ARTICLE: Designers who wireframe

[Kim Bieler-3]

I wrote an article recently exploring the potential pitfalls of
designers who also do IA (in this case, wireframes) and I'd love
some feedback. I'm also interested in adding more before-and-after
examples if anyone is willing to share.

http://www.aptmediainc.com/About/Apt-Lab/Designers-Who-Wireframe

Thanks!

-- Kim

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  Apt Media Inc.
  www.aptmediainc.com
  twitter: @feadog
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PS. Wireframes are not dead!


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[J. Ambrose Little]

On Fri, Jun 26, 2009 at 2:33 AM, Kim Bieler <kimbieler@...> wrote:

> I wrote an article recently exploring the potential pitfalls of
> designers who also do IA (in this case, wireframes) and I'd love
> some feedback. I'm also interested in adding more before-and-after
> examples if anyone is willing to share.
>
> http://www.aptmediainc.com/About/Apt-Lab/Designers-Who-Wireframe
>

---

It seems like the line between IA and visual design is pretty blurry, at
least once you get down to actually designing an interface. I think the
difficulties you identify result in large part by trying to artificially
separate the two.  I tend to agree with what Austin said--they are
essentially the same activity, and that's another reason that you're right
that it can often be better if the same person can do both.

I wouldn't try too hard to separate the two--let the art and aesthetics
crosspollinate with the design of the visual hierarchy, the chunking of
information and its relational layout.  If you do that, maybe "coloring in"
wireframes is not as bad as it sounds.  Maybe it would be better to talk
about that stage of work as "enhancing the information design" already done,
which is a worthy endeavor even when constrained to a prior, more analytical
framework.

I think this may also relate to the idea that constraints actually give you
more--and more effective--creative freedom.

-ambrose
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[Kim Bieler-3]

Thanks for your feedback, Ambrose.

I suspect the conflict I'm having comes from the design side. As a
designer, I'm always worried I'm not being creative or conceptual
enough. Blaming design hackery on wireframes is probably just another
manifestation of my insecurity. ;-)

For whatever reason I'm more confident in my IA decisions than my
visual design decisions. I'm tempted to say it's because the latter
are more subjective, but I wonder if that's really the case.


Kim

                                   
  Apt Media Inc.
  www.aptmediainc.com
  twitter: @feadog
                                   



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