There is a quote attributed to Yogi Berra that I find relevant to discussion of the role of process in design,
"In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is." To me process is like an Airline Pilot's preflight checklist and training. Does the preflight check guarantee there's nothing wrong with the plane? No, but it's still a darn good idea all the same. Take off without enough fuel or a stuck control surface - now wouldn't you feel like a dope on the way down? Suppose something goes wrong in flight; do the hours of simulator training assure a disaster wont occur? No, but it sure improves ones chances that the worst can be averted. We designers have processes to keep us on track, make sure we've covered all contingencies, and documented our progress so we can learn from each project and improve over time. But there is always a human factor. You may have two pilots with the same training and hours logged, but one is just better when things get really hairy. There is no reason for a profession like design to be any different. All professions and trades have some level of training and certification : Doctors, Carpenters, Lawyers, Plumbers, Engineers, Nurses; and in each there are bad, good, and great ones. No process will ever change that. I think the linked article has a similar spirit; process can be a useful tool, but it's no guarantee of good design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=38653 ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [email protected] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
