What My Kids Have Taught Me About Design

What follows may seem silly, but surely some of you with children can appreciate the analogies… :)

1) If you can’t use it, doesn’t matter if it looks good

My 10mo old daughter (nicknamed the Piglet) would testify to this if she could - there are interesting/engaging things all around her, but she doesn’t have the ability yet to get what’s out of reach. So what’s the point of having such pretty things to look at when you can’t use them (i.e. maul them)?

I’ve learned…

Design is no different. As tough as it is for us visually oriented people (me) to accept, it’s the truth. There’s no sense in having a gorgeous website, if your visitors can’t figure out how to use it. Sure, design is supposed to be beautiful, but it’s critical that it also be functional. Moving an element to an area on a page because it looks good is not the point - moving an element because it works there is.

2) Details make the difference

As some of you may know, Spiderman 3 is coming soon to theaters. My 8yr old son (nicknamed the Bug) is on the edge of his seat waiting for this event. As a result, I’ve had to watch the first 2 movies again, and listen over and over while he rehashes the story of Spiderman’s life. Ugh. Not that interesting to me, but to him it’s the details that are the most interesting.

I’ve learned…

On a website, the same holds true. The details we painstakingly include are so important. Things like font style and size, spacing, and color contrast. All these little things add up, and separate the good designs from the outstanding ones. When I pay more attention to detail, it shows in the work I produce.

3) Distraction is a killer

The Piglet is very inquisitive. She sees something and immediately tries to grab it. When she succeeds, she always has an expression like she’s trying to figure out how to take it apart. The focus is incredible, but she only does this when there’s one thing in front of her. If I set out too many toys, she doesn’t know what to do.

I’ve learned…

Design work often requires intensive focus, but it’s tough to do with all the distractions of the web begging for attention. There have been so many times when I wanted to flip open Google Reader, or start Stumbling, or upload photos to Flickr instead of finishing a design. I’ve learned I just need to remove distraction to get anything done. One tactic that works for me is shutting down Firefox. If it’s open, I’m not tempted to alt+tab over to it and begin surfing mindlessly. Not only that, it reduces the temptation to visit an online CSS gallery and start looking at other designs, which only dilutes the picture I have in my head of what I want to create. Those sites are great for getting ideas, but if you already have one it’s best to stay away.

4) Sometimes, you just need a hook

The Bug considers himself an inventor. He’s always building detailed configurations made up of Leggos, string, and leftover parts from long lost toy sets. Usually, the purpose of these creations is to provide his army guys a setting from which they try to save the world. Each time he builds something, he insists I come to look, and proudly explains how it works. Almost inevitably though, there’s a missing item and he’ll finish his explanation with “if I only had [something], then I could add [whatever].”

I’ve learned…

As it relates to design, I think we all need that extra hook once in a while to polish off our work. Whether it’s a bit of javascript to add interactivity, a simpler form to encourage more users to sign up, or something as simple as better structured CSS to allow for easily adding new styles down the road. Now, when I think I’m done with a design, I try to give just a little more thought to what I could add if I just had “something”, before I really call it done.

Tags: usability