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Who should design software, and how?

Making and deciding have drifted apart, and they disagree about the cure.

66 dated claims from 15 people · 5 views · 1 change of mind · most recent 26 Aug 2026

The views

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 HanssonGeorge SaundersPaul GrahamJulie ZhuoDon NormanKarri Saarinen

  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.

Mental modelBottlenecks

  1. David Heinemeier Hansson Creator of Ruby on Rails, CTO of 37signals 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? DHH: Future of Programming, AI, Agentic Engineering, Vibe Coding & Linux | Lex Fridman Podcast #501youtube.com · 26 Aug 2026 · 0:20:13 into the videoAll korrents from this video
    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

    26 Aug 2026 · video · 5h 15m · spoken · official transcript

Show all 12 claims

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

  1. George Saunders American short-story writer and novelist And that there might come a moment, while reading a new, just-edited-for-the-thousandth-time draft, where that true self, or voice, pops out at you, suddenly revealed, as if someone else, not you, had done it. On the Perils of Self-Assessing...georgesaunders.substack.com · 6 Aug 2026All korrents from this piece
    Their wordsAnd that there might come a moment, while reading a new, just-edited-for-the-thousandth-time draft, where that true self, or voice, pops out at you, suddenly revealed, as if someone else, not you, had done it.

    ↗On the Perils of Self-Assessing...georgesaunders.substack.com

    6 Aug 2026

  2. Paul Graham Co-founder of Y Combinator and Viaweb 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. Taste for Makerspaulgraham.com · 1 Feb 2002
    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.

    ↗Taste for Makerspaulgraham.com

    1 Feb 2002

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. George Saunders American short-story writer and novelist Could this phrase or sentence or paragraph or section be improved, even a little? That is, can I make myself (on this very localized turf) make myself dislike it less? On the Perils of Self-Assessing...georgesaunders.substack.com · 6 Aug 2026All korrents from this piece
    Their wordsCould this phrase or sentence or paragraph or section be improved, even a little? That is, can I make myself (on this very localized turf) make myself dislike it less?

    ↗On the Perils of Self-Assessing...georgesaunders.substack.com

    6 Aug 2026

  2. Paul Graham Co-founder of Y Combinator and Viaweb Don't ignore those voices. Cultivate them. The recipe for great work is: very exacting taste, plus the ability to gratify it. Taste for Makerspaulgraham.com · 1 Feb 2002
    Their wordsDon't ignore those voices. Cultivate them. The recipe for great work is: very exacting taste, plus the ability to gratify it.

    ↗Taste for Makerspaulgraham.com

    1 Feb 2002

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

  1. Julie Zhuo Co-founder of Sundial; former vice president of product… Excellence in design is not just about craft quality. It is about whether a designer is both willing and allowed to create impact. How to Spot a World-Class Designerlg.substack.com · 14 Apr 2026
    Their wordsExcellence in design is not just about craft quality. It is about whether a designer is both willing and allowed to create impact.

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

    14 Apr 2026

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 Creator of Ruby on Rails, CTO of 37signals 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. DHH discusses Linux and Omarchyyoutube.com · 1 Jul 2025 · 16:40 into the videoAll korrents from this video
    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

    1 Jul 2025 · video · 46m · spoken · machine transcript

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 Co-founder of Sundial; former vice president of product… Good taste: taste is the ability to distinguish excellence from mediocrity. The hand can never consistently produce better than the eye can discern. The Death of Product Development as We Know itlg.substack.com · 25 Mar 2025
    Their wordsGood taste: taste is the ability to distinguish excellence from mediocrity. The hand can never consistently produce better than the eye can discern.

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

    25 Mar 2025

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

  1. Don Norman Cognitive scientist and designer 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. Why Criticism Is Good for Creativityjnd.org · 22 Jul 2019
    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.

    ↗Why Criticism Is Good for Creativityjnd.org

    22 Jul 2019

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 Co-founder and CEO of Linear Like sushi chefs, we as founders, designers or developers, need to develop our tastes, in order to build things people can be impressed about. Jiro’s Dreamkarrisaarinen.com · 2 Sept 2012
    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.

    ↗Jiro’s Dreamkarrisaarinen.com

    2 Sept 2012

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 Co-founder and CEO of Linear 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. Your Product Needs a Soulkarrisaarinen.com · 12 Feb 2010
    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.

