chris mayfield archives
“If you want a successful product, test and revise. If you want a great product, one that can change the world, let it be driven by someone with a clear vision. The latter presents more financial risk, but it is the only path to greatness.”
Donald A. Norman – Don’t freak out agile fans, He states in context that you still need to iterate it’s just a difference in what is driving the project.

posted by chris_mayfield on Wednesday, Dec 03, 2008 · 3 comments

“Our design and editorial teams are storytellers. Design begins in a laboratory atmosphere where we create ideas from scratch. We develop the recipes, the crafts, even the decorating ideas, we design and build the sets, we choose the colors, we choose the photographer, then we finally after all of that sit down to design the story and that’s why for us design is both the creation and execution of the idea from start to finish.”
The process that Gael Towey explaines Martha Stewart uses to tell stories.

posted by chris_mayfield on Wednesday, Nov 26, 2008

“Anthropology is too important to be left to the Anthropologists.”
Grant McCracken talks about the opportunity for designers to add extract value by helping shape culture and adding anthropology to the core competency of design.

posted by chris_mayfield on Wednesday, Nov 26, 2008

“It’s about whittling. It’s about taking something and whittling and whittling and getting it sharp and perfect. Then you’ve got something.”
James Victore – Designer

posted by chris_mayfield on Monday, Nov 24, 2008

Design Titles

Do they matter? Do your titles line up with what you do? If you could change your title or job description what would it be?

posted by chris_mayfield on Wednesday, Nov 12, 2008 · 8 comments

What does quality feel like online?

When you shut the door of a new BMW, you hear a gratifyingly solid-sounding thug. It feels good to pick up a small, unassuming digital camera, only to find that it is surprisingly sturdy and heavy. Many companies who make physical objects use fine materials and many other techniques to give their products a sense of quality and craftsmanship.

I have noticed in a world of cheep plastic and sloppy details feeling a nicely hand crafted object brings me much gratification and sometimes even endears me to an object. Consequently, I have been wondering how can we create those same experiences Online? Or, what does quality feel like Online?

We’re researching for an upcoming Journal article on quality in web design, and we need your input. What are some examples of quality that you’ve designed or found?

posted by chris_mayfield on Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008 · 11 comments

“That was soooo easy.”
My wife’s surprised expression to herself while adding the first contact to her 3G iPhone in the car on the way to Ogden.

posted by chris_mayfield on Wednesday, Jul 16, 2008

I think I have a tapeworm

posted by chris_mayfield on Wednesday, May 14, 2008

“I’ve never thought of graphic design as an end in itself, but rather a vehicle to hopefully engage, enlighten, educate, or enrage people. Effective communication cannot happen without an understanding of the world beyond surface layers. This requires us to be sponges, and it requires concentrated thought about what we absorb and then spit back out. We don’t exist in vacuums; context is everything as everything is connected. If the study and teaching of history is, as Schoenwald wrote, “examining the record of human consciousness,” then we as graphic designers ignore this study, and the other worlds outside design, at our own peril.”
Eric Heiman

posted by chris_mayfield on Wednesday, Feb 13, 2008

“When I was struggling with a project he would say, “but, it’s not beautiful, yet.””
Comment from Milton Glaser to Frank Baseman http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/heroes-baseman

posted by chris_mayfield on Wednesday, Feb 13, 2008

Have you tried this lately?

posted by chris_mayfield on Wednesday, Jan 16, 2008

Not only is this a great use of Helvetica but the page never ends. Not sure if that’s cool or annoying. I hate not finishing things. Thanks Bonnie for the links.

posted by chris_mayfield on Wednesday, Dec 05, 2007

This website does something I haven’t seen before. Check it out

posted by chris_mayfield on Wednesday, Dec 05, 2007

“We’ve always said that people carriers (minivans) are for people who have given up on life. It’s born, married, children, people carrier, dead.”
Jeremy Clarkson again on minivans

posted by chris_mayfield on Tuesday, Dec 04, 2007

“Behind a car like this you feel like your drowning in wallpaper paste.”
Jeremy Clarkson on minivans

posted by chris_mayfield on Tuesday, Dec 04, 2007

“I look at Rob and see a taller, more successful version of myself.”
Pete

posted by chris_mayfield on Thursday, Nov 01, 2007

A MacBook Pro is just another book to John.

posted by chris_mayfield on Thursday, Oct 25, 2007

“This kinda feels like a baby.”
Jason while holding a chipolte burrito

posted by chris_mayfield on Monday, Oct 22, 2007

The beautiful, luxurious, classy and understated Mercedes Benz ML320 CDI SUV. Or is it? It is quite a romantic name for a people mover with all wheel drive. What does that even mean? Anyway, what’s so disturbing to me is the size of that GARGANTIUN logo on the face of the car. I love the thought of design that’s understated. Designing in a way that it’s clear where the design came from. To me that can be even more powerful than a huge Shaq sized logo.

posted by chris_mayfield on Friday, Oct 05, 2007

Design Disturbia. There is something so alarming to me about the morphing of a Pontiac and a BMW. Not sure who is copying who but please stop it!!!

posted by chris_mayfield on Monday, Oct 01, 2007