Design Envy · Mixel: Khoi Vinh and Scott Ostler

Mixel: Khoi Vinh and Scott Ostler

Curator: Juliette Cezzar

date: December 6, 2011

Categories: Experience Design

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Via subtraction.com

A sample Mixel updates page

Ever since “desktop publishing” upended graphic design practice, we have spent countless hours discussing and griping about the tools we use and their influence on the designs that we make. But outside of a few limited forays into amending dominant software, designers have generally turned away from the business of creating the tools themselves, leaving that task to software engineers and developers.

Mixel, created by designer Khoi Vinh and developer/coder Scott Ostler, is one of the first of what I hope will be many tools created outright by designers. It is beautifully limited, rough and intuitive, a virtual sandbox for collaging and sharing images. While Mixel is aimed at a general audience, it is a free yet social space to make stuff outside of the confines of Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop, and therefore addictive for designers.

Introducing Mixel for iPad from Mixel App on Vimeo.

Via mixel.cc

Mixel in action

The bar has always been high for developing software, and it remains crushingly high. But without the need for capital to create physical products (discs in boxes) and distribute them, and with the ability to design touch interfaces that require no support or training, we are moving closer to a time when designers can seriously apply their minds to making tools rather than perfecting their use. The next paradigm shift in design, as important as desktop publishing, will come when making design tools becomes the norm rather than the brave exception.

http://www.creativecontentexperts.com/cce/blog Tara Hornor

Interesting, but I wonder if designers should be spending time on design. So much can be done with basic tools that are available outside of the Adobe suites.

For me, it’s about getting my idea out of my head. If the tools available get the job done, then I’d rather focus on the art.

But I do take the time to explore new tools that might help me design outside the box. Mixel looks like a cool new idea that I’m looking forward to playing around with.