Re: UKNM: Studio Archetype-type studios in UK?

[Felix Velarde]

Hi Andrea


you're right, a background in information design is a prerequisite

for anyone attempting to present information, but that alone is not

sufficient to guarantee success in the web as a medium.


The two sites that you cite, one a typography exhibition promotion

aimed at typographers, the other a design studio offering its

services to design commissioners, operate in a vacuum (by designers,

about designers and for designers). According to your premise, in

fact, the Ideo site should have been designed by Ideo themeselves, as

packaging design is possibly closer to interactive design than

graphic design (well, it's between 2d, 3d and 4d, your choice!).


Not that I have anything whatsoever against Meta - I think their

graphic design work is astonishing - but they do not come from a

background of design for interactive digital media, they do not have

a department dedicated to research on human / interface interaction,

they do not have any primary passion for the medium per se, and they

have not become a force in the medium by dint of past success in it.

Any graphic genius can make a web site look pretty. But it takes

evolution before a creature is actually suited to the environment in

which it carves a niche. And that takes survival of the fittest, not

necessarily the prettiest.


An analogy that you may concur with would be that of the ad agency:

just because the ad agency understands the brand and tv does not mean

that it will be able to create success for its clients online - can

you name four ad agencies in this country that have not had their new

media offering go belly-up in one way or another?


Sorry for the rant... I feel passionately about this one (no,

really?) - but I still *don't* disagree with anything you've said,

just what I inferred!


best wishes


Felix


On 14/9/98 I read:

>yes Felix you are right, probably they are not a "web

>design house", but surely they are a design studio

>with a huge background in information design, and I

>think this is definitely a plus when you have to deal

>with designing complex websites.

>

>Try to take a look at www.ideo.com or www.fuse98.com


>

---Felix Velarde <felixhead-newmedia [dot] com> wrote:

>>

>> I'd take issue with calling Meta a web design house

>- yes, they've

>> done the (very elegant) Audi site, but experts in

>interactive design?


>> No.


Felix Velarde


Managing Director Head New Media


[ success is about interaction ]

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