Time and time again I’ve worked on products whether it was video games or web sites where the people that are in charge of the overall design don’t have the end-user in their best interest for a number of different reasons. One of the common reasons is date driven development. Developing a product that needs to be released on a certain date (especially if it is a tight date) always hurts the end user the most. Mainly because features are removed that help the end user and the experience they have. The best products are the one’s that have the end-user as the main focus. I think Apple does a fantastic job at creating applications that are easy on the eyes. The iPhone is proof that ease of use and a “pretty” user interface always pays big dividends.

I was reading a blog post this morning from a friend of mine that is a designer. He is a fantastic designer and I actually tried to get him on my team but my team didn’t act fast enough and he joined another group. His post today was about logos and the lessons he’s learned about them and the mistakes he’s realized in his years of work. It really made me think about how the designs that come up for my project suck. Check out Brandon’s blog, it’s a good read for anyone even if you aren’t a designer.