Developing Usable Experiences

Balancing

November 10th, 2007 10:54 pm —  155 views

There was a Japanese restaurant in Hawaii that looked really nice from the outside1. Looking good is important2, but being good doesn’t naturally follow. It looked really good from the outside. Very natural and clean, if that makes sense.

I suppose there are also those things that don’t look good but actually are. Like stewed cabbage or corned beef hash3. I have to think that looking not-so-good but actually being good is better than looking good but not being good. But then, I’m using the word “good” too much and it’s starting to lose meaning.

Finding the balance between quality of function and quality of appearance is not a trivial thing. But finding the balance is important because (as Rachel Ray says) we eat with our eyes first. This is a philosophy I’ve struggled with for a long time and still struggle with finding that sense balance. The Farmer used to say that a clean truck doesn’t run any better than a dirty truck4 and I never had a worthwhile response to it. Hard to argue with his logic but I still think something is missing from that approach but can’t quite put my finger on it.

So anyway, I’ve been doing schoolwork all day. I didn’t even leave the house5. This next week could be harsh since I’ve been gone a week but I’m optimistic and ready to get back into the ring of daily combat.

Image: This is a sketch I did. It is part of the Japanese restaurant that inspired this post. The restaurant and ponds surrounding it were nicely done. Since I didn’t eat there I can’t say much about the quality of the experience inside.

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  1. I talked to a few people that ate there and they weren’t impressed [↩]
  2. If something doesn’t look “good” then it will typically be avoided. And yes, I’m avoiding defining “good” at the moment. [↩]
  3. If you are fond of stewed cabbage or corned beef hash maybe they do look “good” to you in which case, disregard this part. [↩]
  4. I’m paraphrasing as I don’t remember his exact words…but this was in response to a comment about washing his tractors and/or work trucks. [↩]
  5. Actually I stepped outside for a moment but that doesn’t really count since I didn’t leave my property [↩]

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2 Comments 

Comments

2 Responses to “Balancing”

  1. Dawn on November 11th, 2007 1:49 am

    Catch up! But don’t panic! Really! I am doing enough for both of us! Welcome back to the land of the insane.

  2. W on November 15th, 2007 8:42 am

    I ate there and really enjoyed it (other than not being able to share the experience with my hubby). Had scallops and shrimp that they cooked right in front of you. Also had edamame as an appetizer that was really excellent. Very cool drawing.

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