UX and Me
The term User Experience Design or UX, as applied in a Web or mobile setting, can be confusing, as it seems to mean different things to different people. Some think of it as information architecture, while others consider it to be usability; some use it interchangeably with user interface design. The common mistake here is ...
The Jargon Jar
My response to the age-old swear jar? A jargon jar. Every time you utter a piece of meaningless business jargon, put a dollar in the jar. Aside: business jargon falls into some interesting categories. Appropriating a term normally used in other contexts: “I don’t have the bandwidth to handle all this, therefore I’d like to ...
Hyper Portable Computing
A prediction: Soon, you won’t need laptops, desktops, stereos, DVRs, MP3 players, etc. You’ll be able to own one smartphone-sized device that will sync wirelessly with dumb displays and monitors and stereos, and you’ll be able to carry it around with you everywhere you go. It will be the hyper portable, hyper personal computer.
Agency Smartypants
Many years ago, an email linking to an online IQ test went around the big NYC branding agency where I was working. Several of us took the test and when we convened to compare results, no one wanted to reveal their score. Therefore, we agreed to take the test together, as a team. Several of ...
Hiring Talent
I work in an industry that requires a high level of technical expertise and learned skills. Nonetheless, I’ve found after years of interviewing and hiring people that, regardless of technical chops, personality and disposition are the best indicators of success or failure for a given candidate. Between two candidates, one of whom has great technical ...
Content Strategy
Here is a simple diagram that should help you get started with your content strategy.
Invention’s Lineage
Thought: If necessity is the mother of invention, then whimsy must be its father.
Wireless with Wires
The only thing I hate more than wires around my computer are wireless devices. They run out of juice constantly, and recharging them is a hassle. Your options, depending on your wireless device, are: Destroy the environment—and your wallet—with traditional batteries Use rechargeable batteries which last about 3 hours, have a 6-month total lifespan, and ...
The Return of Album Art
I remember wanting to be an album cover artist. Of course, I was probably ten at the time, but shortly thereafter cassette tapes began to overtake record albums, and everyone lamented the demise of album cover artwork. It was slightly resucitated with the advent of CDs (hey, a 5×5 inch surface is better than a ...
Going Mobile?
Thinking of going mobile? If so, there are some important things you should consider. First and foremost, does going mobile make sense for your business? If so, should you build a mobile application (or app) or simply offer a mobile-optimized version of your website?
[caption id="attachment_2280" align="alignnone" width="540" caption="Netsoft's HealthMobile app puts vital information where it belongs: in the hands of users."]
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Two Artists / Two Thoughts
“If your mind is at work, we’re in danger of reproducing another cliche. If we can keep our minds out of it and our thoughts out of it, maybe we’ll come up with something original.” -Peter Falk “When I started making films, I wanted to make Frank Capra pictures. But I’ve never been able to ...
This Says It All
Not sure what Brendan Dawes was presenting here, but I like what I see. Photo credit: Marc Thiele.
As You Are Now, We Once Were
The idea that the world will go on long after we’re gone can be unsettling. And yet, we never really worry that life was going on long before we ever arrived. However, this realization — that life was going on long before I existed — has spurred my interest in home movies. Unfortunately, my family never shot ...
