Welcome to our site: Limits are possibilities

"Limits are possibilities" by Brent

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 10:41:46 -0500

Lisa – I was telling Christopher at the i³ dinner last month that I’ve really been digging the Nexus Connection blog. In spite of everything else you’re juggling, you’re doing a great job with it. Thanks for the comment!

"Limits are possibilities" by Lisa Hochgraf

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 10:44:08 -0500

Brent, thanks for saying that blogging can be overwhelming! I find it so, especially when it’s added on top of a bunch of other responsibilities. Thank you for suggesting the value of limits so you can go for quality. Great thoughts.

"Limits are possibilities" by Brent

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 16:22:09 -0500

Tim – Thanks! And that’s an awesome analogy…I might steal it.

Zach – Good call. The balance of strategy with expression is a sweet spot all designers should aspire to reach.

"Limits are possibilities" by zach spillers

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 17:53:13 -0500

Studying architecture, the idea that limitations and rules open you up to better formulated ideas resinates with what I’ve been taught and learned by experience. By applying certain rules and strategies, design becomes almost like a puzzle that solves itself and you become its mode of transportation (or transformation if you’d like to think of it that way) to carry out the operations… But like any artist, your expression and individuality is evident in the end result.

"Limits are possibilities" by Tim McAlpine

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 17:42:35 -0500

Well put Brent!

Client to landscaper, “what’s with all of these piles of dirt?”

Limits are possibilities

brent@trabian.com (Brent Dixon) — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 17:19:00 -0500

At BarCampBank I confessed that blogging stresses me out a little bit. There’s always so much going on, so much to say, so many ideas that it can be overwhelming to sit down and tackle any one of them with clarity.

I was feeling this yesterday – I knew I wanted to write a post, but wading through the potential topics was, as they say, like drinking from a fire hose. So I gave up, grabbing a book to distract myself. I’m reading Chip Kidd’s novel “The Cheese Monkeys.” Here’s what I read:

“Always remember: Limits are possibilities. That sounds like Orwell, I know. It’s not – it’s Patton. Formal restrictions, contrary to what you might think, free you up by allowing you to concentrate on purer ideas.

As graphic designers you want the world as your palette. But beware: You can be crippled by too many choices, especially if you don’t know what your goals are.”

One of the most difficult but important challenges in creative work – whether it’s writing, design, media strategy, product innovation, or gardening – is narrowing the focus and creating self-imposed limitations.

In visual design, using a pen and paper before you even think about touching a computer is key. Photoshop has so many bells and whistles, it’s easy to get caught up in the ancillary aesthetics before working out the concept. Make sure your house has a foundation before you hang up curtains.

In our web design process, we limit ourselves and the client by starting each design with a site wireframe (for example: Filene’s initial wireframe). It is unimpressive to look at (a common client reaction is “What’s with all the grey boxes?”), but crucial because it is the underpinning of the entire design. This step forces everyone involved to focus on information architecture and usability before we worry about the pretties.

By the same token…

Social marketers: Think focused, initiated communities over huge vanilla communities.

Podcasters: Develop each episode around a predefined template (ex: intro, topic, break with contact info, topic, exit) to help keep it organized and easy to produce.

Web application designers: Build less. Limit features to only what is necessary.

Gardeners: I dunno. Good luck.