KennethVR

Form building, not basic forms containing only a name and a description, but forms that have a variety of influences, is complex.
Here is a presentation of Ryan Singer, about form creation based on a book by Christopher Alexander Notes on the Synthesis of Form.

Ryan Singer, “Designing with Forces: How to Apply Christopher Alexander in Everyday Work ” from MFA Interaction Design on Vimeo.

Especially the Q&A are interesting, be sure to listen to them too. (viewable when clicking ‘read rest of the entry’)

After reading a few books, listening to different people in presentation, I must say that experience is once again very important when creating forms.
Enjoy this  presentation, but keep in mind that form and design creation are 2 separate jobs.

I recently had a discussion with someone, and his point was that good designers can be trained from programmers.
Sadly it’s not… it’s something you have in you, just like you have the gift to be top chess player.

You can get trained to a certain level, know all programs and applications (like Photoshop and Indesign) really good, but you won’t have what it takes to be a designer.
In order to be one, you need something that cannot be learned, creativity and originality.
Perhaps that’ s why real designers hate doing tasks given by companies (with exception of carte-blanche projects), but rather work on project on which they can completely do their own thing.

Same goes for forms, you can create forms in a real good way, make them look good and interact correctly with influences, other forms around it and take all possible factors into account. But after all I strongly believe that forms should be build by people (or a team) who have experience on every field:

- knowledge of what the customer wants
- how is it manageable behind the screens in code
- who will do this
- analyze it extensively before programming (it will save you a lot of time)

and then split it up in different tasks:

- assign a developer to create all code behind it
- assign a designer that creates a designer that makes your layout

one person who does both things great is rare, hard to find.

but whatever, enjoy this presentation about the design, it’s a good one, I’m being to much of a programmer when thinking about those things….

Here are the Q&A on the presentation. Enjoy and greetings from the front… K.

Ryan Singer, “Designing with Forces: How to Apply Christopher Alexander in Everyday Work” Q&A from MFA Interaction Design on Vimeo.