“Great rock stars would be lousy designers, lacking the discipline and respect that is needed to accomplish effective communication. I still have absolutely no idea what Kurt Cobain was trying to convey, specifically.”Nathan Ford, decrying the use of “rockstar” to describe a top-notch designer. Instead, he suggests that a “master composer” is the better musical analogy.
7 comments
I feel the same way about the now-common practice of using “ninja” to describe an experienced and talented software engineer. Ninja?
comment by Wade Shearer 6 hours later
The term “rock star” is just thrown around loosely nowadays and doesn’t mean that the person saying it thinks rock stars are good designers. And I actually like some of Nirvana’s music but I wouldn’t let Kurt Cobain design a room or a website for me.
comment by Christian 6 hours later
Great rock stars are great designers. They communicate at the emotional level, which not all good designers can do.
comment by Tim 8 hours later
What’s a rockstar precious?
comment by budji 10 hours later
That’s what I’m talking about.
comment by testMonkey 11 hours later
yeah “rockstar” is way overused, but you can NEVER refer to me as a “master composer,” or even a “master designer.” huge nerds.
comment by Jason Lynes 12 hours later
No way! Rockstar means something totally different. It means more. You could be the best designer in the world and not be a rockstar. Being a rockstar means more than just being a master composer. A rockstar is someone who has a sense of mystique, or air of confidence. They will almost always look different than someone with the title of master composer. They will have wild clothes, speak passionately, or even have a house that is all white.
comment by Hollywood 5 days later
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