Does Facebook Have a Secret Paper Fetish?

Another great example of print design making its way into the digital space is Metro, Microsoft's UI for Windows Phone 7 (and probably Windows 8, Xbox+, etc.) It's fundamentally based on typography and space, which are core to timeless and pervasive print design. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_%28design_language%29

There are lots of lessons about visual language that have been figured out in the hundreds of years since print was invented. Pixels are relatively new, but form, weight, space, typography, readability, color, contrast, and aesthetics tend to transfer over quite well. (Until you add interaction, which is certainly a new discipline of design.)

Also, even if you're an engineering-driven company, having good design on the walls helps people develop an intuition for your company's culture and brand. More than anything else, these projects at FB seem to be about internal communication, which is essentially marketing your mission and goals to your team. As an organisation grows rapidly, this is one of the most effective (and subtle) ways to keep your goals aligned.

Personally, I'd be far more motivated by a fantastic screen-printed poster than an 'internal memo'.

http://www.underconsideration.com/fpo/archives/2009/12/faceb... http://www.underconsideration.com/fpo/archives/2011/05/presi...

Who knows, maybe they'll meet somewhere in the middle :)

> "We’re barraged with e-mail all the time," he adds about life at Facebook, "but when you go to the café for lunch and you see one of the posters while you’re waiting in line, I think it has a more of an impact."

That's basically the opposite of the message Facebook would like to send to advertisers, the idea that digital (i.e. through Facebook) is the best way to get ROI on advertising.

I like the fact that he didn't have to hold back from stating the obvious fact that, just because adverts are a key part of their revenue, traditional advertising is still relevant today.