That Idea is Still a Bad Idea

Published on Jan 27, 2011
I have been curious lately about the link between managers and bad ideas. Understandably I come to this conclusion based upon the fact that most companies worldwide place managers in positions that they aren't necessarily equipped to handle. Take the web for instance. A coder or any normal person would assume that the manager in charge of the Web Team would be a coder, or an Internet aficionado. However, in reality neither one of those cases is true, which can be equally frustrating when trying to understand why that individual dictates rules for a companies web presence. To be clear I am not saying that coders should be allowed to run free. We are not gazelles, and if we were then we would get into a lot of trouble in bounding around from one new idea to the next. I hope that my next analogy comes across as apt as the first. Now in my opinion coders are like cows, we are best suited for making milk, or case making websites function. We are the lifeblood of what makes the web what it is, and we do need our occasional frolic in grass filled areas to be at peace. Speaking from experience, what the web needs is clear and distinct direction. Very few people wake up in the morning and start building a website knowing that it will be a big idea. Usually what happens is that one clear vision gets expanded upon as new ideas are introduced and eventually the idea flourishes into a website that people utilize. Facebook, Twitter, and so many other social networks have come into the light in that way. They may have had the vision to be large, but they started simply and with one good idea that held it all together. So I guess that I am trying to reiterate the point that bad ideas are still bad ideas even if you give them better color headlines, and shiny new interface. I have seen so many designs crowded with new ideas, and innovate techniques that users literally chocked on the interface. I have always stayed the path that designers and coders should keep it simple. That is why the line, "Keep it simple, stupid", rings so true in this case. Maybe I should have entitled this post "Simpler is Better". Though in closing I am curious to see what the readers think about design and bad ideas. I have seen my fair share and can truly get on a soap box about each of them, but I wonder what types of bad ideas some of you have come across over the years.
Justin Hough author picture
Justin Hough

Chief Development Officer at Hounder. He is a Christian, husband, father, writer, developer, designer, and a digital carpenter crafting amazing web experience. Also, created the Centurion Framework many moons ago.