Sunday, November 25, 2012

Design and Development Are the New Commodities


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The commoditization of the web design and development is inevitable. We live in a world that is saturated with options. When it comes to web and mobile development-and-design, there are tons of alternatives, frameworks, and examples to choose from. Even when designers and developers may choose to start a project from scratch, it is common that the end solution might look like something that already exists.

Is your problem really different?

If you ask 100 architects to design a house for a middle class family located on a 5,000 sqft lot, in the suburb, chances are that you will have 100 different designs. There is no doubt, that each design will consider the minimum requirements --in theory, however, each of the designer will probably emphasize different aspects of the family members, or the house location, to express their individual viewpoints. There is nothing wrong with original work. Unfortunately, high demand and financial constraints, make impossible to always start from a blank canvas.

Are we running out of original solutions?

The lack of originality is not a sole responsibility of designers and developers. On a daily basis we are all challenged with problems that we have seen before. After a while we become experts and re-implementing the same solutions is faster, and it can be done in a more systematic way. Things can be done faster, faster make them cheaper, and since the solutions are repetitive, they can be put in a system that does not require the designer nor the developer to implement it. It becomes a commodity.

On the bright side, design and development have become commodities at the right moment. Nowadays we have tools, frameworks, reference material, and technology in general, makes everything a lot easier. Now that doing things is easier, the time can be spent in more creative tasks and connecting with customers and clients to really understand their needs.

Conclusion

More and more designers and developers work is about taking general purpose content and turn it into individual expression. The commoditization is not a problem that needs to be fought, it is a cause to embrace. In technology, it is inevitable the resources become cheaper and more efficient. We now can do more in less time with less resources. This is the best time ever. It is the time to think out of the box and try more things while maintaining high productivity and competitive prices.

Get Your Best Web Site Design for Small Business   Designing a Mobile Website: What To Consider   



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