Real-Life Decision Making
Jennifer Linnane is a product designer. "The most challenging aspects of
any design project are learning when to compromise and when to hold your ground.
The interesting thing about ID [industrial design] is that you can have as
good or better ideas than a person with a lot more experience, but it is rare
that your first idea is the best or only solution," she says.
"Learning how to refine and build on other people's ideas and giving
as much effort to an idea that's not your baby is a difficult skill to
acquire, but it's well worth it. By using other peoples' expertise
and experience, you learn more and get more innovative and solid solutions."
You are working on a design for a single-use camera. You come up with a
design that is very well-received by consumers. However, when
it comes to production time, you discover that your client wants to reduce
costs.
Your original design called for a contrasted color scheme. The client wants
to save some money by making it a single color.
"I was always told upon entering and throughout my college career that
perfectionists will not succeed in ID," says Linnane.
Your design works. But the client is paying the bill and he has decided
to go with a lower cost option. What do you do?