    ↗Your Product Needs a Soulkarrisaarinen.com

    12 Feb 2010

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 Co-founder and CEO of Linear 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. Your Product Needs a Soulkarrisaarinen.com · 12 Feb 2010
    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.

    ↗Your Product Needs a Soulkarrisaarinen.com

    12 Feb 2010

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 Co-founder of Y Combinator and Viaweb 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. Hackers and Painterspaulgraham.com · 1 May 2003
    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.

    ↗Hackers and Painterspaulgraham.com

    1 May 2003

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 Co-founder of Y Combinator and Viaweb 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. Design and Researchpaulgraham.com · 1 Jan 2003
    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.

    ↗Design and Researchpaulgraham.com

    1 Jan 2003

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.

Without the handoff, everyone builds: designer, developer and product manager can all work in the codebase at once, and that changes everything.

  1. Luke Wroblewski Product designer and entrepreneur But without the handoff, everyone builds. And that makes all the difference. The New Designer/Developer Collaborationlukew.com · 15 Apr 2026
    Their wordsBut without the handoff, everyone builds. And that makes all the difference.

    ↗The New Designer/Developer Collaborationlukew.com

    15 Apr 2026

Show all 18 claims

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.

Mental modelMake it real

  1. David Heinemeier Hansson Creator of Ruby on Rails, CTO of 37signals 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. DHH’s new way of writing codeyoutube.com · 8 Apr 2026 · 0:23:27 into the videoAll korrents from this video
    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

    8 Apr 2026 · video · 1h 47m · spoken · machine transcript

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

  1. Luke Wroblewski Product designer and entrepreneur 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. Should Designers "Code"?lukew.com · 7 Apr 2026
    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.

    ↗Should Designers "Code"?lukew.com

    7 Apr 2026

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.

Mental modelFeedback loops

  1. Luke Wroblewski Product designer and entrepreneur 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. Should Designers "Code"?lukew.com · 7 Apr 2026
    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.

    ↗Should Designers "Code"?lukew.com

    7 Apr 2026

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

  1. Luke Wroblewski Product designer and entrepreneur 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. Design Tools Are The New Design Deliverableslukew.com · 19 Jan 2026
    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.

    ↗Design Tools Are The New Design Deliverableslukew.com

    19 Jan 2026

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 Creator of Ruby on Rails, CTO of 37signals 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. DHH: Future of Programming, AI, Ruby on Rails, Productivity & Parenting | Lex Fridman Podcast #474youtube.com · 12 Jul 2025 · 2:35:00 into the videoAll korrents from this video
    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

    12 Jul 2025 · video · 6h 08m · spoken · official transcript

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

Mental modelMake it real

  1. Julie Zhuo Co-founder of Sundial; former vice president of product… 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. The Death of Product Development as We Know itlg.substack.com · 25 Mar 2025
    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.

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

    25 Mar 2025

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 Co-founder of Sundial; former vice president of product… Welcome to the era of AI-native companies, where individual contributors (ICs) reign supreme. The Death of Product Development as We Know itlg.substack.com · 25 Mar 2025
    Their wordsWelcome to the era of AI-native companies, where individual contributors (ICs) reign supreme.

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

    25 Mar 2025

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

  1. Jakob Nielsen Usability pioneer; co-founder of Nielsen Norman Group… 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. Vibe Coding and Vibe Designjakobnielsenphd.substack.com · 7 Mar 2025
    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.

    ↗Vibe Coding and Vibe Designjakobnielsenphd.substack.com

    7 Mar 2025

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.

Mental modelConservation of complexity

  1. Ryan Singer by Author of Shape Up; formerly head of strategy at Basecamp 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. Shape Up, chapter 2: Principles of Shapingbasecamp.com · by 10 Jul 2019
    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.

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

    by 10 Jul 2019

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 Author of Shape Up; formerly head of strategy at Basecamp 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. Shape Up, chapter 2: Principles of Shapingbasecamp.com · by 10 Jul 2019
    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.

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

    by 10 Jul 2019

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.

Mental modelDesign is how it works

  1. Ryan Singer by Author of Shape Up; formerly head of strategy at Basecamp 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. Shape Up, chapter 2: Principles of Shapingbasecamp.com · by 10 Jul 2019
    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.

