The maker should work in the medium and shape it rough: build the thing, not a picture of it

18 claims filed here, newest first — each in the words of whoever said it.

Designers should find what the spec should be and build it in HTML and CSS themselves, not make a product manager's spec look pretty.

  1. David Heinemeier Hansson Designers at 37 Signals are not just here to make a spec look pretty. They're here to find what the spec should be. They're product managers in many ways. 0:23:27 · youtube.com

    Creator of Ruby on Rails, CTO of 37signals

    Their wordsDesigners at 37 Signals are not just here to make a spec look pretty. They're here to find what the spec should be. They're product managers in many ways.

    Where this was said

    Watch from 0:23:27 plays here

    ↗DHH’s new way of writing codeyoutube.com

    video · 1h 47m · spoken · machine transcript

Interesting

Designers should code, and AI coding agents have reopened that door after a decade in which front-end complexity closed it.

  1. Luke Wroblewski There's a question that never goes away in design: should designers code? My answer has always been yes. But for a decade or so, the complexity of front-end development made it impractical for most. Thankfully, AI coding agents have reopened the door. lukew.com

    Product designer and entrepreneur

    Their wordsThere's a question that never goes away in design: should designers code? My answer has always been yes. But for a decade or so, the complexity of front-end development made it impractical for most. Thankfully, AI coding agents have reopened the door.

    Where this was said

    ↗Should Designers "Code"?lukew.com

Interesting

The loop has flipped: it used to be faster to mock up software than to ship it, and now designers can work iteratively in production code.

  1. Luke Wroblewski For years, it was faster to mock up software than to ship it. Designers stayed "ahead" of engineering with prototypes. Now AI coding agents make development so much faster that the loop has flipped. lukew.com

    Product designer and entrepreneur

    Their wordsFor years, it was faster to mock up software than to ship it. Designers stayed "ahead" of engineering with prototypes. Now AI coding agents make development so much faster that the loop has flipped.

    Where this was said

    ↗Should Designers "Code"?lukew.com

Interesting

Design deliverables are no longer static assets or guidelines but tools: custom software that generates on-brand assets on demand.

  1. Luke Wroblewski But with today's AI coding agents, building software is remarkably easy. So instead of handing over static assets and static guidelines, designers can deliver custom software. Tools that let clients create their own on-brand assets whenever they need them. lukew.com

    Product designer and entrepreneur

    Their wordsBut with today's AI coding agents, building software is remarkably easy. So instead of handing over static assets and static guidelines, designers can deliver custom software. Tools that let clients create their own on-brand assets whenever they need them.

    Where this was said

    ↗Design Tools Are The New Design Deliverableslukew.com

Interesting

The default team is two people, one programmer and one designer, on one feature; at that size you can just do instead of plan.

  1. David Heinemeier Hansson our default team size is two. One programmer, one designer, one feature. When you're operating at that level of scale, you don't need sophistication. You don't need advanced methodologies. 2:35:00 · youtube.com

    Creator of Ruby on Rails, CTO of 37signals

    Their wordsour default team size is two. One programmer, one designer, one feature. When you're operating at that level of scale, you don't need sophistication. You don't need advanced methodologies.

    Where this was said

    Watch from 2:35:00 plays here

    ↗DHH: Future of Programming, AI, Ruby on Rails, Productivity & Parenting | Lex Fridman Podcast #474youtube.com

    video · 6h 08m · spoken · official transcript

Interesting

Mocks and docs are dying: AI-native teams prototype and prune with code-first prototypes instead of static mocks and product requirement documents.

  1. Julie Zhuo Say goodbye to cycles of mock and doc feedback, and say hello to code-first prototypes with constant iteration (on prompts, models, etc) to answer three key questions. lg.substack.com

    Co-founder of Sundial; former vice president of product…

    Their wordsSay goodbye to cycles of mock and doc feedback, and say hello to code-first prototypes with constant iteration (on prompts, models, etc) to answer three key questions.

    Where this was said

    ↗The Death of Product Development as We Know itlg.substack.com

Interesting

AI favours tiny teams of high-agency individual contributors with blurred roles, and the coordinating manager is not needed until it is time to polish.

