A carpenter is only as good as his tools, or so the saying
goes. However, this phrase doesn't apply to the woodworking trade only. The
same has also been used for mechanics as “a poor mechanic blames his tools” and
this time round, I would like to use it for designers as well. And what this phrase
simply means is that if one really cares about their work, then they ought to
invest in their tools.
Before going into app development, it is important for
designers to get all the necessary tools together to avoid wasting time and
money on improper technology. One of the cheapest and most effective tools that
one can invest in before thinking of all the available software out there is a
quality notebook!
Being a successful designer requires taking a lot of consistent notes. These notes range from the upcoming trends in app development, mistakes made in other apps, critiques and the crazy, new ideas that cross the mind at ridiculous times. All these will go a long way in improving the quality of personal projects.
Some of a designer’s best
ideas will come when he or she isn't working; they’ll arrive while walking down
the street, when eating, watching a movie, in the middle of the night or in my
case, even in the shower! Always having a notebook handy is a great way to
quickly pen down thoughts as soon as the genius strikes. I don’t know how that
will work in the shower, but holding onto the design thoughts until I get to
dryer grounds always works for me!
Skipping this process and diving head first into serious application coding may make one spend a lot of time on something that is
insignificant and hence missing out on important features altogether. I
have been carrying around a particular notebook and sticky notes for as long as
I can remember. In it I jot down some of the bizarre ideas that come to me. I
also sketch the UI ideas that I get and the work flow of the project as it moves
from different screens and activities or pages.
When I started out, I didn't actually know that what I was
doing was significant in the UX Process. But I did learn from my internship at
the +iHub UX Lab at +iHub that that is the
prototyping phase. One can create a high fidelity prototype (Actual coding of
the system) or a low fidelity prototype (Paper prototyping; which is what I was
doing).
Paper prototyping is used a lot in Human Computer
Interaction (HCI) as a method in user centered design process, a process which
helps developers to create software that meets the user’s expectations and
needs. It involves creating rough, hand sketched drawings of an interface to
use as prototypes, or models of a design. I should have a blog post on this! Watch this space...
However, apart from the notebook, more advanced tools may be
used depending on one’s level of expertise and sometimes the depth of the
pockets. They are especially useful when one needs to render something in
pixels and get the actual look and feel of the proposed application. They
include Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and CorelDraw among others. It is however
important to note that there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to choosing
tools for design. Just go with whatever it is that floats your boat.
I find comfort in my little notebook and the good ol' Microsoft Publisher. So far, they work well for me. I may be an old dog but I am
never afraid of learning new tricks. I am planning on trying out more of the
new tools in the market as soon as I get the time. Who knows, they may
significantly pay off!
As always, it's a pleasure to have you reading! Thank you.
Have a lovely afternoon.
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