If we as designers (good designers) know and understand that nothing in technology stands still forever, why are so many of us still designing by technology-based leadership? With the rise of the mobile device and this year (2010) being the year that futurists declare that mobile will take the stand and lead the way in terms of technology, it is very tempting to be lead down a path of design that is dictated by mobile platforms.

When utilizing a new medium or platform for design delivery, all to often technology restraints are placed on the designer which causes early lock-down of creative ideas.

The remedy for this kind of barrier is to force the creative mind to focus solely on the user’s experience.
Now I know someone might say “Yah but you have to design for the platform.” To which my response would be “Absolutely!”. However, designing with a platform in mind and being lead by the platform are two different things.

Users already know the design pattern and behaviour of existing devices thus making the interactivity somewhat intuitive. But is this to say that we as designers should take this for granted when designing for mobile and social applications? Heaven forbid.

The key to continual and ever effective designs is to simply push the boundaries of technology with the intent of “dumming” down every piece of design elements that comprise the holistic application.

Every move, every detail, every interaction should be easy, logical, intuitive and precise..

By applying the KISS (Keep It Simple/ Stupid) methodology to every design craft, you as the designer is sure to prove successful due to the ease of use and provocative use of interactive flow (always be giving them a reason to click).

The design community needs to be of one mind and collaborate on design patterns that instinctively promote thoughtful practices, value, and interactivity.