  1. Julie Zhuo Welcome to the era of AI-native companies, where individual contributors (ICs) reign supreme. lg.substack.com

    Co-founder of Sundial; former vice president of product…

    Their wordsWelcome to the era of AI-native companies, where individual contributors (ICs) reign supreme.

    Where this was said

    ↗The Death of Product Development as We Know itlg.substack.com

Interesting

Mockups existed because coding was hard; now designers can skip static mockups and go straight to building a UI that works.

  1. Jakob Nielsen Essentially, vibe coding makes it trivial to create front-end code, so designers can skip static mockups and go straight to building a UI that works. jakobnielsenphd.substack.com

    Usability pioneer; co-founder of Nielsen Norman Group and…

    Their wordsEssentially, vibe coding makes it trivial to create front-end code, so designers can skip static mockups and go straight to building a UI that works.

    Where this was said

    ↗Vibe Coding and Vibe Designjakobnielsenphd.substack.com

Interesting

Over-specifying a design makes it harder to estimate, not easier: the more specific the work, the more hidden complexity a mockup commits the team to.

  1. Ryan Singer by Over-specifying the design also leads to estimation errors. Counterintuitive as it may seem, the more specific the work is, the harder it can be to estimate. basecamp.com

    Author of Shape Up; formerly head of strategy at Basecamp

    Their wordsOver-specifying the design also leads to estimation errors. Counterintuitive as it may seem, the more specific the work is, the harder it can be to estimate.

    Where this was said

    ↗Shape Up, chapter 2: Principles of Shapingbasecamp.com

Interesting

Work that is too fine too early commits everyone to the wrong details; shaped work is rough on purpose so designers and programmers can apply their own judgement.

  1. Ryan Singer by Work that’s too fine, too early commits everyone to the wrong details. Designers and programmers need room to apply their own judgement and expertise when they roll up their sleeves and discover all the real trade-offs that emerge. basecamp.com

    Author of Shape Up; formerly head of strategy at Basecamp

    Their wordsWork that’s too fine, too early commits everyone to the wrong details. Designers and programmers need room to apply their own judgement and expertise when they roll up their sleeves and discover all the real trade-offs that emerge.

    Where this was said

    ↗Shape Up, chapter 2: Principles of Shapingbasecamp.com

Interesting

Shaping is primarily design work: the shaped concept is an interaction design seen from the user's perspective, and it takes technical literacy, not programming.

  1. Ryan Singer by Shaping is primarily design work. The shaped concept is an interaction design viewed from the user’s perspective. It defines what the feature does, how it works, and where it fits into existing flows. basecamp.com

    Author of Shape Up; formerly head of strategy at Basecamp

    Their wordsShaping is primarily design work. The shaped concept is an interaction design viewed from the user’s perspective. It defines what the feature does, how it works, and where it fits into existing flows.

    Where this was said

    ↗Shape Up, chapter 2: Principles of Shapingbasecamp.com

Interesting

Any specific mockup from someone senior biases everyone after them, so early design should be breadboards and fat-marker sketches that leave room for designers.

  1. Ryan Singer by Regardless of what you say, any specific mockups are going to bias what other people do after you—especially if you’re in a higher position than them. They’ll take every detail in the initial mockups as direction even though you didn’t intend it. basecamp.com

    Author of Shape Up; formerly head of strategy at Basecamp

    Their wordsRegardless of what you say, any specific mockups are going to bias what other people do after you—especially if you’re in a higher position than them. They’ll take every detail in the initial mockups as direction even though you didn’t intend it.

    Where this was said

    ↗Shape Up, chapter 4: Find the Elementsbasecamp.com

Interesting

The designer and programmer roles are converging, and the path from sketch to design to implementation is opening up to everyone with an idea.

  1. Guillermo Rauch And if I’m allowed to extrapolate, a clear path is now laid out towards a future where the steps to go from sketch to design to implementation are greatly more accessible to everyone with an idea. rauchg.com

    CEO of Vercel; creator of Next.js and Socket.IO

    Their wordsAnd if I’m allowed to extrapolate, a clear path is now laid out towards a future where the steps to go from sketch to design to implementation are greatly more accessible to everyone with an idea.