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

    by 10 Jul 2019

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 Author of Shape Up; formerly head of strategy at Basecamp 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. Shape Up, chapter 4: Find the Elementsbasecamp.com · by 10 Jul 2019
    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.

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

    by 10 Jul 2019

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 CEO of Vercel; creator of Next.js and Socket.IO 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. Pure UIrauchg.com · 13 Jul 2015
    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.

    ↗Pure UIrauchg.com

    13 Jul 2015

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

Mental modelThe map is not the territory

  1. Karri Saarinen Co-founder and CEO of Linear 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. Your Product Needs a Soulkarrisaarinen.com · 12 Feb 2010
    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.

    ↗Your Product Needs a Soulkarrisaarinen.com

    12 Feb 2010

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 Co-founder of Y Combinator and Viaweb 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. Hackers and Painterspaulgraham.com · 1 May 2003
    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.

    ↗Hackers and Painterspaulgraham.com

    1 May 2003

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 Co-founder of Y Combinator and Viaweb 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. Taste for Makerspaulgraham.com · 1 Feb 2002
    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.

    ↗Taste for Makerspaulgraham.com

    1 Feb 2002

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 Designer and writer in New York 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. Beyond the Machinefrankchimero.com · 20 Oct 2025
    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.

    ↗Beyond the Machinefrankchimero.com

    20 Oct 2025

Show all 11 claims

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 Designer and writer in New York 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. Beyond the Machinefrankchimero.com · 20 Oct 2025
    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.

    ↗Beyond the Machinefrankchimero.com

    20 Oct 2025

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 Designer and writer in New York 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. Beyond the Machinefrankchimero.com · 20 Oct 2025
    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.

    ↗Beyond the Machinefrankchimero.com

    20 Oct 2025

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.

Mental modelS-curves and diminishing returns

  1. Jakob Nielsen Usability pioneer; co-founder of Nielsen Norman Group… 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. Declining ROI From UX Design Workjakobnielsenphd.substack.com · 20 Mar 2025
    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.

    ↗Declining ROI From UX Design Workjakobnielsenphd.substack.com

    20 Mar 2025

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

  1. Jakob Nielsen Usability pioneer; co-founder of Nielsen Norman Group… 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. Does User-Driven Design Still Need User-Centered Design?jakobnielsenphd.substack.com · 13 Mar 2025
    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.

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

    13 Mar 2025

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.

Mental modelValue moves to what stays scarce

  1. Jakob Nielsen Usability pioneer; co-founder of Nielsen Norman Group… 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. Vibe Coding and Vibe Designjakobnielsenphd.substack.com · 7 Mar 2025
    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.

    ↗Vibe Coding and Vibe Designjakobnielsenphd.substack.com

    7 Mar 2025

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 Usability pioneer; co-founder of Nielsen Norman Group… 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. Vibe Coding and Vibe Designjakobnielsenphd.substack.com · 7 Mar 2025
    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.

    ↗Vibe Coding and Vibe Designjakobnielsenphd.substack.com

    7 Mar 2025

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.

Mental modelLeverage

  1. Jakob Nielsen Usability pioneer; co-founder of Nielsen Norman Group… 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. Design Leaders Should Go “Founder Mode”jakobnielsenphd.substack.com · 21 Nov 2024
    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.

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

    21 Nov 2024

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 Usability pioneer; co-founder of Nielsen Norman Group… 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. Innovator’s Dilemma Hits Design: Growing Capabilities of AI-Driven Amateur Design Toolsjakobnielsenphd.substack.com · 8 Aug 2024
    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.

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

    8 Aug 2024

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 Cognitive scientist and designer 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. The Four Fundamental Principles of Human-Centered Design and Applicationjnd.org · 23 Jul 2019
    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.

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

    23 Jul 2019

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 Co-founder of Center Centre and founder of UIE 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. Design is the Rendering of Intentarticles.centercentre.com · 30 Dec 2013
    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.

    ↗Design is the Rendering of Intentarticles.centercentre.com

    30 Dec 2013

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.

Mental modelThe map is not the territory

  1. Jakob Nielsen Usability pioneer; co-founder of Nielsen Norman Group… In the world of high-stakes digital strategy, the “average user” is a dangerous statistical artifact. Don’t Design for Average Usersjakobnielsenphd.substack.com · 19 Mar 2026
    Their wordsIn the world of high-stakes digital strategy, the “average user” is a dangerous statistical artifact.

