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Recently, I hopped on to Spotify as an artist. I released several electronica singles under the label Weet Weew. The experience was liberating in the sense that I’ve been putting it off for quite some time and finally got to grapple with it. I got to revisit some old compositions and reacquainted with a DAW (digital audio workstation) of choice: FruityLoops.
The signature
Preparing for a (rather bleak) future when crazed fans would ask me for autographs, I thought I needed to have one. So I practiced using a big round-tip marker and settled with a 0.6 mm-tip pen.
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One of the items in the reading list is about copying and how it is inherent to design (and child development, actually). As designers, we pride ourselves of our originality — personally, to the point of stubbornness. I recall a period in my career when I avoided looking at other people’s works as inspiration — out of fear of being unoriginal. It was pride, as I retrospect.
Collaboration is key to almost anything one wants to accomplish efficiently. All of us rely on each other even indirectly. Copying is inevitable in a world where no person is an island. Legalities and what your conscience says, that’s a different story.
Sharing for free
“Really, you’re giving it away for free?” A mentee uttered in surprise (pertaining to a solicited advice). Perhaps our session provided her with some nuggets of wisdom (as it should be). I could imagine lightbulbs flashing in her mind as we discussed about her career.
“This is also how I got them through the years,” I said, “for free”.
To all the generous folks out there sharing their thoughts, resources, and anything that helps anyone, I’m also paying it forward.
Oh, yeah, the reading list
- Hindsight bias: the knew-it-all-along phenomenon
However, the hindsight bias can be a barrier to rational thinking, and it can reduce our ability to learn from experience. If we always think we correctly predicted an outcome, how can we draw lessons from wrong decisions?
Anne-Laure Le Cunff - Copying (is the way design works)
Whether you believe that it’s worthwhile or worthless to copy, whether you think that copies are a valuable part of the design community or a scourge, you are using software, hardware, websites and apps that all owe their existence to copying.
Matthew Ström - Bad Design Kills Eight
The solution to this problem is simple: have experts trained in interaction design determine the behavior of these devices during the initial design phase. Unfortunately, almost all of the makers of such products confuse interaction designers with software engineers.
Alan Cooper - 10 Directions to Take Your UX Career
- Compensatory vs Noncompensatory: 2 Decision-Making Strategies
In the spirit of copying
I liked the style of the copying article so I replicated it in the “Libre Sakay!” graphic design. If you would like to spin it out yourself, feel free!
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Beware the Pixel Police
Or designing straight in the web browser
I saw what you did there. The padding between form fields is 24 pixels. Please remove 8 pixels from that gap. Make sure to use the components provided.
Chief of Pixel Police
Well… yeah… it’s your fault. Components are ready-built — why can’t you just use it with all its pre-built goodnes. Why take matters into your own hands and decide 24 pixels here and 32 pixels there. Don’t ever do that next time. If you do, make sure to just move 1 pixel at a time to avoid detection. My brain whispered to me.
Beware
the
Pixel
Police
Can sarcasm be used for fun? Sure can! Actually, I don’t have any beef in using components, no matter how they scream for adjustments. But, hey, we are designers. We design — that’s what we do. We take, we break, and make it new again, in a different light. Better, I hope.