Our Philosophy
Introduction
“When the design of information is left to chance the result is information anxiety. And when things become too complex, when an environment defies common sense, when technical requirements are allowed to prevail over human considerations, then someone has to intervene.”
E. Spiekermann
This quote speaks clearly to the recognition that design serves an integral role in the success of complex projects. While there is no denying that technically software must function in order for it to succeed, successful software is characterized by great, usable design.
Design is synonymous with problem solving, finding elegant solutions to challenging problems. Chroma Design embraces this challenge by employing proven Computer Human Interaction techniques such as mental modeling and task analysis, an iterative and rapid prototyping design process, and complete usability testing. The combination of these procedures allows for the comprehension of how exactly users conceive of and perform their work and the corresponding design of highly usable and cost-effective solutions.
Processes
Design has been called a process and for good reason. It is a process of combination: one part art mixed with one part science.
One Part Art
The former entails discovery about our clients: their users, market needs, brand, competition, identity, and more.
For this aspect of the challenge, there simply are no pre-packaged solutions.
Good and certainly great design requires more, much more rigor. It is a process that occurs over time as those involved try on a number of different solutions until a good match is found. Trial and error, experimentation and refinement aptly describe this half of the work.
One Part Science
The other half entails a different skill set. It is in the realm of science. Designers must approach software design as system design, full of cause-and-effect relationships that make demands on their users to participate. System design is akin to the picturing of verbs: the representation of mechanism and motion, process and dynamics, anticipation and narrative.
To these ends, there is only one true solution. The user must be considered and consulted in the creation of the system. Human factors must be brought to weigh, and usability must be the constant consideration of the designer.
Our Philosophy and Thank You
Thank you for taking the time to read about Chroma Design and how we approach our work. We hope that it is a more holistic approach. Our goal is simply to create the best work. We embrace new ideas and welcome any feedback that you may have.