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

    19 Mar 2026

Show all 12 claims

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 Co-founder and CTO of Linear 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. Rethinking the startup MVP: Building a competitive productlinear.app · 28 Feb 2024
    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.

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

    28 Feb 2024

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

Mental modelLess, but better

  1. Tuomas Artman Co-founder and CTO of Linear 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. Rethinking the startup MVP: Building a competitive productlinear.app · 28 Feb 2024
    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.

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

    28 Feb 2024

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

Mental modelYou are not the user

  1. Julie Zhuo Co-founder of Sundial; former vice president of product… 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. The Looking Glass: What AI Won't Changelg.substack.com · 20 Apr 2023
    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.

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

    20 Apr 2023

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 Cognitive scientist and designer 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. Human-Centered versus Humanity-Centered Designjnd.org · 28 Mar 2023
    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.

    ↗Human-Centered versus Humanity-Centered Designjnd.org

    28 Mar 2023

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 Cognitive scientist and designer 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. People-Centered (Not Tech-Driven) Designjnd.org · 26 Jul 2019
    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.

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

    26 Jul 2019

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

  1. Don Norman Cognitive scientist and designer 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. The Four Fundamental Principles of Human-Centered Design and Applicationjnd.org · 23 Jul 2019
    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.

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

    23 Jul 2019

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 Co-founder of Y Combinator and Viaweb 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. Hackers and Painterspaulgraham.com · 1 May 2003
    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.

    ↗Hackers and Painterspaulgraham.com

    1 May 2003

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

  1. Paul Graham Co-founder of Y Combinator and Viaweb 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. Design and Researchpaulgraham.com · 1 Jan 2003
    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.

    ↗Design and Researchpaulgraham.com

    1 Jan 2003

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

Mental modelYou are not the user

  1. Paul Graham Co-founder of Y Combinator and Viaweb 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. Design and Researchpaulgraham.com · 1 Jan 2003
    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.

    ↗Design and Researchpaulgraham.com

    1 Jan 2003

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

Mental modelFeedback loops

  1. Paul Graham Co-founder of Y Combinator and Viaweb 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. Design and Researchpaulgraham.com · 1 Jan 2003
    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.

    ↗Design and Researchpaulgraham.com

    1 Jan 2003

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.

Mental modelYou are not the user

  1. Paul Graham Co-founder of Y Combinator and Viaweb 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." Design and Researchpaulgraham.com · 1 Jan 2003
    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."

    ↗Design and Researchpaulgraham.com

    1 Jan 2003

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 Co-founder and CEO of 37signals (Basecamp, HEY) 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. Why new when?world.hey.com · 8 May 2025
    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.

    ↗Why new when?world.hey.com

    8 May 2025

Show all 10 claims

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 Cognitive scientist and designer 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. Rethinking Design Thinkingcore77.com · 19 Mar 2013
    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.

    ↗Rethinking Design Thinkingcore77.com

    19 Mar 2013

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

Mental modelCurse of knowledge

  1. Don Norman Cognitive scientist and designer 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. Rethinking Design Thinkingcore77.com · 19 Mar 2013
    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.

    ↗Rethinking Design Thinkingcore77.com

    19 Mar 2013

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 Cognitive scientist and designer 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. Rethinking Design Thinkingcore77.com · 19 Mar 2013

    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.

    ↗Rethinking Design Thinkingcore77.com

    19 Mar 2013

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

  1. Dieter Rams by Industrial designer; head of design at Braun from 1961… But innovative design always develops in tandem with innovative technology, and can never be an end in itself. Dieter Rams: ten principles for good designvitsoe.com · by 3 Aug 2012
    Their wordsBut innovative design always develops in tandem with innovative technology, and can never be an end in itself.

    ↗Dieter Rams: ten principles for good designvitsoe.com

    by 3 Aug 2012

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

  1. Don Norman Cognitive scientist and designer 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. Technology First, Needs Lastjnd.org · 5 Dec 2009
    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.

    ↗Technology First, Needs Lastjnd.org

    5 Dec 2009

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

  1. Don Norman Cognitive scientist and designer 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. Technology First, Needs Lastjnd.org · 5 Dec 2009
    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.

