While we don’t limit ourselves to strictly visual characteristics when discussing Design here at HEED, it’s an important element within the field of Design and one that warrants close scrutiny.
We’re also unabashed fans and consumers of Apple products (I’m also a small shareholder in AAPL). A big part of this enthusiasm for Apple products stems from the fact that they successfully integrate all aspects of design into their products – visual design, hardware design, software design, GUI design & iconography, environmental design, user experience design.
But back to presentation. It’s all about presentation. Until now, most companies have been unable to match Apple’s holistic approach to Design and how they apply it to all aspects of their business. Given the fact that no company has been able to make products that can compete with the iMac, iPhone or iPod in all aspects of design, at the very least – make your stuff look good.
Which leads me to the worldwide launch of Nokia’s Ovi Store. What struct me about their website was that it looks strikingly similar to Apple’s website and aesthetic, but also it’s lack of energy and excitement:
I don’t know anything about the quality of the products Nokia is offering on Ovi. What I do know is that at this point in the mobile application game, if you want to be a serious contender, it’s not enough to to hit the ground running at 5 miles-an-hour, when Apple is going 85. This applies to your visual design as much as it applies to the quality of the software and hardware you’re selling.
Ovi might very well be an amazing store (I won’t be able to tell since it’s not compatible with Macs), but right now all I see is what appears to be a watered-down site that’s leeching off of the visual style of Apple.com.
Presentation is everything. Never take it lightly. Heed to it.
