A presentation at Refresh LX in in Lisbon, Portugal by Simon Collison
Embracing constraint
1024 x 768
4:3
16:9
1920 x 1080
30
140
8
Having complete freedom is possibly the worst way to start any project.
Given constraints
With less freedom and fewer resources, we have to make smarter decisions.
Why impose limits?
Simplicity and complexity
Less is more. Simple is be ! er. Right?
We don’t design web pages. We design system s.
800
960
320
Constraint is key to understanding complexity. Increase constraint and you create an ordered system; do that inappropriately and you create the conditions for catastrophic failure; remove constraint and the system is chaotic. Dave Snowden, The 5 C’s of Complexity
Content as constraint
The constraints we know, and the constraints we’ve yet to encounter.
Unleash complexity in orchestrated phases, and increase power gradually.
Constraints as selling point
We design to communicate, and we seek emotive responses.
delight / emotion / surprise systems / constraint / restraint simplicity / complexity / focus context / reduction
Thanks Simon Collison @colly
For many designers total freedom is far from ideal. We need an idea or a brief, but with that come inevitable constraints. Understanding and embracing these constraints is key to finding a simpler way to manage complexity in the websites we build. With less freedom and fewer resources, we have to make smarter decisions. In this practical talk, Simon will look at why we should impose limits, with a focus on making sense of the constraints we're given, why we should apply constraints ourselves, and how constraints can be a core feature in our work.
for free. You
can too.