Task based to Communication based approach

We have all been trained to design for Task. Most UI books talk about Task analysis and Task based designs. This might be useful for enterprise software or admin tool software. But at any or every level there is a communication that is happening. Why not look at the UI design from Communication point of view rather that from the view of tasks.

Communication approach will break a problem based on what is to be communicated and what needs to be established before moving on. For products like Yahoo! I guess this methodology is very useful. The product should be broken down into step of information. How should be communicate with the user? This is to be broken down into logical steps – like;

Step 1 : establish the purpose of the product.
Step 2 : what can a user do with it
Step 3 : What is the extent of information that is available to him.
Step 4 : How all can a user access it
And so on…

Once the communication is established then comes the tasks, operations and screens. This communication then has to be distributed into screen. One screen can be enough for all communication or it be distributed into steps based on the needs. To be on track it’s good to define an objective to every screen so that you know what is to be achieved in terms of communication (what has been established and what should come next).

There may not be anything new. Most of the people have already said all these things. This is all common sense; Isn’t it? But if you are a designer ask yourself how much you understand design and how much of it do you actually follow.

Can Creativity be illogical ?

I was recently sent by Yahoo! to attend the stakeholders meeting for structuring a new course for National Institute of Design. All the bigwigs were present there from the industry. Some one in the open session made a statement that “…engineers are less creative because they are more logical...”. This implies that designers are creative because they don’t think logically. I have strong disagreement with this myth. How can something which is USEFUL & USABLE be illogical?

Creativity is an out come of knowledge. It’s a different ‘point of view’ of looking at problems. But we can’t call it illogical. To make sense the users uses ‘logic’. The logic of the ‘design’ should be in line with that of the user. If both logics don’t match the communicability of design is compromised. So the design is built on logic but what solution that it presents can create a ‘surprise’ in user. Presenting a solution which doesn’t use a ‘Standard and Expected’ logic is what we know as ‘creative solution’. Creative solution can be ‘consistently’ created by one’s ability to understand users, by using some logic which creates a surprise and accurately solving a problem. But definitely creativity in design is not illogical. Every element (or pixel) has a reason to be there – either for communication or experience.

On the contrary ‘ART’ can be illogical because art is about ‘expression’ and ‘feeling’ more than communication. Expression itself is communication in Art but not in design; because design is meant for others unlike art.

Another point that I would like to mention is that there was a lot of emphasis to add “Design Processes” to the course. It seems that there is mindset which thinks that creativity comes by following a Process. Does following UCD ensure a creative solution?? Creative solution comes from individuals or a groups’ understanding (of problems, user, business etc… broadly ‘the complete environment’) and their ability ‘explore’ different points of views.

Creativity comes from knowledge (about user, problem, art, drama,….any thing and everything under the sun or beyond). Design uses logic of anything that can be used and understood (by others) to make sense to others. It’s convergence. It’s the highest forms of logic; but logic ‘without boundaries’. Not only can Design use existing logic but also can ‘create’ new ones by convergence.

Creativity doesn’t come from an alien planet its here amongst us – one just needs to see it. Creative people have an eye to see it unlike the rest who ignore it.