    Where this was said

    ↗Pure UIrauchg.com

Interesting

A product vision cannot be transferred through specs and bullet points; the product visionary has to engage in doing.

  1. Karri Saarinen As a product visionary, trying to describe the product on a piece of paper with paragraphs and bullet points is like trying to paint the Sistine Chapel with a whiteboard marker. karrisaarinen.com

    Co-founder and CEO of Linear

    Their wordsAs a product visionary, trying to describe the product on a piece of paper with paragraphs and bullet points is like trying to paint the Sistine Chapel with a whiteboard marker.

    Where this was said

    ↗Your Product Needs a Soulkarrisaarinen.com

Interesting

Premature design, deciding too early what a program should do, is as dangerous as premature optimization; specifications should be allowed to change on the fly.

  1. Paul Graham Everyone by now presumably knows about the danger of premature optimization. I think we should be just as worried about premature design-- deciding too early what a program should do. paulgraham.com

    Co-founder of Y Combinator and Viaweb

    Their wordsEveryone by now presumably knows about the danger of premature optimization. I think we should be just as worried about premature design-- deciding too early what a program should do.

    Where this was said

    ↗Hackers and Painterspaulgraham.com

Interesting

Good design is redesign: it is rare to get things right the first time, and experts plan to throw away early work.

  1. Paul Graham Good design is redesign. It's rare to get things right the first time. Experts expect to throw away some early work. They plan for plans to change. paulgraham.com

    Co-founder of Y Combinator and Viaweb

    Their wordsGood design is redesign. It's rare to get things right the first time. Experts expect to throw away some early work. They plan for plans to change.

    Where this was said

    ↗Taste for Makerspaulgraham.com

Interesting

A viewour reading

Design is everyone's job: whoever shapes the outcome is designing, and increasingly that includes the users

11 claims filed here, newest first — each in the words of whoever said it.

AI should be treated as an instrument to play rather than a tool to use, because there is no purpose to better machines if they do not also produce better humans.

  1. Frank Chimero You use a tool, but you play an instrument. It’s a more expansive way of doing, and the doing of it all is important, because that’s where you develop the instincts for excellence. There is no purpose to better machines if they do not also produce better humans. frankchimero.com

    Designer and writer in New York

    Their wordsYou use a tool, but you play an instrument. It’s a more expansive way of doing, and the doing of it all is important, because that’s where you develop the instincts for excellence. There is no purpose to better machines if they do not also produce better humans.

    Where this was said

    ↗Beyond the Machinefrankchimero.com

Interesting

AI has become a way for engineers, designers and product managers to wish each other away instead of working together.

Filed here becauseFiled under this view as its counter: everyone can now do everyone's job, and this claim says that is being used to avoid working together.

  1. Frank Chimero The fractures fell neatly along disciplines: engineers using AI to wish away designers, designers wishing away engineers, product managers wishing away both. In this climate, AI becomes frenemy identification technology, another way to avoid working together. frankchimero.com

    Designer and writer in New York

    Their wordsThe fractures fell neatly along disciplines: engineers using AI to wish away designers, designers wishing away engineers, product managers wishing away both. In this climate, AI becomes frenemy identification technology, another way to avoid working together.

    Where this was said

    ↗Beyond the Machinefrankchimero.com

Interesting

Vibe coding is fine for short-term work but not for anything meant to last longer than a tub of yogurt; time saved is not strength gained.

  1. Frank Chimero So while vibe coding may be useful for short-term work, it’s not a suitable approach for anything intended to last longer than a tub of yogurt. Time saved is not strength gained, so I went looking for other examples about how to work with the machine. frankchimero.com

    Designer and writer in New York

    Their wordsSo while vibe coding may be useful for short-term work, it’s not a suitable approach for anything intended to last longer than a tub of yogurt. Time saved is not strength gained, so I went looking for other examples about how to work with the machine.

    Where this was said

    ↗Beyond the Machinefrankchimero.com

Interesting

The return on UX design work is declining because the usability battles have been won: the low-hanging fruit was picked and interfaces are now reasonably good.

