Steve Jobs seems to be particularly good at this, in part simply by having high standards. There were a lot of small, inexpensive computers before the Mac. He redefined the problem as: make one that's beautiful. And that probably drove the developers harder than any carrot or stick could.
They certainly delivered. When the Mac first appeared, you didn't even have to turn it on to know it would be good; you could tell from the case. A few weeks ago I was walking along the street in Cambridge, and in someone's trash I saw what appeared to be a Mac carrying case. I looked inside, and there was a Mac SE. I carried it home and plugged it in, and it booted. The happy Macintosh face, and then the finder. My God, it was so simple. It was just like ... Google.
Thx Mark for the input even though there is a strong undertone of skepticism as to the value of what I bring to the table and whether a top DEV would give me the time of day.
I have read the Paul Graham link [quote above] which is very interesting and it highlights the importance of why image and product design are so important. Apple were there first company to understand this in the programming world and to this day they have made this a key parameter that drives their evolution. Apple have made 'beautiful design' a core brand value... it took the return of Steve Jobs who understood the importance of design to get them back on track and look where they are now!
Look how even Microsoft and Samsung have learned from the interface and product design of Apple only finally catching up in recent years
You have actually identified the exact reason why I come to this community from the design angle and what this thread is focused on achieving and the quote below speaks for itself in that give a DEV a clear defined 'end' vision and the carrot of the brand already looking like a quality product will give the project it's own momentum towards that vision.
He [Jobs] redefined the problem as: make one that's beautiful. And that probably drove the developers harder than any carrot or stick could.
The crystalising of the 'skin' and creating something that is bespoke, real and beautiful gives a clarified vision to both the DEV and the end user. Design is an integral part of creating the brand and the brand's success. I am looking for a DEV who recognises this and is inspired by the brands I am developing. Of course there will be many onlookers, watchers and haters who are sceptical like yourself of my motives and the value I bring but my mission is simply to find a DEV who is inspired to take the projects on.
Granted, at the moment they are just 'skins' but like a coder I bring a lifetime of experience to create each one of these skins so I'm not just knocking out new coins and ideas with clip art. If you look at current ALT coins on the market there are many that are achieving their moment of success and their visual brands are no more than crap clip art. When the big players come in to the market these brands will be eclipsed and die off unless they get a good ID 'makeover' which I predict many of them will do as they become more successful.
Many people in this country think of taste as something elusive, or even frivolous. It is neither. To drive design, a manager must be the most demanding user of a company's products. And if you have really good taste, you can, as Steve Jobs does, make satisfying you the kind of problem that good people like to work on.