Comments on: How to improve the Apple Design Awards? http://blog.clickablebliss.com/2007/04/23/how-to-improve-the-apple-design-awards/ Musings from an independent developer, Cocoa, Rails, and UI for the most part. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:43:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: ssp http://blog.clickablebliss.com/2007/04/23/how-to-improve-the-apple-design-awards/#comment-341 ssp Tue, 24 Apr 2007 02:54:54 +0000 http://65.181.135.246/?p=166#comment-341 <p>From the first judging criterion:</p> <p>"This criterion is measured by asking questions such as, but not limited to: Does the entry compel someone to buy a Mac?"</p> From the first judging criterion:

“This criterion is measured by asking questions such as, but not limited to: Does the entry compel someone to buy a Mac?”

]]> By: Mike Zornek http://blog.clickablebliss.com/2007/04/23/how-to-improve-the-apple-design-awards/#comment-340 Mike Zornek Mon, 23 Apr 2007 23:20:09 +0000 http://65.181.135.246/?p=166#comment-340 <p>I think 'extra sales' (from your original quote) means sales of the winning products, not specifically more Macs.</p> I think ‘extra sales’ (from your original quote) means sales of the winning products, not specifically more Macs.

]]> By: ssp http://blog.clickablebliss.com/2007/04/23/how-to-improve-the-apple-design-awards/#comment-339 ssp Mon, 23 Apr 2007 20:45:08 +0000 http://65.181.135.246/?p=166#comment-339 <p>Of course you don't <em>want</em> to diminish the awards' value but you will. I also don't think that any of the examples you give would entice people to buy a Mac. "Let's get a Mac, they have some kick-ass bloggers there and great technical documentation!" doesn't sound like something people will say. "I want Delicious Library, so I have to get a Mac" seems to be more along Apple's lines. </p> <p>I know there <em>are</em> open source products. But which of them would you consider to be a serious contender for one of those awards. The vast majority seem too ugly / geeky / dispensable.</p> Of course you don’t want to diminish the awards’ value but you will. I also don’t think that any of the examples you give would entice people to buy a Mac. “Let’s get a Mac, they have some kick-ass bloggers there and great technical documentation!” doesn’t sound like something people will say. “I want Delicious Library, so I have to get a Mac” seems to be more along Apple’s lines.

I know there are open source products. But which of them would you consider to be a serious contender for one of those awards. The vast majority seem too ugly / geeky / dispensable.

]]> By: Mike Zornek http://blog.clickablebliss.com/2007/04/23/how-to-improve-the-apple-design-awards/#comment-338 Mike Zornek Mon, 23 Apr 2007 18:30:53 +0000 http://65.181.135.246/?p=166#comment-338 <p>My suggestion's intent isn't to diminish the perceived value of the awards, its just that they have 6 categories now that I feel don't have enough coverage. I think they could double that number (to 12 total) without loosing value. I'm saying every idea I posted should be done, I'm just brainstorming.</p> <p>Some great open source projects that could and have won past ADA awards:</p> <p><a href="http://www.opensourcemac.org/">http://www.opensourcemac.org/</a></p> My suggestion’s intent isn’t to diminish the perceived value of the awards, its just that they have 6 categories now that I feel don’t have enough coverage. I think they could double that number (to 12 total) without loosing value. I’m saying every idea I posted should be done, I’m just brainstorming.

Some great open source projects that could and have won past ADA awards:

http://www.opensourcemac.org/

]]> By: ssp http://blog.clickablebliss.com/2007/04/23/how-to-improve-the-apple-design-awards/#comment-337 ssp Mon, 23 Apr 2007 07:32:24 +0000 http://65.181.135.246/?p=166#comment-337 <p>My guess is – and Apple explicitly state that in the award specs – that a major objective of the exercise is to highlight applications which make OS X shine and can lead to extra sales. </p> <p>With that in mind I consider it highly unlikely that they'll diversify the awards even more and the value of each reward would be diminished.</p> <p>Having an equivalent of the Oscar for assistant sound engineer for Mac software won' t help anyone.</p> <p>That said, I do wonder about the Open Source aspect. While applications are rewarded for using open source components, it's hard to see how a community open source project would be submitted and what to do with a prize in that case. (On the other hand, I noticed that I only use very few open source apps regularly and frequently consider those to be great but lacking the polish you'd expect an award winning application to have.)</p> My guess is – and Apple explicitly state that in the award specs – that a major objective of the exercise is to highlight applications which make OS X shine and can lead to extra sales.

With that in mind I consider it highly unlikely that they’ll diversify the awards even more and the value of each reward would be diminished.

Having an equivalent of the Oscar for assistant sound engineer for Mac software won’ t help anyone.

That said, I do wonder about the Open Source aspect. While applications are rewarded for using open source components, it’s hard to see how a community open source project would be submitted and what to do with a prize in that case. (On the other hand, I noticed that I only use very few open source apps regularly and frequently consider those to be great but lacking the polish you’d expect an award winning application to have.)

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