  1. Jakob Nielsen UX design has been steadily improving over the last 50 years and is now reasonably good. The low-hanging fruit of terrible usability has long since been picked. jakobnielsenphd.substack.com

    Usability pioneer; co-founder of Nielsen Norman Group and…

    Their wordsUX design has been steadily improving over the last 50 years and is now reasonably good. The low-hanging fruit of terrible usability has long since been picked.

    Where this was said

    ↗Declining ROI From UX Design Workjakobnielsenphd.substack.com

Interesting

Vibe coding lets users design and build their own software, upending the user-centred design paradigm that has held since 1947.

  1. Jakob Nielsen The new trend toward vibe coding and vibe design may be upending the user-centered design paradigm that has remained based on the same ideology since the first UX design projects at Bell Labs, starting in 1947. jakobnielsenphd.substack.com

    Usability pioneer; co-founder of Nielsen Norman Group and…

    Their wordsThe new trend toward vibe coding and vibe design may be upending the user-centered design paradigm that has remained based on the same ideology since the first UX design projects at Bell Labs, starting in 1947.

    Where this was said

    ↗Does User-Driven Design Still Need User-Centered Design?jakobnielsenphd.substack.com

Interesting

Making coding easy makes design more critical, not less: when anyone can produce working features, the quality of the experience is what sets products apart.

  1. Jakob Nielsen In a vibe coding future, companies will hopefully invest more in understanding user needs, refining the interface, and polishing details that delight users, because those are harder for AI to get right without guidance. jakobnielsenphd.substack.com

    Usability pioneer; co-founder of Nielsen Norman Group and…

    Their wordsIn a vibe coding future, companies will hopefully invest more in understanding user needs, refining the interface, and polishing details that delight users, because those are harder for AI to get right without guidance.

    Where this was said

    ↗Vibe Coding and Vibe Designjakobnielsenphd.substack.com

Interesting

Deciding what software should do and why is still a human job: vibe coding changes the implementation phase far more than the planning phase.

Filed here becauseFrom the same holder as the claim that users will design their own software; this one is the limit he puts on it.

  1. Jakob Nielsen Vibe coding can execute instructions, but deciding what the software should do and why is not automated. Product managers and designers must still do user research, market analysis, and creative brainstorming. In that sense, vibe coding changes the implementation phase more than the planning phase of the product lifecycle. jakobnielsenphd.substack.com

    Usability pioneer; co-founder of Nielsen Norman Group and…

    Their wordsVibe coding can execute instructions, but deciding what the software should do and why is not automated. Product managers and designers must still do user research, market analysis, and creative brainstorming. In that sense, vibe coding changes the implementation phase more than the planning phase of the product lifecycle.

    Where this was said

    ↗Vibe Coding and Vibe Designjakobnielsenphd.substack.com

Interesting

AI will flatten the design profession: when ten AI-enabled designers do the work of a department of a hundred, the need for higher management levels shrivels.

  1. Jakob Nielsen When a team of 10 AI-enabled super-designers can do the work that used to require a UX department of 100, the need for higher management levels shrivels. I call this the “pancaking” of the design profession. jakobnielsenphd.substack.com

    Usability pioneer; co-founder of Nielsen Norman Group and…

    Their wordsWhen a team of 10 AI-enabled super-designers can do the work that used to require a UX department of 100, the need for higher management levels shrivels. I call this the “pancaking” of the design profession.

    Where this was said

    ↗Design Leaders Should Go “Founder Mode”jakobnielsenphd.substack.com

Interesting

AI design tools are starting at the low end and eating their way up: within ten years even the richest brands will rely heavily on them.

  1. Jakob Nielsen Right now, they can make simple social media posts for small companies and individual influencers. Two years from now, they can make simple campaigns and tradeshow collateral for mid-sized businesses. And in 10 years, I bet that even the richest brand will rely heavily on these tools. jakobnielsenphd.substack.com

    Usability pioneer; co-founder of Nielsen Norman Group and…

    Their wordsRight now, they can make simple social media posts for small companies and individual influencers. Two years from now, they can make simple campaigns and tradeshow collateral for mid-sized businesses. And in 10 years, I bet that even the richest brand will rely heavily on these tools.

    Where this was said

    ↗Innovator’s Dilemma Hits Design: Growing Capabilities of AI-Driven Amateur Design Toolsjakobnielsenphd.substack.com

Interesting

Experts should supply the facts and leave the methods to the people affected: a community will trust and implement a solution it chose itself, even one identical to the expert's.

