Good design is clear thinking made visible, bad design is stupidity made visible
Edward TufteRead
The minimum we should hope for with any display technology is that it should do no harm.
Interpretation
Display technology should be safe and not cause any negative impact on users.
Edward Tufte emphasizes the fundamental expectation of display technologies: they must be designed in a way that does not cause any harm to users. This sentiment encourages developers and designers to focus on user well-being and the ethical implications of technology, especially in an age where screens dominate our visual experiences.
In practice
In a presentation about user interface design, I would use this quote to highlight the importance of ethical considerations.
Good design is clear thinking made visible, bad design is stupidity made visible
I have stared long enough at the glowing flat rectangles of computer screens. Let us give more time for doing things in the real world...plant a plant, walk the dogs, read a real book, go to the opera.
There is no such thing as information overload, just bad design. If something is cluttered and/or confusing, fix your design.
PowerPoint is like being trapped in the style of early Egyptian flatland cartoons rather than using the more effective tools of Renaissance visual representation.
If youβre told what to look for, you canβt see anything else.
Design cannot rescue failed content.
The Model T blazed the way for the motor industry & started the movement for good roads everywhere. It is still the pioneer car in many parts of the world which are just beginning to be motorized.
Of all my inventions, I liked the phonograph best
I'm an expert on how technology hijacks our psychological vulnerabilities. That's why I spent the last three years as a Design Ethicist at Google caring about how to design things in a way that defends a billion people's minds from getting hijacked.
Take Google Maps or Waze. On the one hand, they amplify human ability - you are able to reach your destination faster and more easily. But at the same time, you are shifting the authority to the algorithm and losing your ability to find your own way.
The Internet offers opportunities that are more unique than ever before. With TV, I know I'm making 22 minutes; I know there's a commercial in the middle. With the Internet, no one knows anything. No rules.
The inside of a computer is as dumb as hell but it goes like mad!
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