February 2012
16 posts
1 tag
New regular series: Neglected Cinema
I love movies, and I’ve always had a specific affinity for movies that aren’t incredibly popular or well known. There’s something about seeing and enjoying and obscure film that makes me happy. It’s like I’ve found a rare jewel in a box of costume jewelry.
To that end, I have started up a new section here, one that I intent on filling with retro-reviews as I revisit...
1 tag
Rest in peace, Marilyn Daniel-Ware
[flickr]photo:6787123632[/flickr]
Ignorance is definitely bliss.
After a lovely, leisurely lunch with some friends today, I grew nostalgic. I thought back to my college days, to when I was doing college radio. I thought about the friends I made when I worked at Jefferson State Community radio, and one in particular: Marilyn Daniel. I hadn’t heard from her in several months, and the last...
1 tag
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me blu-ray review
[flickr]photo:6927453147[/flickr]
On February 23rd, 1989, Laura Palmer died.
And we all heard about it.
That’s the date, in the fictional world of Twin Peaks, that the high school homecoming queen met her end… The pivotal event that was the moment that triggered the core narrative of the classic TV series. It was a series that I was, and am, an obsessive fan of. I love the show,...
1 tag
How could bank branches be improved?
As someone who has designed software for many a bank, as well as done ethnographic research in and around branches, I have some very direct ideas on how the banking experience at branches can be improved.
Have express lanes. If someone is coming in to just do one thing, like cash or deposit a check, then have dedicated lines to support those “fast” transactions.
Have a “genius...
1 tag
Focus on the outcome, not the tool
I’m fighting with Adobe. Not literally, obviously - I’m not having physical altercations with a multinational corporation. I’m fighting with thier apps, specifically InDesign. And InDesign is winning.
The thing is, it shouldn’t be. I’ve used page layout programs for years - one of my first jobs was doing magazine and catalog layouts in Quark Express. I SHOULD be able...
1 tag
What's the most awesome thing you've ever done?
It was at Dragon*Con 2009, a HUGE convention in Atlanta, GA. One of my all-time favorite filmmakers, Terry Gilliam, was there, promoting his (then new) movie The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus.
Terry Gilliam had a panel on Friday afternoon, in a HUGE auditorium. Imagine a football field, with Terry Gilliam on stage in the end zone, and me standing behind a microphone on the opposing team’s...
1 tag
Don't design with "something to prove"
I’m wrapping up a long-term design project, and, after two years working on the same thing, I’ve learned a lot. A lot about myself, a lot about design, and a lot about people.
One of the things that I notice over this time was that different designers on my team took design criticism differently. Some of them would be completly open to feedback and respond collaboratively....
1 tag
Lessons in UX: The "tender trap" of the iPhone
If you’ve been paying attention to the stock market lately, you may have noticed that Apple is doing quite well. At the time of this writing the stock is over $500 a share, the company has just had another quarter of record earnings, and Apple is worth more, in market capitalization, than Microsoft and Google combined. And some anaysts say its growth rate is accelerating…
What is...
1 tag
Why don't Mac Mini's have MagSafe power...
Being a close follower of Apple and their design decisions, I’d say a primary reason the Mac Mini doesn’t have that connection is simple: it’s not a portable computer, and it doesn’t have a battery.
The idea behind the MagSafe connector is to prevent laptops from being yanked off tabletops when someone trips over the cord. When this happened before, the laptop inevitably...
1 tag
What are some of the things that Apple decided not...
Lots of things.
They decided not to build a MIDI “break-out” box a couple of years ago, even though the product was ready for production according to some sources.
They decided to stop making printers.
They decided to simplify thier product lineup, to have two (then three, then four) lines to sell. Desktops, laptops, (and eventually) mobile phones and tablets.
They decided to...
1 tag
Which mobile apps offer a perfect user experience?
Perfect is the enemy of good, and perfect is also a very high bar to achieve. I don’t know if I’d say that the following are perfect, but they ae very good indeed:
Simplenote let’s you take notes and write. It also syncs your text to all other devices that have the appropriate software in the background. It’s simple and just works.
Instagram let’s you take and share...
1 tag
On pop culture, and drowning in abundance
When is the last time you got legitimately excited about a new movie or TV show? When you had a moment where the idea of seeing the premiere genuinely got your energy level up? If you’re like me, it probably happens a lot less than it used to. My reaction, more often than not, is ‘Meh.” And a lot of people are having the same reaction. TV audience levels have been declining for...
1 tag
What are best 10 books about user experience...
Designing for the Digital Age: How to Create Human-Centered Products and Services by Kim Goodwin is a favorite of mine, in the fact that it is just so comprehensive. It’s THE book to me.
