O Danny Blog Entries  

Design on 34th Street

My favorite holiday movie of all time is Miracle on 34th Street. If you haven't seen it, stop reading this and do so. It's a Christmas movie that's got some great performances, is light on the treacle and very smart. What's smart about it is that it shows why people, businesses, and governments do the right thing: because it's good for them. Mr. Macy starts encouraging people to go to other stores to find exactly what they want because it'll improve his store's sales. As does his rival Mr. Gimble. The judge rules there is a Santa Claus because otherwise his re-election chances are nil. And, of course, mother and daughter realists Doris and Susan learn to believe in the spirit of Christmas, bringing some magic in their lives.

Miracle demonstrates something designers should remember when selling their services: it's not enough to discuss the goodness of something (like design). It has to make something better, affect it in a positive way. It has to be personal. Few organizations do things because they want to; they do things because they have to, because it would be bad for them to do otherwise.

Designers get too bogged down in talking about process and deliverables and the other minutia of the trade. With my wireframe fetish, I'm as guilty as anyone of this. What we need to focus on is the effect of design on the organization. The results, in other words. Thankfully, we've got some examples now: Apple, Samsung, Nissan, and OXO to name a few.

And, lest we forget, like the holidays, design is also about the intangibles: joy and happiness and especially, delight. What we do and the things we create should delight. Design should be about that little something extra: the way a well-crafted product fits in the hand, the beauty of the correct response to an action, the pleasure of use. It's not only about being usable and useful. In the words of Miracle's Fred Gailey, "...don't overlook those lovely intangibles. You'll discover those are the only things that are worthwhile."

Happy Holidays, everyone.

Originally posted at Monday, December 27, 2004 | Comments (1) | Trackback (0)

 
Previous Entry
Good News at Year's End
I got some good news that two posters and a presentation about my thesis paper were accepted to the IA Summit this year. Woo. Hope to see some of you there. ...

Recent Entries
40 Things I Want to Do Before I'm 40

Speaking of (and in) 2009

Best Music of the Year 2008

Word of the Year Finalist?!

Turning into the Skid

Mad Men is a Better Show than The Sopranos

Creating Kicker Studio

Don DeLillo on Interaction Design

Favorite Album for Every Year You've Been Alive Meme

UX Intensive: Minneapolis

Archives
February 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
April 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
December 2003
November 2003
October 2003
September 2003
August 2003
July 2003
June 2003
May 2003
April 2003
March 2003
February 2003
January 2003
December 2002
November 2002
October 2002
September 2002
August 2002
 
 
  O Danny Boy is About Me, Dan Saffer, and has my Portfolio, Resumé, Blog, and some Extras. It also has the blog I kept of my graduate studies and ways to Contact Me.  
 
 
 
  Blog RSS Feeds
Blog Excerpts
Full Entries
Design Entries Only
Atom Feed
 
 
 
 
  Search