In architecture, parti refers to the underlying concept of a building.*
Will it be an academic
structure aimed at increasing cross-disciplinary collaboration or a theater flexible
enough to support quick set changes? To bring a specific parti to life, architects must not
only define its essence but also know how to manage the huge number of considerations
that ultimately impact its construction.
Design principles are the guiding light for any architect’s parti. They define and communicate
the key characteristics of a building to a wide variety of stakeholders, including clients,
builders, city planners, and engineers. Design principles articulate the fundamental
goals that all decisions can be measured against and thereby keep the pieces of a project
moving toward an integrated whole. But design principles are not enough.
Every aspect of a building from an attic to a Zen garden has a set of opportunities and
limitations that can either add to or detract from the main concept or parti. These include
standard dimensions, spacing requirements, aesthetics, physical limitations, and more.
Architects who want to bring coherent visions to life need to learn the detailed ins and
outs of these design considerations so they can select the best solutions from the options
available.
This combination of design principles at the top and design considerations at the bottom
is what allows architects to fill in the middle with meaningful buildings that enable people
and organizations to interact, communicate, and get things done.
Those of us whose parti is bringing rich web applications to life can also benefit from a
framework of design principles and considerations to guide us. In these pages, Bill Scott
and Theresa Neil give us just that. Through 30 years of designing and developing software,
Bill and Theresa have been the consummate taxonomists—naming, documenting,
and sharing in loving detail what makes rich interactions succeed and fail.
The breadth of solutions they have encountered has given them a unique perspective
on the design principles behind the most successful rich interactions on the Web. From
“make it direct” to “react immediately,” the principles he outlines in this book are your
yardstick for measuring the value that rich interactions bring to your web application.
Through in-depth descriptions of context and trade-offs, Bill and Theresa support each
principle with the design considerations and best practices you need to make informed
decisions. Engineers, product managers, marketers, and designers can rally around and
continually return to these principles and considerations to ensure that everyone is evaluating
the impact of design decisions the same way.
This combination of rich web interaction design principles at the top and design considerations
at the bottom allows web designers to fill in the middle with meaningful structures
that enable people and organizations to interact, communicate, and get things done. Just
like our friends, the architects.
So, dive in and immerse yourself in the direction and details you need to bring your rich
web application partis to life!
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