    ↗Technology First, Needs Lastjnd.org

    5 Dec 2009

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

Mental modelPower laws

  1. Paul Graham Co-founder of Y Combinator and Viaweb 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. Taste for Makerspaulgraham.com · 1 Feb 2002
    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.

    ↗Taste for Makerspaulgraham.com

    1 Feb 2002

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

  1. Paul Graham Co-founder of Y Combinator and Viaweb 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. Taste for Makerspaulgraham.com · 1 Feb 2002
    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.

    ↗Taste for Makerspaulgraham.com

    1 Feb 2002

Read, and under none of the views

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

Software now needs a steering layer between the tools and the codebase, so that AI output stays aligned with brand, design and coding guidelines.

  1. Luke Wroblewski Product designer and entrepreneur An intentional steering layer can not only help but is increasingly needed in software today. The AI Steering Layerlukew.com · 24 Jun 2026
    Their wordsAn intentional steering layer can not only help but is increasingly needed in software today.

    ↗The AI Steering Layerlukew.com

    24 Jun 2026

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 Designer and writer in New York 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. Beyond the Machinefrankchimero.com · 20 Oct 2025
    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.

    ↗Beyond the Machinefrankchimero.com

    20 Oct 2025

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 Designer and writer in New York 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. Everything Easy is Hard Againfrankchimero.com · 9 Feb 2018
    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.

    ↗Everything Easy is Hard Againfrankchimero.com

    9 Feb 2018

Where the claims collide

Asserted relations, each with the curator’s reason — never computed, because similarity cannot tell agreement from opposition.

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.

held by Frank Chimero

These pull against each other

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

held by Jakob Nielsen

Nielsen treats vibe coding as the end of the user-centred design paradigm, because the user and the designer become the same person. Chimero says it is fine for work not meant to outlast a tub of yogurt, and that time saved is not strength gained. A paradigm shift and a disposable convenience are very different readings of the same practice.

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

held by Julie Zhuo

These pull against each other

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.

held by Ryan Singer

Singer wants early design left rough — breadboards and fat-marker sketches — because a specific mockup from someone senior biases everyone downstream. Zhuo says mocks and docs are dying and that AI-native teams prototype in code instead. A working prototype is the most specific artefact of all, and it now arrives earlier than the mockup did.

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.

held by Jakob Nielsen

These pull against each other

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.

held by Jakob Nielsen

Nielsen holds that the return on UX work is falling because the usability battles have been won, and that making coding easy makes design more critical because experience quality is what now separates products. Both can be true of different decades; asserted at once they point a designer’s career in opposite directions.

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

held by Jakob Nielsen

These pull against each other

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.

held by Ryan Singer

Nielsen says mockups existed because coding was hard and that designers can now go straight to a working UI. Singer says work that is too fine too early commits everyone to the wrong details, and that shaped work is rough on purpose. Skipping the rough stage is the saving in one account and the loss in the other.

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

held by Julie Zhuo

These pull against each other

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

held by Don Norman

Norman says design research is essentially useless for new, innovative breakthroughs, however good it is at improving an existing category. Zhuo says the less your audience looks like you, the more you should distrust your own intuition — which is an argument for research exactly where your instincts are least reliable. Both are true only if breakthroughs must be designed for people like the designer.

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.

held by Jared Spool

These pull against each other

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.

held by Karri Saarinen

Saarinen says a product needs one person of great taste who gets furious about every small detail. Spool says everyone who renders their intention is a designer, and that the experienced designer’s job is therefore to teach the rest of the team rather than own the outcome. Both are answers to "where does design quality come from", and they distribute the authority opposite ways.

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

held by Paul Graham

These pull against each other

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.

held by Don Norman

Graham says good design requires a dictator, because a design has to be all of a piece. Norman says experts should supply the facts and leave the method to the people affected, since a community will implement a solution it chose itself even when it is identical to the expert’s. They are talking about different objects — a product and a community intervention — and the disagreement about who decides is real in both.

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

held by Paul Graham

These pull against each other

Technology comes first, invention second and needs last: grand conceptual inventions happen because technology has made them possible, and the need develops afterwards.

held by Don Norman

Norman says technology comes first, invention second and needs last: the grand conceptual inventions happen because technology made them possible, and the need develops afterwards. Graham says you get good design by getting close to users and staying close, calibrating on actual users constantly. If the need is downstream of the technology, there is nobody yet to calibrate on.

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

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