The infamous (software) design/development process tree-swing comic

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Monday, May 14. 2007

The infamous (software) design/development process tree-swing comic

There are several different versions (and more) of the tree swing comic about the design and development process of virtually anything to be found online, but this one really is the best for Interaction Designers:

It involves more stages and stakeholders, and most important, the final frame is about "what the costumer really needed" (replace 'costumer' with 'user' and we're entirely happy) ..

[edit] the image was deleted from the place where I hotlinked it, so I uploaded it on my blog [/edit]

[UPDATE: 2011-07-24]

I was contacted by the owner of the particular stile and after four years I know who has the rights to the image displayed in this post. The image I posted is a bit different from the owner so someone changed some things here and there (colours, shadows, some lines) but basically it is the same. Also, the used texts are different from the version of the owner below:

"Matthijs,

The orginal was in 2005 and used in print literature.
Another version is on our site
http://www.paragoninnovations.com/ng4/guide.shtml

Attached [to Mike's mail] is an early version from our Powerpoint slide deck. There have
been a number of tree swing related cartoons and I have had a difficult time
finding an "orginal" source. We contracted with a graphic designer in 2005
to create this version of the cartoon for our business.

Feel free to use our cartoon. We just ask they you reference the copyright
notice and preferably link to our website address above.

Thanks for responding,
Mike

Mike Wilkinson CEO Paragon Innovations, Inc."

[/UPDATE: 2011-07-24]

Last modified on 2011-07-24 18:22

Posted by Matthijs Rouw in Interaction Design at 10:42 | Comments (16) | Trackback (1)

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Part 2 of "The infamous (software) design/development process tree-swing comic"
Today, someone posted a comment underneath my post of the design/development process tree-swing comic post I made in 2007. He claimed to be the owner of the image and as soon as I get more details from him I'll update the post. I did a quick Google se

Weblog: No changes, no chances
Tracked: Jul 21, 10:00

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Hi there - do you know who drew this version of the cartoon? I'm actually trying to get copyright permission to use it.. any info would be very helpful!
thanks,
chris

#1 chris on 2008-09-04 22:07 (Reply)

Hey Chris,

When I wrote this entry I hoped to find that out myself .. but there are so many copies that I could not find it .. There is a site however that kind of lets people play with the number of drawings and at which you can add your drawings .. can't remember where that site is, though .. but you've probably found it already ..

If you DO find out who is the original author, please let me know so I can add that information to this blog post ..

Cheers,

Matthijs

#1.1 Matthijs on 2008-09-05 10:35 (Reply)

good news!

I'm not sure but I believe this may be the original! oh and more good news!

It's open source! It is a svg file that is completely editable. Have fun!

#1.1.1 Unknown on 2008-12-25 06:30 (Reply)

hi

i am writing a book about efficient webprogramming and i want to use this graphic in it because its great!! cant find the svg you wrote about. can you please send me the link or post it?

thank you very much!

#1.1.1.1 christian (Link) on 2011-01-14 10:31 (Reply)

We are OK with folks using the tree swing artwork as long as they reference our website and respect our copyright. Please update site.

Please contact me at mike@paragoninnovations.com

Thanks,
Mike Wilkinson
CEO
Paragon Innovations, Inc.

#1.2 Mike Wilkinson (Link) on 2011-07-21 04:07 (Reply)

I too want to reference or create my own version. The following two websites proved useful:

http://www.projectcartoon.com/
http://www.businessballs.com/treeswing.htm

#1.3 Tracy (Link) on 2011-09-29 15:57 (Reply)

We are OK with folks using the tree swing artwork as long as they reference our website and respect our copyright.

Thanks,
Mike

#2 Mike Wilkinson (Link) on 2011-07-21 03:34 (Reply)

Good information thank u for sharing..

#2.1 Brandon Brown (Link) on 2013-05-10 14:43 (Reply)

I like the version that Paragon Innovations contracted to have made. If you want to know who drew that particular version, why not ask Mike Wilkinson for the name of the graphic designer they contracted back in 2005.

seems like noone knows who did the original image and came up with the idea.

A copy was printed in the San Franscisco Examiner on Sunday, October 12, 1975, with reference to The Teaching Paper, apparently produced by Portland teachers. With acknowldgements to Mark Linton.

Even earlier the drawings are included in the University of London Computer Centre Newsletter No. 53, March 1973.

http://www.businessballs.com/treeswing.htm

#3 Anthony on 2011-12-15 14:50 (Reply)

Between 1993 & 2002 I worked for videojet international as an assembler assembling industrial ink jet printers in the united kingdom at the VSI site near Cambridge Cambridgeshire before it closed due to total relocation to the USA. I often had to work in the mechanical services department (Milling drilling lathwork and other metal forming equipment) During these years I got to know the person in charge of the department quite well and one day in the late 90's he had a black and white line drawing that had been potocopied many times of a very similar cartoon, sadly in 2002 we all lost our jobs and I lost contact with this person.

#4 GF Lewendon on 2012-01-05 00:20 (Reply)

I also remember a black & white line drawing. I think from the early 1980's. Alas also (probably) lost in the mists of time. IMHO the old was was more honest & truthful.

cheers Paul

#4.1 paul on 2012-01-10 04:30 (Reply)

This link shows versions of the cartoon in print as far back as the 70s.

http://www.businessballs.com/treeswing.htm

#5 Rob on 2012-01-05 20:26 (Reply)

This is a very funny one... much more stuff in there

http://www.businessballs.com/businessballs_treeswing_pictures.htm

#6 Geoff (Link) on 2012-01-06 13:14 (Reply)

Great.

#7 jaffa on 2012-06-24 10:39 (Reply)

Thanks for this post - I too was looking around for who to credit with the comic.

I've followed their request and linked back to their site - http://paulkerrison.co.uk/portfolio/software-development/

#8 Paul Kerrison (Link) on 2012-07-08 14:06 (Reply)

I understand many years later you are getting responses as to "who did the original"... well this entire thing was stolen from an old film from the 80s or 90s (possibly earlier), the exact same drawings of trees and swings except the subject had to do with movie making. But the words were the same, just switched from movies to computers. Whoever did the "original" drawings of these concerning software was himself a thief. I know this because I too stole the idea for a student film project in the mid 90s. Not that it made any difference, the only people who saw it were my professors and it is long gone. Just goes to show you, nothing's original.

#9 cvb on 2013-04-24 15:42 (Reply)

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