I spent my day on the can
I swear. There are some days that I really wonder if the job is worth the frustration. It isn’t a difficult job, in fact I’ve often said a trained monkey could probably pull this off. It certainly isn’t strenuous. It’s just the stupid things that give me pause. Or maybe it’s the number of stupid things that give me pause.
Today’s case in point:
The icon at the above, in full-size glory, is the result of a request from our internal development group. What they asked for was, and I quote, a “small, simple trash can icon.” We went back and forth all morning about the dimensions, then colors, and followed that up with a rousing conversation about the pros and cons of corrugated metal versus metal wire basket styles. That little thing above is the final artwork that got approved.
Long story short, I just spent my day creating a low bandwidth, high-contrast, empty version of the the default trash icon from Apple’s OSX dock.
I just wish they’d requested that from the beginning.
January 24th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Joe D - whats up? Listen, I am LOVING that little trash can. It inspired me to not feel so bad about all the abortions I’ve seen in back alleys. I thank you for your inspiration.
January 24th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Thanks barclay. You always seem to be able to put things in perspective.
January 25th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Did they approve of it?
Because that would suck if you spent all day doing that and then they didn’t like it.
I think it’s cool though. And that’s all that should count.
January 25th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
They did, but the above gem was roughly the 25th design they looked at. It was just indicative of how many people and layers have to approve every. little. thing.
Design by committee = creative death.
Glad you like it though.
January 26th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Just be glad they didn’t ask you to create an XP-style one. Or Vista. That looks like a toxic waste container.
January 27th, 2008 at 8:39 am
It was the 25th design… Blimey! I’m wilting on your behalf. I’m surprised you didn’t provide the last one with a little phial of the blood from your slit wrists!
Uh oh! Of course, it wouldn’t have attached to an e-mail.
You have my sympathy! Although, I’m afraid I’m also laughing!
Cheers
BC
January 27th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Nils, there are some things I won’t do, even for money.
BC, as another artist I’m sure you appreciate the entire “let the designer design and the programmers code” idea that should have been at work here. Alas, someone down there decided that they should dictate what the icon looked like - I was just their hands on the keyboard.
The really sad part about it is that in the current design, the trash can icon makes no sense, and if they decide to run this through a usability group they’ll find out that no-one will even know to click on it.
January 28th, 2008 at 7:56 am
Hmm… and you can bet that when they do, they’ll blame you for “designing it wrong” even though you merely channelled their idea!
Ah the joy of work!
Cheers
BC
January 28th, 2008 at 8:10 am
I fear for your company’s long term outlook if management is devoting that much time and energy into approving a tiny garbage can icon. But it is a sweet ass looking icon. Good work.
January 28th, 2008 at 9:08 am
BC, of course I designed it wrong. I’m always the point of the breakdown. Right?
Kris, you have no idea.