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The one true way to design
On strongly held convictions, loosely held
It’s time we face facts: there’s really only one way to design. And to design that one way, there’s only one tool we should be using. Moreover, there’s only one process that leads to successful outcomes. And there’s only one set of artifacts worth developing.
Or not.
I was recently griping about a certain Design Guru. In fairness, I was griping about the whole category of design gurus. You know, the ones who impart the wisdom of the One True Way. But really, this one guru, because he’s just so certain about everything. He speaks (and tweets) in absolutes, and if anyone disagrees, his response is swift and reproachful, as if to suggest disagreement can only come from apostates or, worse, hacks. “You used lorem ipsum because the copy wasn’t ready? You’re destroying our profession! Turn in your license!”
And he’s popular. (I’m not going to name names. What’s the point? He could be any one of dozens of design gurus.)
I’ve been designing in The Real World for quite some time. At the risk of carbon dating myself, I’ve been doing it longer than most of these gurus. In fact, many of them don’t do any professional design at all; instead they consult on how professional designers should be designing. They give lectures, write books, and…