A Project Guide to UX Design: For user experience designers in the field or in the making is a great primer on UX and a good book around project planning.
The Persona Lifecycle: Keeping People in Mind...
1 tag
How can you make FAQ pages/sections better?
Have a “smart” FAQ. Make the primary section be the most frequently “asked” questions, based on analytics. Show only the top 10, with an options o view more. Have an obvious link to view all and an obvious text field to search all. Have a section at the bottom of the detailed answer page that asks “did this answer your question?” and an option to add an explicit...
1 tag
First world problems
When I went back to the US during Christmas (on a break from the project I’m working on overseas) I was greeted with a score of problems. My mail was piled high and deep on my desk. My computer needed multiple upgrades, as did the iPad I left. Music I bought needed to be transferred to the music library drive I kept in the states. Neglected backups needed to be done. Photo libraries needed...
1 tag
Now available on iBooks: Captured Moments, a book...
Captured Moments is an interactive book of my photography. It is available exclusively from the Apple iBooks store and is available for the low low cost of FREE. Please check it out, I hope you like it
1 tag
My book on UX, Experience Matters, is now...
My book on user experience design. Experience Matters, is now available on the Kindle, the iBooks store, and in paperback from Amazon.
January 2012
12 posts
1 tag
Photos: The Art of the Brick
Here’s an exhibit of sculptures made from LEGO bricks by artist Nathan Sawaya that is currently being shown in Town Hall, Sydney.
[flickr]set:72157629048972163[/flickr]
1 tag
What are the best ways to teach interaction design...
Walk them through a previous design project. Pull out all the design artifacts, from concept design to detailed specifications. Show them video from any usability tests that took place. Demonstrate the process that was followed to go from a high-level problem statement and concept(s) to a detailed and final solution. And don’t try and do this all at once… take your time to tell the...
1 tag
Is confidence good for UX research and design?
Confidence is good. Arrogance is not. The key is to be confident but also open to other people’s ideas and to the possibility that you may be mistaken and/or your design could be improved.
Let’s use Sherlock Holmes as an example. Sherlock Holmes was the world’s first consulting detective, and he was incredibly skilled in deduction and the history of crime. He was very confident...
1 tag
How do UX designers track their productivity?
When it comes to tracking productivity in UX design, the focus should always be on the outcomes, quality and hitting key milestones, and not on day-to-day activity. Because there is no one “perfect” UX design process (just as there is no one perfect software development process) each project is going to have different timeliness and needs. One project may be heavy on detailed design...
1 tag
What are the foundations that need to be laid out...
I have used multiple techniques to do this, depending upon the amount of time available on the design project. At the very least, you need to have focus as to what you are designing, and know the target audience for what you are doing. Shakespeare wrote “the readiness is all” and before you are ready to dive into the UI “layer” you have to understand those two core things
...
1 tag
Why can't you sell an iBooks Author edited book by...
Apple created the iBookstore and the new iBook Author tool. As creator of said platform/application, they can put stuff in their EULA that says “you must never use this tool without wearing pants” if they want. It’s their IP, they can do what they want. But just because they can set whatever terms they want doesn’t mean they should set unreasonable ones. To many, the...
1 tag
Lessons in Service Design: How to Avoid...
Retailers have noticed a disturbing trend of the past few months. Many of the people visiting their stores are browsing but not spending any money… At least, not at your store. They’re still spending their money… just online. These customers go to shops and then whip out thier smart phones to find cheaper prices for items they discover there. The nickname for this behavior is...
1 tag
Videos from Kennedy Space Center
Here’s a couple of videos I shot - the first is a look inside the Assembly Building:
[youtube]OCeZU7A-Mec[/youtube]
The second is the recreation of how the launch of Apollo 8 went:
[youtube]lYlJ5WEq-H0[/youtube]
1 tag
Photos: Kennedy Space Center
I’ve always wanted to visit Kennedy Space Center and I finally got around to crossing that particular item off my “bucket list” this past weekend. Even better, I was able to tour the Vehicle Assembly Building, where all the Saturn V rockets made for the Apollo program was constructed… and I got really close to the just-retired Endeavor space shuttle, being prepped for...
1 tag
Twin Peaks ads and news articles, circa 1991
Just found my file of clippings from when Twin Peaks was on, and so I decided to share with the class: [flickr]set:72157628733946739[/flickr]
1 tag
What is Apple's strategic motive with iCloud?
Users are creatures of habit who don’t like change. Resistance (to change) is something I’ve written and researched extensively with users - people don’t like to change even if it’s good for them, because they are comfortable with how things are.
Apple wants to become part of user’s lives, and the more they are the more likely that inertia will set in. The more...
December 2011
6 posts
1 tag
Like The Prisoner? Then buy my book!
