design + copy VS data & function + brand
Mobile web is getting everyone hot under the collar at the moment. Not only are the MONETIZE rubber stamps getting pulled out of the desk draw with the hand rubbing glee of App stores success, but suddenly devices are able for real user interaction at last, and the networks are just about able to make it happen wireless. The problem lies with trying to apply old ways of thinking to the internet (mobile or desktop or print layouts).
Much of commercial web is driven by marketing departments, used to the idea of pulling together some (overly long and boring) copy that states every product feature possible and some adverting based imagery that injects some life into a limp corpse of an idea. I’m being mean, it kinda works online, TV has been the exception where branding is king and tactical messages are left to DM and press. The online advertising industry has been long lumped in with DM and occasionally brand. But always strangled by an obsession with the statistics that can be gathered and misinterpreted.
We need to take a step back and be function as well as form focused.
Current working (art director/copywriter teams) focuses on some design and copy which may or may not work together.
I propose working primarily with data and function and then applying a brand.
Data may be product, story, press release, music, community, words, maps, game items
Function may be objectives, sales, messages, video, audio playback, rendering a view of the data
Brand is frikkin obvious
Basically what I’m saying is worry about how things work, not how they look.
The look can be applied more effectively if you build a suitable canvas first.
Have a framework that lets you achieve your objectives, worry about the user journey and less about the font colour.
The bigger issue is that people commissions, managing and signing off projects tend to micro manage - because they can understand and comment on tiny details and avoid the bigger picture, where they feel out of their comfort zone.
Should sites work at 1024x768, or on a mobile device, the answer is forget the appearance and think about the message and audience.
What do you want to be saying to mobile users and to web users, is it a different subset of your data and which functions are appropriate.
Location and context is far more important to mobile users than web users.
Let the agency worry about it working and meeting brand requirements, think about why you are doing something.
A good song sounds as sweet on an acoustic guitar as with a full band.
I come from a gaming background, I started out writing naff arcade rip offs on my zx spectrum in my bedroom, I rapidly discovered that games were all about manipulating data objects and then rendering.
Data = a bunch of variables and arrays (later objects) that represent the game characters, objects and world.
Function = user movement, effect of actions and AI control of characters and scripted events.
Brand = rendering a representation of the data to show teh game state.
This is the essence of digital. It’s not a holy grail or must do, but more a way of looking at what you are doing beyond jumping in and worrying about how it looks. I’m not saying visual design isn’t important - its vital, but the best visual arts are holistic working harder than a glance give credit. Look at architecture, furniture and story telling structure as well as the flash uber site.
