Smashing Conference 2013: Jackie Goes To Germany

This year, we were excited to be able to send Jackie to the Smashing Conference in Freiberg, Germany. The conference brought together 300 of the brightest minds in design, development and branding from across the world. She parlayed the two day conference into a two week trip, bumming around Germany, France & Switzerland. In addition to giving her a much needed vacation, it also shifted her (and our) perspective on our approach.

Some of the key ideas that most resonated were:

– We’re all figuring it out as we go.

– Start with real content whenever possible.

– Type is the most important thing about the page.

– Constraints are a good thing.

– We’re moving towards a post “full-comp” era. Style tiles, element collages, and style prototypes are the new deliverables.

– Complexity is overrated. Simplification is key.

– Instead of concentrating of what the site will look like, start with that the site will feel like. If it feels consistent, maybe we’re doing the brand a better service.

– Perhaps most importantly: Nothing is perfect. Nothing lasts. Nothing is finished. Also, foosball is just as popular in Germany as it is at Westwerk.