Designer's Block
Everyone has heard of writer's block - it is when the words do not seem to come
and a writer is stuck at some point in the story process.
At times even the best designers go through the same thing.
There is no common name for it because, thankfully, there are a lot
less wannabe designers then writers. So, let's just call it designer's block.
For designers (and most likely writers too), the cause of the blockage
can be a paradox - it is not that the designer runs out of options, but
there are two many options to choose from, and the decision which to include
and which to exclude can be excruciatingly frustrating. Afraid of omitting
something critical, or choosing an implementation path that turns out to be
expensive and difficult to debug, a design can come to standstill while
the the designer pounders and fusses.
So, what are some methods of overcoming designer's block?
First, do your up-front planning first and before you start actual design,
have a comprehensive set of product requirements and a product specification.
If you do not know where you are going, not only will any path will get you
there, but you also have a real chance of not knowing where you are when you
get there - or for that matter not knowing if you are even there yet!
A good specification should help eliminate design "fluff."
Second, when stuck on a technical detail, call in the vendor's technical
support team. Don't be afraid to ask questions, it's their job to provide
answers. These guys (and gals, too!) know their product, and have seen a lot
of different designs. Most likely they can both answer your technical questions,
and guide you to a solution you never thought of - all at the same time.
Remember, as a designer
you are responsible for the function of the whole product. Have the experts guide
you on best way to use their product to achieve that function.
Third, sometimes you just need to step back and take a breather. Usually,
the missing solution is right there, but you need some time for your mind to shift
through the minutia of cluttering extraneous details and background noise
before you see it clearly. The best designers I know usually have at least
two projects going on at a time, or if the project is large enough, have
broken the design into two or more subsections they can work on independently.
It is funny how the "solution" pops into your mind so easily when you are doing
something else.
Finally, there are what experienced designers call "24hr" problems. These
are points in a design where you know what you need to do, but the complexity
is such that you cannot start and restart again without spending most of your
restart time remembering all the little details of where you left off. You get
into a kind of a tail spin process, seeming to never get beyond
the same point at quiting time.
Every designer will have a couple of these in their careers. The only solution
here is to kiss the spouse and kids good bye, lock the doors and work the
problem out to a final solution. You WILL reach the solution, and when you do,
it will be one of the most satisfying moments of your career..
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