Visual design is often the polar opposite of engineering: trading hard edges for subjective decisions based on gut feelings and personal experiences.
If engineering were reducible to hard edges we wouldn't need engineers anymore -- we'd have computer programs that solve all engineering problems for us. The fact is most engineers are solving problems where there's insufficient data, unknown requirements and no guarantee of success. It requires just as many "decisions based on gut feelings and personal experiences" as any artistic endeavor. Numbers and measurements are as valid a tool for the engineers work as any paintbrush or ink is for the designer, and knowing which numbers ultimately matter can be as hard as knowing which color to choose.
by Jonathan Blocksom GSTI — Mar 23
If engineering were reducible to hard edges we wouldn't need engineers anymore -- we'd have computer programs that solve all engineering problems for us. The fact is most engineers are solving problems where there's insufficient data, unknown requirements and no guarantee of success. It requires just as many "decisions based on gut feelings and personal experiences" as any artistic endeavor. Numbers and measurements are as valid a tool for the engineers work as any paintbrush or ink is for the designer, and knowing which numbers ultimately matter can be as hard as knowing which color to choose.