Comments on: Wordpress Design Complaints? http://thepursuitofalife.com/wordpress-design-complaints/ Wouldn't you rather be writing code? Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:25:45 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.3 hourly 1 By: Anthony Stevens http://thepursuitofalife.com/wordpress-design-complaints/comment-page-1/#comment-430 Anthony Stevens Sat, 05 Jan 2008 00:22:23 +0000 http://xidey.wordpress.com/2008/01/04/wordpress-design-complaints/#comment-430 Hi Chris -- thanks for the reply. Isn't the difference also that anyone with eyeballs (or an asshole) is eminently *qualified* to offer an opinion on design success based on what works for them? Isn't that why they track heat maps and similar things, to see what designs work for the "average joe"? I hope I'm not reading you that capital-A Artists should be the only ones allowed to comment on, or judge, website designs. OTOH, I agree with you that, based on your reasonable and well-thought-out criteria, WP did a poor job of shepherding this design through (so far) -- save perhaps for the razor-like focus criterion I mentioned earlier. Hi Chris — thanks for the reply.

Isn’t the difference also that anyone with eyeballs (or an asshole) is eminently *qualified* to offer an opinion on design success based on what works for them? Isn’t that why they track heat maps and similar things, to see what designs work for the “average joe”? I hope I’m not reading you that capital-A Artists should be the only ones allowed to comment on, or judge, website designs.

OTOH, I agree with you that, based on your reasonable and well-thought-out criteria, WP did a poor job of shepherding this design through (so far) — save perhaps for the razor-like focus criterion I mentioned earlier.

]]> By: Chris Messina http://thepursuitofalife.com/wordpress-design-complaints/comment-page-1/#comment-431 Chris Messina Fri, 04 Jan 2008 23:42:41 +0000 http://xidey.wordpress.com/2008/01/04/wordpress-design-complaints/#comment-431 I actually think WordPress historically has provided a good example of successful user interface design, but that was mostly because, to the best of my knowledge, Matt held a pretty tight reign over its production. My complaints weren't aimed at WordPress per se, but about the WordPress community. If I do have any complaints about WordPress' approach to the Admin redesign, I think it's that they let the cat slip out of the bag before they had articulated the feedback they needed and the mechanisms they wanted to use to collect it, which are both fixable issues. In sum, my rant wasn't against WordPress or even about the current issue, but about the broader issue I see with the design of most open source projects. Software architecture and format wars go on similarly, but since not everyone is versed in the issues, not everyone can comment; when it comes to design, however, anyone with eyeballs (or an asshole!) can offer an opinion, no matter how much background they have in design... that's the difference I see. I actually think WordPress historically has provided a good example of successful user interface design, but that was mostly because, to the best of my knowledge, Matt held a pretty tight reign over its production.

My complaints weren’t aimed at WordPress per se, but about the WordPress community. If I do have any complaints about WordPress’ approach to the Admin redesign, I think it’s that they let the cat slip out of the bag before they had articulated the feedback they needed and the mechanisms they wanted to use to collect it, which are both fixable issues.

In sum, my rant wasn’t against WordPress or even about the current issue, but about the broader issue I see with the design of most open source projects. Software architecture and format wars go on similarly, but since not everyone is versed in the issues, not everyone can comment; when it comes to design, however, anyone with eyeballs (or an asshole!) can offer an opinion, no matter how much background they have in design… that’s the difference I see.

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