Design Triangle
When I was working as a user interface designer in a software department, I had always tried to find a way to express the importance that aesthetics and graphic design play in interface design.
The design triangle represents the importance of aesthetics, usability, and utility in product and software design.
Software development usually follows a process of defining features with an end goal to provide some sort of utility for users. Usability testing became a regular feature, and the software department even funded the creation of a usability lab that housed video cameras, one-way mirrors, and a complete staff of usability engineers to help get things right. I was on my own with a small staff who was in charge of making the software look “pretty” (we hated this, but that is really what they wanted us to do).
There was a large necessity to convince the department directors that we could provide real value with design by being a part of all the activities, namely (development of functionality specs, usability goals, and look and feel). To promote this, I used the following diagram to show that a successful product, needed to have balanced qualities in all of these areas. And that each category by itself could not stand alone. Function is useless if users can’t figure out how to use it. Usability is essential, but the product is weakened if it looks really bad, and so forth.
I’ve found this to be useful, and that it is pretty effective for explaining the value of aesthetics to potential clients, but I’m also interested in knowing if there is something that I am missing, and if there could be a better way to communicate this concept.
If you’ve got any ideas, or if you find this to be useful, please comment.