Cracked Coffee Cups and New Blog Designs

I was wrong and I admit it. I finally came around. I can admit that I, a man, was wrong, and I see the error of my ways. My wife was right, as she is on so many things, and I don't want comments rubbing it in.

See, we did need new coffee cups.

Our cabinet is full of coffee cups. It could be said that the man of the house has in fact never thrown a coffee cup away. It isn't planned. We're not saving up for a new coffee shop or planning a big caffeine party, and our house is already not big enough to hold a gathering to use all of the coffee cups we have now. I just don't throw cups away, because then I know we'll have to buy new ones.

"Our cups are chipped," says Franki. "So what", says I. "They still hold liquid, and unless they pose a physical danger, they're good enough. We've no need to buy more!" We were at an impasse, until a Pottery Barn gift certificate from my mother and father broke the tie. Off we marched to the mall to look for more dishes, and Franki convinced me to add four coffee cups to the order. Why not? We had money left on the gift certificate.

And thus we come to where I admit I was wrong. Wow. What a difference. Coffee tastes... better, because I'm not distracted by little breaks in the porcelain. The cups look better, all clean and chip free, and I swear I feel the house looks better. See, I didn't know that new cups would make such a difference, because the old cups were functional.

The new cups are functional and they look better, which improves your coffee-drinking experience. It seems so obvious in hindsight, and yet something stoppped me for 10 months from buying new cups. Pride? Fear of spending money on something we didn't need? Fear of wasting money when I had something that already worked?

Yes, Yes and Yes. Which is funny, because the feelings I have are often the same ones that our clients have when they see our prices for blog and website design.

1. I already have a design, and it functions.
2. Why design something new, when a template works just as well?
3. No one has complained so far, what's the point of making changes?

All of these questions are based on a lack of understanding of the difference between professional design and something functional. I know, because I had the problem distinguishing between the two for years, even though I was a technical recruiter who placed web designers. I didn't consider design to be as important as development, just as I didn't consider the coffee cup to be part of the enjoyment of coffee. They're both important, and they're both necessary, and you can't tell what you're missing until you get a chance to compare.

Design matters. Who knew?

So why did I write? Are you reading a pitch in disguise, a plea to use our services cleverly masked behind orange cups and Trader Joes' Half Caf. Not at all, it's my mea culpa, both to my wife and to the design community in general.

I get it. I've come around. I respect what you do. And if you come over, I'll make you a nice cup of coffee.