  1. Don Norman If the people can decide, even if they come up with the same, identical solution as the expert people or machines, they will trust them, implement them, and abide with them. jnd.org

    Cognitive scientist and designer

    Their wordsIf the people can decide, even if they come up with the same, identical solution as the expert people or machines, they will trust them, implement them, and abide with them.

    Where this was said

    ↗The Four Fundamental Principles of Human-Centered Design and Applicationjnd.org

Interesting

Everyone who renders their intention is a designer, so the experienced designer's role shifts from owning the outcome to teaching the rest of the team to render theirs.

  1. Jared Spool The notion of the academically-trained, experienced designer holding the keys to the design outcome fades with this definition. In fact, when we think about design in these terms, it becomes clear that many of the people rendering their intention don’t know they are designers. This implies the role of the experienced designer shifts from owning the design outcome to educating all the other designers on the team on how to best render their own intentions. articles.centercentre.com

    Co-founder of Center Centre and founder of UIE

    Their wordsThe notion of the academically-trained, experienced designer holding the keys to the design outcome fades with this definition. In fact, when we think about design in these terms, it becomes clear that many of the people rendering their intention don’t know they are designers. This implies the role of the experienced designer shifts from owning the design outcome to educating all the other designers on the team on how to best render their own intentions.

    Where this was said

    ↗Design is the Rendering of Intentarticles.centercentre.com

Interesting

A viewour reading

Design for users without taking their orders, and remember that you are not the user

12 claims filed here, newest first — each in the words of whoever said it.

The average user is a dangerous statistical artifact: design for the gap between the median user and the heavy-use tail, not for a phantom mean.

  1. Jakob Nielsen In the world of high-stakes digital strategy, the “average user” is a dangerous statistical artifact. jakobnielsenphd.substack.com

    Usability pioneer; co-founder of Nielsen Norman Group and…

    Their wordsIn the world of high-stakes digital strategy, the “average user” is a dangerous statistical artifact.

    Where this was said

    ↗Don’t Design for Average Usersjakobnielsenphd.substack.com

Interesting

The MVP as a hacky product built to validate an idea no longer works: in a saturated market you have to build something substantially better from day one.

  1. Tuomas Artman The MVP as a practice of building a hacky product as quickly and cheaply as possible to validate the product does no longer work. Many product categories are already saturated with a variety of alternatives, and to truly test the viability of any new idea you need to build something that is substantially better. linear.app

    Co-founder and CTO of Linear

    Their wordsThe MVP as a practice of building a hacky product as quickly and cheaply as possible to validate the product does no longer work. Many product categories are already saturated with a variety of alternatives, and to truly test the viability of any new idea you need to build something that is substantially better.

    Where this was said

    ↗Rethinking the startup MVP: Building a competitive productlinear.app

Interesting

To compete with limited resources, scope down who you are building for as much as possible and solve the problems of specific people.

  1. Tuomas Artman To be able to do this with limited resources, you must scope down your audience (and thus your ambitions) as much as possible to make competing easier, and aim to solve the problems of specific people. linear.app

    Co-founder and CTO of Linear

    Their wordsTo be able to do this with limited resources, you must scope down your audience (and thus your ambitions) as much as possible to make competing easier, and aim to solve the problems of specific people.

    Where this was said

    ↗Rethinking the startup MVP: Building a competitive productlinear.app

Interesting

The more your target audience does not look like you, the more you should be skeptical of your design intuition.

  1. Julie Zhuo The more your target audience does not look like you, the more you should be skeptical of your design intuition. Despite having seen thousands of a/b test results for minor design details, I am still regularly surprised and humbled by my intuition being wrong. lg.substack.com

    Co-founder of Sundial; former vice president of product…

    Their wordsThe more your target audience does not look like you, the more you should be skeptical of your design intuition. Despite having seen thousands of a/b test results for minor design details, I am still regularly surprised and humbled by my intuition being wrong.

    Where this was said

    ↗The Looking Glass: What AI Won't Changelg.substack.com

Interesting

Human-centred design ignores sustainability, inequity and bias, so design has to move to humanity-centred design that covers the whole ecosystem and the long term.

