Good? Cheap? Fast? Pick Two

Jun 24, 2009

How do you communicate with clients the trade-offs you need to make in the design process? The trade-offs they need to make? How about when they're from the exacting world of spreadsheets, returns on investment, absolutes?

Maybe they give you the time and space to explain the nuances, the details. Maybe you're tempted to pull some figures out of the air, and bluster your way through the ensuing presentation? Or, more likely, you both walk away from the table slightly frustrated, worlds apart.

If you've ever been in this situation then you'll appreciate The Quantitative and Qualitative Measuring Devices so-called lost project by colleague Rhys Newman that starts with the designer's adage "good, cheap, fast - pick two" and ends in a triangular ruler with added tension. You can measure the immeasurable, just how well will depends on the story that goes with it.

A historical novella by another design studio colleague Julian here. Do inanimate objects experience the Hawthorne Effect? How about networked inanimate objects?

Gosh.

Location:
 United States »  Los Angeles Keywords:
 lost projects | ruler | story