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The tail and its dog Stephen Hay Smashing Conference Barcelona 2016

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Art direction 
 is storytelling. Well, that’s part of it, anyway.

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We’re wired for stories.

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https://youtu.be/TTx_fwP1-pw

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https://filmsketchr.blogspot.com.es/2014/03/towering-batman-1989-gotham-city.html

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Designers often 
 do their own 
 art direction.

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What story 
 are we telling?

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How are we telling it?

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The history of web design

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http://www.novolume.co.uk/blog/all-websites-look-the-same/

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Why is there so much design sameness 
 on the web?

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Lack of design foundation.
 Lack of critical thinking. Reliance on tools.

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Taking design apart: systems

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We’re not designing pages, we’re designing systems of components.

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Define values & goals Discover moods & metaphors Generate ideas, define a concept Create a visual language Design

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Components
 in the funnel

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Define values & goals Discover moods & metaphors Generate ideas, define a concept Create a visual language Design

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Cart before the horse, the tail wagging the dog

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https://youtu.be/eN6Z_gZTI2A

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Component-based thinking, backwards: it's easier

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Define values & goals Discover moods & metaphors Generate ideas, define a concept Create a visual language Design

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https://youtu.be/1oPRDIuT-ac

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Start with the story

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How do we do this?

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Sounds simple, but the majority don't do it

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Some easy-to-try “tricks”…

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Ask yourself, “What if…?” 1

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Make your own 
 Oblique Strategies. 2

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/doctorow/9041086636

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Are there sections? Consider transitions Is it finished? Emphasize the flaws etc.

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Ask yourself, “What problem 
 does this solve?” 3

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Ask yourself, “Is this congruent with the story?” 4

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Ask yourself, “How can we tell this story differently?” 5

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Ask yourself, “Where does this fail?” 6 —ClearLeft. I think.

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Sketch. 7 On paper.

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Don’t pick the 
 low-hanging fruit. Sketch past the first ideas that pop into your head.

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Zoom in, zoom out. 8

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Don’t forget the “page”.

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Immerse, then incubate. 9

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Focus on the problem. Don’t let the tail wag the dog. 10

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Your work does not define you. 
 Make mistakes.

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Recognise your uniqueness.

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Thank you. @stephenhay We’re hiring in Assen & Amsterdam! catawiki.com/jobs