  1. Don Norman These are important principles, but they ignore the problems of sustainability, inequity, and bias. In addition, the emphasis is usually on the immediate issues, not the long-term impact. In other words, they describe the way we did things in the past, not the issues in this book, and not the way we need to do things in the future. jnd.org

    Cognitive scientist and designer

    Their wordsThese are important principles, but they ignore the problems of sustainability, inequity, and bias. In addition, the emphasis is usually on the immediate issues, not the long-term impact. In other words, they describe the way we did things in the past, not the issues in this book, and not the way we need to do things in the future.

    Where this was said

    ↗Human-Centered versus Humanity-Centered Designjnd.org

Interesting

Machines should do the parts of a task that people are bad at, so that people and technology work as partners on human terms.

  1. Don Norman Instead of having people do the parts of a task that machines are bad at, let’s reverse the process and have machines do the parts that people are bad at. Instead of requiring people to work on technology’s terms, require the machines to work on human terms. jnd.org

    Cognitive scientist and designer

    Their wordsInstead of having people do the parts of a task that machines are bad at, let’s reverse the process and have machines do the parts that people are bad at. Instead of requiring people to work on technology’s terms, require the machines to work on human terms.

    Where this was said

    ↗People-Centered (Not Tech-Driven) Designjnd.org

Interesting

Human-centred design starts by solving the root issue rather than the problem as presented, which is usually the symptom.

  1. Don Norman Solve the fundamental, underlying issues, not the symptoms. We recommend starting with field studies and observations of actual practice (an applied ethnography). Ask “why?” at each issue. jnd.org

    Cognitive scientist and designer

    Their wordsSolve the fundamental, underlying issues, not the symptoms. We recommend starting with field studies and observations of actual practice (an applied ethnography). Ask “why?” at each issue.

    Where this was said

    ↗The Four Fundamental Principles of Human-Centered Design and Applicationjnd.org

Interesting

Empathy is probably the single most important difference between a good hacker and a great one, because great software has to be seen from the user's point of view.

  1. Paul Graham Empathy is probably the single most important difference between a good hacker and a great one. Some hackers are quite smart, but when it comes to empathy are practically solipsists. paulgraham.com

    Co-founder of Y Combinator and Viaweb

    Their wordsEmpathy is probably the single most important difference between a good hacker and a great one. Some hackers are quite smart, but when it comes to empathy are practically solipsists.

    Where this was said

    ↗Hackers and Painterspaulgraham.com

Interesting

Design is for users, but you have to design what the user needs rather than what he says he wants.

  1. Paul Graham The answer to the paradox, I think, is that you have to design for the user, but you have to design what the user needs, not simply what he says he wants. paulgraham.com

    Co-founder of Y Combinator and Viaweb

    Their wordsThe answer to the paradox, I think, is that you have to design for the user, but you have to design what the user needs, not simply what he says he wants.

    Where this was said

    ↗Design and Researchpaulgraham.com

Interesting

You are most likely to get good design if the intended users include the designer, because looking down on the user corrupts the designer.

  1. Paul Graham You're most likely to get good design if the intended users include the designer himself. When you design something for a group that doesn't include you, it tends to be for people you consider to be less sophisticated than you, not more sophisticated. That's a problem, because looking down on the user, however benevolently, seems inevitably to corrupt the designer. paulgraham.com

    Co-founder of Y Combinator and Viaweb

    Their wordsYou're most likely to get good design if the intended users include the designer himself. When you design something for a group that doesn't include you, it tends to be for people you consider to be less sophisticated than you, not more sophisticated. That's a problem, because looking down on the user, however benevolently, seems inevitably to corrupt the designer.

    Where this was said

    ↗Design and Researchpaulgraham.com

Interesting

To get good design you have to get close to your users and stay close, calibrating your ideas on actual users constantly.

  1. Paul Graham In practice, to get good design you have to get close, and stay close, to your users. You have to calibrate your ideas on actual users constantly, especially in the beginning. paulgraham.com

    Co-founder of Y Combinator and Viaweb

    Their wordsIn practice, to get good design you have to get close, and stay close, to your users. You have to calibrate your ideas on actual users constantly, especially in the beginning.

