The BBC have seen fit to give the downturn its own logo:
I find it slightly bizarre that even economic cycles have their own branding departments now…
Archive for October, 2008
Taste can be acquired
Acquire Taste by DHH got me thinking.
Having ‘taste’ is a really important skill you can have as a developer – even if you don’t classify yourself as a ‘designer’. It’s a great thing to be able to add User Interface elements in just the right place, or code a feature up that just feels right. When a piece of software has been crafted lovingly, everyone loves to use it.
Having taste as a developer is a bit like what my wife says about being tidy around the house. Now, I’m not a naturally tidy guy, but I’m learning to be; mostly because if I wasn’t I would drive her crazy! Sometimes the problem is that I just don’t see the mess, but that’s really laziness. It’s because I’ve not yet learned to take a second look each time and judge my attempt at cleaning the kitchen with her standards. Usually at that point I see where I could do better.
It’s the same with code/feature design. Most of the time it just takes another look, and not settling for just “good enough”. It’s a choice, and making the right one will make someone else that much happier with the work we do. Food for thought.