[OT] Microsoft Office's New UI Blazes Some New Trails for Us

[Chipp Walters]

Judy Perry wrote:

> --I'd argue that the empty page forces people to think and explore and
> create; to promote activity as opposed to passivity. Should, say, computer
> science lectures look just like comparative lit lectures, which look
> just like...

My experience is that people criticize much better than they create. 
This is one of the reasons design schools emphasize 'crits' and rarely 
give 'blank page' exercises (even thesis work rarely involves starting 
from scratch). It's also the reason many prefer 'template' approaches.

Most all designers I know frequently 'borrow' from other works, or use 
them as inspiration. I found out when teaching designers how to draw, it 
was always better for them to start with a specific idea and goal, 
rather than a blank page. This typically manifested itself in copying 
another rendering technique, or using photographs as reference material.

There are many who feel it takes more creativity to design within 
specific parameters than starting from a blank page. And, just because 
one has to work within constraints, doesn't exclude creating a different 
final outcome.