A Ridiculous Pairing: Facebook and "Good Design"

In an article currently on its website, Fast Company magazine asserts that "design" is a driving, critical force in Facebook. I won't repeat any of the dribble here, but I've provided the link at the bottom if you feel you must subject yourself to this exercise in fawing media coverage.
The article is farcical because Facebook has prospered in spite of its design, not because of it. From the beginning, its interface has been clumsy, confusing, poorly-organized, and visually chaotic; this latest re-design, the so-called "timeline," is simply the latest iteration of design decisions that would merit failure in any good college-level design program. FB's success is testament to the attractions and power of social media, and its canny leveraging of them. That Fast Company attempts to convince the outside world that excellence in design is part of that success is simply an example of how corporate power and a skyrocketing share price buy slavish media coverage. If you visit the article, read the comments by Fast Company subscribers—I'm far from alone in professional contempt for the interface design.
http://www.fastcodesign.com/1669445/how-facebook-finds-the-best-design-talent-and-keeps-them-happy
Reader Comments