Design and Experience, mainstream
The NYTimes Magazine today has an article that is part criticism of the band Coldplay and part criticism of the MySpace design aesthetic. Definitely refreshing to see a major publication like the Sunday Times Magazine writing about the message that is imparted by design, the emotion it generates, and the conclusions one draws from design. Just one more example among many that what you see is just as important as what you get.
Mine is the 21,120,387th visit to Coldplay’s MySpace page. I am not greeted warmly. The British band — which is known for giant pop hits, a sheen of fakery and the marriage of its lead singer to Gwyneth Paltrow — does not exactly rush out to greet me. The page is rudimentary and indifferently decorated, like the apartment of four couchbound soccer addicts who barely look up when a girlfriend comes in.