    Where this was said

    ↗Design and Researchpaulgraham.com

Interesting

It is hard to design something good for users you look down on, because you cannot stay interested in something you do not like yourself.

  1. Paul Graham Morale is another reason that it's hard to design something for an unsophisticated user. It's hard to stay interested in something you don't like yourself. To make something good, you have to be thinking, "wow, this is really great," not "what a piece of shit; those fools will love it." paulgraham.com

    Co-founder of Y Combinator and Viaweb

    Their wordsMorale is another reason that it's hard to design something for an unsophisticated user. It's hard to stay interested in something you don't like yourself. To make something good, you have to be thinking, "wow, this is really great," not "what a piece of shit; those fools will love it."

    Where this was said

    ↗Design and Researchpaulgraham.com

Interesting

A viewour reading

Studying users improves what exists; the breakthroughs come from technology and from questioning the obvious

10 claims filed here, newest first — each in the words of whoever said it.

Making something brand new gives you room to explore new design approaches; the gravity of an existing system bends you back towards conforming.

  1. Jason Fried The gravity of existing decisions in current systems requires so much energy to reach escape velocity that you tend to conform rather than explore. Essentially you're bent back to where you started, rather than arcing out towards a new horizon. world.hey.com

    Co-founder and CEO of 37signals (Basecamp, HEY)

    Their wordsThe gravity of existing decisions in current systems requires so much energy to reach escape velocity that you tend to conform rather than explore. Essentially you're bent back to where you started, rather than arcing out towards a new horizon.

    Where this was said

    ↗Why new when?world.hey.com

Interesting

Design thinking is practised by all great thinkers, but design is the one field that tries to teach it as a systematic method rather than leave it to the exceptional.

  1. Don Norman I was correct in my original article: what we call design thinking is practiced in some form or other by all great thinkers, whether in literature or art, music or science, engineering or business. But the difference is that in design, there is an attempt to teach it as a systematic, practice-defining method of creative innovation. core77.com

    Cognitive scientist and designer

    Their wordsI was correct in my original article: what we call design thinking is practiced in some form or other by all great thinkers, whether in literature or art, music or science, engineering or business. But the difference is that in design, there is an attempt to teach it as a systematic, practice-defining method of creative innovation.

    Where this was said

    ↗Rethinking Design Thinkingcore77.com

Interesting

Breakthroughs come from questioning the obvious, and the outsider's stupid question is where that power lies.

  1. Don Norman It is by questioning the obvious that we make great progress. This is where breakthroughs come from. We need to question the obvious, to reformulate our beliefs, and to redefine existing solutions, approaches, and beliefs. That is design thinking. core77.com

    Cognitive scientist and designer

    Their wordsIt is by questioning the obvious that we make great progress. This is where breakthroughs come from. We need to question the obvious, to reformulate our beliefs, and to redefine existing solutions, approaches, and beliefs. That is design thinking.

    Where this was said

    ↗Rethinking Design Thinkingcore77.com

Interesting

Design thinking is a myth: designers have no special creative thought process, and the term is a public relations label for good old-fashioned creative thinking.

Filed here becauseIts holder called design thinking a myth in 2010 and took it back in 2013; both statements are on this page, and the second is what he holds now.

  1. Don Norman · held 3 years As a result, I have changed my mind: Design Thinking really is special. Alas, it isn't embraced by all designers, but where it exists, it is powerful. core77.com

    Cognitive scientist and designer

    No longer holdsAs a result, I have changed my mind: Design Thinking really is special. Alas, it isn't embraced by all designers, but where it exists, it is powerful.

    Their words nowSince my essay was posted, I keep encountering people who jump to solutions and who fail to question assumptions—engineers, business people, and yes, designers (and design students). These encounters made me reconsider.

    Where this was said

    ↗Rethinking Design Thinkingcore77.com

Interesting

Innovative design develops in tandem with innovative technology and can never be an end in itself.

  1. Dieter Rams by But innovative design always develops in tandem with innovative technology, and can never be an end in itself. vitsoe.com

    Industrial designer; head of design at Braun from 1961 to…

    Their wordsBut innovative design always develops in tandem with innovative technology, and can never be an end in itself.

