[IxDA Discuss] What sets the 'best' interaction designers apart?

[Robert Hoekman, Jr.]

Wow. I was just thinking about replying again to say that I think the
best designers are also the ones with vision, and the drive and people
skills to pull it off. Gabriel's list, however, is far superior to
what I had in mind.

Bravo.

-r-


On 2/3/07, Gabriel White <gabrielwhite at gmail.com> wrote:
> It's interesting that many of the responses here have been about skills.
>
> The skills people have listed here are instructive and useful, but
> they are what my philosophy lecturers would have called "necessary but
> insufficient conditions for greatness".
>
> Here's a stab at a description that doesn't include things that can be
> evaluated by 'hard' measures, and hopefully sets the bar a little
> higher.
>
> A great interaction designer is someone who:
>
> - is fanatical about making the world a better place
>
> - can synthesise understanding and creativity to produce magical insight
>
> - can inspire others to share their vision
>
> - whose leadership infects others so much that together they create
> amazing things
>
> - can extrude opportunity where others only see status-quo
>
> - creates things that engage and amaze
>
> - creates things that forces people to shift their expectations and world view
>
> - who remains true to their vision and authentic to themselves
>
> In my mind there is also a subtle but important distinction that needs
> to be made about to what end you are evaluating a designer. There's
> one way of evaluation that looks at a person's design output.
>
> But a great designer (for me) is often someone who inspires me to
> think about design and the world differently. Every time someone
> shifts my perspective is a magical moment.
>
> Gabe