I've taken a lot of time to organize and simplify my workflow when it comes to design. The conclusion I've come to is that tools should not be the starting line of design; rather, tools should be the things we reach for to accomplish the task at hand. For example, launching Photoshop may not be the most appropriate action for every project. If I start with pencil and paper I may discover that Photoshop (or "fill in the blank" software) is not necessary or relevant to the completion of the design and save myself a lot of time.
Sometimes all I need is a free, lightweight app to crop an image and maybe make some simple color adjustments. I have found, in many cases, that I can accomplish this task and already be exporting my edited file in the time it takes Photoshop to launch and load it's enormous feature set. Why use Photoshop if all I need can be achieved with something fast and free? Why use Motion or After Effects if all I need is it to make a couple cuts and add a bit of text to my video?
What I'm getting at is that sometimes we put the cart before the horse with the amount of accessible technology nowadays. We often overkill and over-bake our designs because we want to use some new feature or cool tool. Just because we can doesn't mean we should. I know I have been guilty of doing this, but lately my design choices have been motivated by an underlying question that I believe has been bringing me more understanding and clarity about what "good" design really is. What is the message and what is the simplest way to say it?
What does this have to do with leaving Mac OS X? By asking my self the previous question, or questions if you want to separate them, I am discovering that I might not need as much I thought in terms of software (or hardware for that matter) to be a professional in my industry. Following this question further begins to upset even some of the ideas I've had about brands, operating systems, and desiring the latest and greatest anything. I will share more about these ideas and my journey toward an alternative that I believe will be beneficial to many designers out there in the next few blogs.
Sometimes all I need is a free, lightweight app to crop an image and maybe make some simple color adjustments. I have found, in many cases, that I can accomplish this task and already be exporting my edited file in the time it takes Photoshop to launch and load it's enormous feature set. Why use Photoshop if all I need can be achieved with something fast and free? Why use Motion or After Effects if all I need is it to make a couple cuts and add a bit of text to my video?What I'm getting at is that sometimes we put the cart before the horse with the amount of accessible technology nowadays. We often overkill and over-bake our designs because we want to use some new feature or cool tool. Just because we can doesn't mean we should. I know I have been guilty of doing this, but lately my design choices have been motivated by an underlying question that I believe has been bringing me more understanding and clarity about what "good" design really is. What is the message and what is the simplest way to say it?
What does this have to do with leaving Mac OS X? By asking my self the previous question, or questions if you want to separate them, I am discovering that I might not need as much I thought in terms of software (or hardware for that matter) to be a professional in my industry. Following this question further begins to upset even some of the ideas I've had about brands, operating systems, and desiring the latest and greatest anything. I will share more about these ideas and my journey toward an alternative that I believe will be beneficial to many designers out there in the next few blogs.