TechCrunch: Respek, yo!
The Mules have noticed the hubbub regarding the new TechCrunch design. Some appear to be confused as to why the hubbub has grown so loud. For those of you who do not follow Valleywag, allow us to break it down.
TechCrunch launched a new design by Rachel Cunliffe last Friday. On Monday Michael Arrington, the head of TechCrunch, posted a screen shot of a TechCrunch redesign by Jeremy Baines to his blog and praised Baines for it. (Baines sent Arrington said design of his own accord.) Cunliffe resigned her position via her blog* in response to Arrington's praise of Baines' design.
So why is there so much hating going on?
When Designer and Client agree to work together on a website redesign, many hours are spent getting things just right. Designer works with Client to establish goals for the project. Designer does user research (hopefully) to make sure that Client's goals are in line with user priorities. Designer creates something that takes everything into account and shows it to Client. Then there's a back and forth, adding and subtracting, many hours put in to make sure not only that the design is where it needs to be, but that it does everything that Client (and users!) need it to do. The end result may not be what Designer or Client had originally intended. But there it is, the end result of a true collaboration and many hours of labor.
Then a stranger, who did not go through the above process (nor is privy to user research) goes and does a design for Client according to his own rules and on his own time. Then he sends it to Client. The intended message in that act appears to be one of disrespect not only for Designer and The Design but also for The Process.
Respect The Process. That is all we are saying.
*Mule Design in no way advocates quitting a job via one's personal weblog. We think it's pretty inappropriate. Update: Rachel was nice enough to contact us and clarify that she actually quit over e-mail and then announced it on her blog.
Written by Katie Spence on May 16, 2006 | 