Blog 4

The one thing that I learned from the design blog was Embrace Constraints. As an artist, I have always been told the opposite. I have been told to come up with as many ideas as possible and not to limit myself as I work. After reading Embrace Constraints, I realize that I give myself limits without knowing that I do. When working in my sketchbook, I normally come up with 20 different ideas for a project and then I pick my favorite 3 and work with those ideas more. I also set time limits and know that I must move on to a different to actually creating the project. I have learned give yourself limits allows for a great starting place in the design process.

I also read the blog, How to write an effective about me page. I agree that these pages are really important not only for designers about also about companies. If I am looking to buy something for a site whether it is a service or product, I want to know about the company or person. I want to make sure that they will stand behind what they are doing and that I will be happy with the end product.

Designers keep up with the craft by experiencing it daily. We use websites daily and we all know when we find a well designed website and when we find one that poorly designed. Designers can learn from both types of websites. They can see what works well and what doesn't. They also keep up by reading the top design blogs. This allows them to see what other designer are doing and also to read a bit about the process. Lastly, designers go to Web Design and Development Conferences. At these conferences designers can meet other designers and discuss what is going on in the design world. They can also be brought up to date on new products.