High-tech companies have begun to embrace low-fidelity design for their advertising and products. One example: Microsoft introduced several designs for its Bing maps, including what Fast Company calls “Back-of-a-Napkin” (but Microsoft calls “Sketchy”). Similarly, Balsamiq offers a software product that lets designers create digital mock-ups that look hand-drawn. What explains the trend? Fast Company speculates:
In the age of uniformity, where one desktop software is interchangeable with another, where all tablets ape the iPad, where Bing and Google search engines throw up the same results, the marketing departments of the various megacorps know that a little individuality and quirkiness is needed to differentiate each of them from their competitors.
So expect high-tech to continue imitating the hand-made — until, that is, the next trend comes along. Link to full story in Fast Company.
Comments on this entry are closed.