A quick meme
Still very busy, and I vowed that my next post on my blog would be one that is actually relevant to the blog title but alas it seems that before that I’m going to have to submit myself to a shameless meme:
An article I posted up on Tokyo-based design magazine PingMag* got BoingBoing-ed the other day:
http://www.boingboing.net/2005/12/09/plastic_figurines_gu.html
For those who don’t know - hi mum - BoingBoing is the most popular blog on the internet and basically anything that graces it’s pages benefits from massive exposure and also the unspoken declaration that what you have done is quite cool or interesting.
The full article on PingMag can be read here:
http://www.pingmag.jp/2005/12/09/the-website-development-process/
I took those photos for a client presentation for my company and decided to make them into a little article, for the company’s design magazine. The presentation was about the web development process - it’s always necessary to explain the basic workflow to clients, and sometimes if the client has no experience with the web, the process can be a bit confusing. This sequence of photos used a metaphor (lightbulb) to show the major steps along the way of the web development process. It is not meant to be a “how to build a website” tutorial and obviously there a million different ways you can alter the workflow - this was just an exercise in illustrating the way we work with clients, in a simple manner.
Some people have commented on the article that I missed out other key players such as the usability consultant, the project manager, the writer: I kept things simple for a reason, and that reason has become something of an overriding philosophy in all of my work now - everyone appreciates clarity.
You could talk about a team of 10 different people and how they all work together in this intricate process and illustrate it with flow diagrams and powerpoint slides or just more and more toy figures, but then think about what you are doing - you are just lecturing the client on how you do your job. It’s pointless posturing and do clients really need that? The point of my step-by-step was basically to show the major steps and was more focused on showing at what points we are going to need the client’s input, rather than being a detailed blow-by-blow account of how we do our job.
Anyway to those of you who have no interest in web development, have a look anyway - the pictures are quite cute.
*which, incidentally I just helped to redesign and rebuild.
Especially for readers of yongfook.com, here are some of the photos I shot that didn’t make it into the final 15:
Update: The article also made the front page on digg.com.
I sent my comments on your brilliance directly but wanted to be the first listed here. I think you’re a genius and wish you were ugly - but, damn-you’ve got it all. You said you were a mean mf tho - is that really true?
Is the character with the eyepatch Kiriko Sensei, the death doctor from Black Jack?
That article taught me everything I need to get a job at a design firm in Tokyo. Thanks Yongfook! Can you send me those action figures so I can seal the deal?
Ok this is among the stupidest shit i’ve ever seen. Exactly why is infantilizing always considered “cool” by the techno-faggies? Can you really only relate to people from the cognitive framework of an 8 year-old?
You just couldn’t stick with the food reviews for longer than a week, could you? I’m taking hostages now in retaliation. Baby seals, Kiriko, your mum–you must care about someone
It’s finally gotten a proper digg as well and made it to the frontpage.
http://digg.com/design/Howto%3ABuildaWebpage%28cute%29
Digg’s recently passed Slashdot in traffic. Congratulations!
Cute article :)
Honestly yf, don’t asswipes like Mason scare you at all?
I just bookmarked that page yesterday, mainly because of the cuteness, but it’s also helpful. All I’d add is the part where you want to throw things out the window or pull our your hair (or both) because something doesn’t work or the client keeps asking for something that you explained probably isn’t a good idea but THEY DON’T CARE, or something…maybe that’s just me.
Hahaha! Love it! Perfect for the (clueless,) emotionally unstable designer with an 8 year-old’s intellect to visualise the whole nasty process. Good dicing skills-
Oh how I love you Yongfook! If only all that was taught to me in Interactivity Design, it would have save me hours of ripping hair out of my head and slamming my fist into a wall. You have saved the design world!
Wow, yongfook, you’re becoming more famous every day!!
Very cute.
I love how you chose a robot to be the programmer.
Long time no… comment. Anyhoo, am shipping off to Japan soon, closing down the politics blog to open one in the much-overused ‘dumb’gaijin’ genre (link to follow).
I was wondering how you’d rate your Japanese before you left for Japan and how you’d rate it now. I remember reading the old posts before you’d left for your JET place and I’m guessing for you to be working in a Japanese web design company you must’ve had language skills almost comparable to the other million Japanese people applying for similar jobs? Just wondering…
nice idea you got there..
oh come on now, you’re proud of this? could someone who actually contributes to society please raise their hand?
shit we got some angry people here D:
I’m guessing Davie (aka; Contributionman!) drives to his superhero HQ (in a car powered only by air) in search of justice, truth and the abolotion of MSG before being debriefed on today’s mission, codenamed “Guardian of Society” - after which he slides down a fireman’s pole to his Contributionmobile (powered only by lint) which he drives (carefully and safely) to the burning building full of terrorists who are holding captive little baby seals, whom they will club to death - one per hour - until their demands are met. He then rappels in through a window an contributes the fuck out of them before rehabilitating them and getting them jobs in Jamie Oliver’s kitchen.
Bravo to you “Davie” (wink wink) - your secret is safe with us.
a genie :)