    Where this was said

    ↗Dieter Rams: ten principles for good designvitsoe.com

Interesting

Design research is great for improving existing product categories but essentially useless for new, innovative breakthroughs.

  1. Don Norman I’ve come to a disconcerting conclusion: design research is great when it comes to improving existing product categories but essentially useless when it comes to new, innovative breakthroughs. jnd.org

    Cognitive scientist and designer

    Their wordsI’ve come to a disconcerting conclusion: design research is great when it comes to improving existing product categories but essentially useless when it comes to new, innovative breakthroughs.

    Where this was said

    ↗Technology First, Needs Lastjnd.org

Interesting

The most frequent business gains come from small incremental innovations, while most revolutionary innovations fail.

  1. Don Norman But if you examine the business impact of innovation, you will soon discover that the most frequent gains come from the small, incremental innovations, changes that lower costs, add some simple features, and smooth out the rough edges of a product. jnd.org

    Cognitive scientist and designer

    Their wordsBut if you examine the business impact of innovation, you will soon discover that the most frequent gains come from the small, incremental innovations, changes that lower costs, add some simple features, and smooth out the rough edges of a product.

    Where this was said

    ↗Technology First, Needs Lastjnd.org

Interesting

Great design comes disproportionately from a few hotspots, because nothing is more powerful than a community of talented people working on related problems.

  1. Paul Graham Nothing is more powerful than a community of talented people working on related problems. Genes count for little by comparison: being a genetic Leonardo was not enough to compensate for having been born near Milan instead of Florence. paulgraham.com

    Co-founder of Y Combinator and Viaweb

    Their wordsNothing is more powerful than a community of talented people working on related problems. Genes count for little by comparison: being a genetic Leonardo was not enough to compensate for having been born near Milan instead of Florence.

    Where this was said

    ↗Taste for Makerspaulgraham.com

Interesting

Good design can copy: the greatest masters decide it is more important to be right than original.

  1. Paul Graham A novice imitates without knowing it; next he tries consciously to be original; finally, he decides it's more important to be right than original. paulgraham.com

    Co-founder of Y Combinator and Viaweb

    Their wordsA novice imitates without knowing it; next he tries consciously to be original; finally, he decides it's more important to be right than original.

    Where this was said

    ↗Taste for Makerspaulgraham.com

Interesting

Read, and under none of the views

On the topic, but saying something the views above do not cover.

To make something alive with AI you have to work beside it and resist its pull towards the average; an average email is fine, average art is not.

  1. Frank Chimero An average email or line of code is fine. Average art isn’t. To make something alive with AI, we have to resist its pull towards average by working beside it, shaping what it gives, and listening for what’s missing. frankchimero.com

    Designer and writer in New York

    Their wordsAn average email or line of code is fine. Average art isn’t. To make something alive with AI, we have to resist its pull towards average by working beside it, shaping what it gives, and listening for what’s missing.

    Where this was said

    ↗Beyond the Machinefrankchimero.com

Interesting

Twenty years of making websites may really be five years of experience repeated four times, because nothing on the web stays settled.

  1. Frank Chimero I wonder if I have twenty years of experience making websites, or if it is really five years of experience, repeated four times. If you’ve been working in the technology industry a while, please tell me this sounds familiar to you. frankchimero.com

    Designer and writer in New York

    Their wordsI wonder if I have twenty years of experience making websites, or if it is really five years of experience, repeated four times. If you’ve been working in the technology industry a while, please tell me this sounds familiar to you.

    Where this was said

    ↗Everything Easy is Hard Againfrankchimero.com

Interesting

Who has changed their mind

  1. Don Norman · · held 3 years

    No longer holdsDesign thinking is a myth: designers have no special creative thought process, and the term is a public relations label for good old-fashioned creative thinking.

    On our filingfrom Studying users improves what exists; the breakthroughs come from technology and from questioning the obvious to One person of taste has to be in charge, because design by committee is bad design

On this topic, not yet placed

Matched by wording, not yet read into a view. The archive grows on its own, so this is where new claims wait for somebody to read them.

The full chronology, with every quote: design as a timeline · person by person, side by side · all topics · Something wrong? Tell us