Coffee Stains, Constraints and Creativity

With faster and faster internet speeds, many of the constraints of the past are being lifted. Before, online streaming video just seemed like a pipe dream. I remember using a 14.4 modem to very slowly access AOL when I was young. Downloading a postage stamp sized video clip was quite an endeavor. Now one can easily stream high definition video. Bandwidth is much less of a constraint than before and there are so many more options now.

There is, however, something to be said about constraints to help foster creativity. When everything is possible, it can be hard to come up with good ideas. 

While browsing social media, I stumbled across the work of Stefan Kuhnigkt, He is a German copywriter and illustrator. He draws adorable monsters out of coffee stains and posts them on his Instagram account. He recently even published a book of these monsters. He is constrained by the stains,but in turn, they foster his creativity.

There is definitely a balance between being too restrictive and too open when designing for online interactions. When designing instruction that requires online interactions, the constraints vs. openness continuum seems important to consider.