Re: Mood Boards

Solving the problem is not more important than being right. Solving the problem is the 
same as being right. I never said that designers should be self-righteous, closed to 
feedback or deaf to better ideas. I said that designers should not allow clients to make the 
design decisions for them, and that designers should have confidence in their concepts. 

That confidence should come from a rigorous process, whether you include clients, users 
or other designers in the process - with or without mood boards - or not. With all due 
respect, I also think that Mr. Glazer has got it wrong with regard to art (or design) schools 
promoting ego-driven solutions.

In the graphic design classes I have taught at RISD, I have simply insisted that the students 
be prepared to defend every aspect of their solutions with rational, considered arguments. 
The ability to stand and defend your decisions in the face of an in-depth critique 
generates an understanding of both how to explain to others what drove your design 
decisions, and also where you did not look carefully enough at the problem. If the 
audience cannot grasp the solution - no matter how well-reasoned - then the designer 
has failed to solve the problem. Most other design classes that I've seen also follow a 
process of critique-driven iteration.

Clients should indeed be leery of the "black box", because in good design there is o such 
thing. Ours should be a creatively-driven rational process, wherein the designer presents 
one or more concepts with clarity of speech and meaning in a manner that clients can 
understand, appreciate and respond to. In turn, the designer should then be prepared to 
further explain their thinking and incorporate any relevant new ideas to their next revision, 
if there is one. That's the process I use. My clients are happy with the work, and so am I.

For the record, the vast majority of my firm's projects are software application user 
interfaces and information graphics. We also occasionally do traditional graphic design 
projects and websites. 

Best,
Ed

--- In [email protected], "Jonathan Szczepanski" 
<jonathan_szczepanski@h...> wrote:
> Michael -
> 
> First let me say that 90% of my work is online sites and applicaitons. Most 
> of the clients have a loose brand and use the project as a way to relaunch 
> or solidify their brand.
> 
> On my typical project, I will start with some exercises to get the client 
> talking about their company, the project, and how they want the public to 
> preceive them. Based off of that I will present three mood boards. Based on 
> the client's feedback, I then revise and present two. Typically I have 
> figured out what the like by then.
> 
> Next I will apply the mood board style to the wireframes developed by the 
> IA. I present three concepts of the interface. Then again I will revise the 
> concepts based on the clients feedback and present two concepts. Lastly I 
> present the final revision.
> 
> The benefit of this process is that it involves the client from the 
> beginning to the end. It builds communication between the client and I, plus 
> it builds trust.
> 
> Clients have told me many times that they are always leary of working with 
> "creative types". They don't know where or how many of the ideas are 
> developed. They have been burned by designers before, and they don't want it 
> to happen again. This "black box" of design is what I try to avoid. By 
> walking them through the process they feel apart of the project, thereby 
> having greater pride and support for it.
> 
> Jonathan P. Szczepanski
> =========================================
> 
> >From: Michael James Pinto <michaeljamespinto@y...>
> >Reply-To: [email protected]
> >To: [email protected]
> >Subject: RE: [AIGAExperienceDesign] Re: Mood Boards
> >Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 14:25:21 -0800 (PST)
> >
> >
> >--- Jonathan Szczepanski <jonathan_szczepanski@h...> wrote:
> > > I just read an interesting piece from Milton Glaser. It is called "10 
> >Things
> > > I Have Learned", and it was written for the AIGA Voice Conference in 
> >2002.
> > > One of the ten things was very relevant to this discussion so I have 
> >pasted
> > > it below. The rest of the article can be found at:
> > > http://www.miltonglaserposters.com/news/pub_10.htm
> > >
> > > I agree with Mr. Glaser. Design is subjective and collaberative. I think 
> >it
> > > is incorrect thinking to believe that there is only one answer to a 
> >visual
> > > problem. By showing a client only one solution is doing them a 
> >disservice.
> >
> >This is somewhat ironic as I know that Milton tends to present one
> >solution to a client for the most part (the one exception I know of
> >was when he did a cover for Time magazine). Then again I think if
> >someone is going to him as a client, they are looking for his persona
> >and point of view as much as anything else.
> >
> >So Jonathan, do you present multiple or single solutions?
> >
> >By the way on a lark I did an experiment thanks to you folks. On a
> >small project I only presented 3 solutions and they were thrilled!
> >
> >I guess that point about "clients care about the results and not the
> >process" is true...
> >






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