Saturday, September 27, 2008

Designer’s Triangle of Mystery.

A little nugget for all the designers out there. Was remembering an old typeset banner, that if I remember correctly was at an old typesetter shop in Nashville called D&T. “Good, Fast, Cheap. Pick any two.” Always stuck with me, kind of jokey, but more of a realistic mantra for the designer than anything else I’ve ever come across. The idea that if you choose two you always sacrifice the third...

Looked on the web and found this illustration at a site called sixside.com. They called it the “Designer’s Holy Triangle.” I think calling it “holy” is a bit much, but i like the way they’ve worded the explanation:























Good + Fast = Expensive

Choose good and fast and we will postpone every other job, cancel all appointments and stay up 25-hours a day just to get your job done. But, don't expect it to be cheap.
Good + Cheap = Slow
Choose good and cheap and we will do a great job for a discounted price, but be patient until we have a free moment from paying clients.
Fast + Cheap = Inferior
Choose fast and cheap and expect an inferior job delivered on time. You truly get what you pay for, and in our opinion this is the least favorable choice of the three.