I have written a book of essays on The Prisoner, the classic TV series created by and starring Patrick McGoohan, and it is now available for purchase through Amazon’s Kindle store. A “dead tree” printed edition is coming out by January, for a little more than the kindle edition ($6.99 vs. $3.99). If you like the show, I think you’ll like the book. Here’s a link.
1 tag
Mobile Banking: SMS, App, Web or All of the Above?
Originally published by Credit Union Times on December 9, 2011.
When it comes to providing mobile banking to your members, the first question is: Should you do it? Looking at the increasing adoption rate of smartphones, and the number of competing banks and credit unions who provide their members with a mobile offering … well, the answer is obvious.
Mobile banking is a value-added feature...
1 tag
What are the best ways to provide instant...
A good question, and I’ve written about this quite a bit. First, provide points or virtual currency that actually let you DO something with them - a good example is XBOX points that users can use to get content or add-ons. Earning virtual currency is great - but they have to have some percieved or real value. I have a ton of points with Quora and Empire Avenue that I can’t...
1 tag
Some thoughts on "Gamification" and UX design
There’s been a lot of discussion and articles in the user experience space over the past few months on Gamification - that is, using techniques and attributes from video games and applying them to other domains, such as web or productivity apps to better engage users. I have surveyed the many thoughts on this topic and have some of my own:
Try and keep the “score” positive. I...
1 tag
Like my writing here? Then buy my book!
You may have thought I was done when I posted my last post about my book on The Prisoner… Au contraire! A compilation of all things Joe Called “My Life, My Tweets” is now available on Amazon’s kindle store. A dead-tree version will be released soon as well. So, what are ya waiting for! Buy! Buy!
1 tag
Changes
I’m burned out.
I’ve been working on one project for over two years now, and I’m over it. I have a hard time getting motivated, and find it difficult to care about what I’m doing. I look at my inbox with dread every morning.
As I realize this, I also identify that I hate not caring. I love what is do, and I never think of design as “just a job”… Correct...
November 2011
30 posts
1 tag
Why is Bryan Cranston still getting small parts in...
My opinion: He’s older than 35, and he’s never “carried” a movie before. Add to that the fact that Hollywood is getting more and more “risk averse” and you can see why brilliant actors like Cranston aren’t given the big parts.
I think he can absolutely carry a movie and could play anything… but I’d rather have 16 more hours of Walter White on...
1 tag
What would be a more elegant way to handle updates...
Make them push, not pull. Right now you have to go “get” the updates, by clicking on the App Store icon, then going to updates. That’s “pull.”
Change to “push” by using the new Notification Center that was just added in IOS 5. If you have three updates, then just tell the user that through a notification. They can then respond or ignore the notification....
1 tag
How can you encourage conversations about UX...
You can pontificate about your organization focusing on user experience, or you can lead by example. I have found that the best way to encourage a geniune conversation is the successful implementation of a user-centered design in a project or a product. Produce results, and then make sure that decisionmakers know about them. Answer the obvious questions, even if they are not asked: “How did...
Challenge to fandom: I want an Inspector Spacetime short film. Do it. #community
Twitter Updates for 2011-11-12 →
Drinking with friends, and discussing fast food in a blasphemous way.
“The McRib of Christ compels you!” #
Last day working “in-country” in Australia until mid-January. I’ll miss all…
RT @BlazeOrangeGirl: There are people on Twitter who love Nickelback, get sex regularly and hate Star Wars and bacon. I say we choke th …
Twitter Updates for 2011-11-11 →
A Brief Rant on the Future of Interaction Design http://t.co/FaRIdhgP #UX #
Powered by Twitter Tools
A Brief Rant on the Future of Interaction Design http://t.co/FaRIdhgP #UX
Twitter Updates for 2011-11-10 →
Beer. Yum. http://t.co/8FK1PjJt #
Finally think I’m seeing the light at the end of the tunnel… And for the first time in many many months, I’m pretty sure it’s not a train #
Ok,…
RT @sethgs: Just saw an Oscar-shaped bat symbol flash in the sky above Billy Crystal’s house.
I hope I never need to “chat with Dr. Drew.” About anything.
Twitter Updates for 2011-11-09 →
Major train delays. North Shore Line Suspended. I’m therefore in a pub having dinner. #electricalstorm #
Success, I found a cab! After walking a kilometre away from the station,…
RT @William_Simmons: Sir Richard Branson backs Square with multimillion dollar investment - http://t.co/TBrbf5pU
Just read that they are going to make a Where’s Waldo movie. Aim high, Hollywood. Aim high. #dumbassideathemovie
Twitter Updates for 2011-11-08 →
Heading back to the states for a while for work… A semi-unexpected turn, and one I’m happy about. #
Head of Google says that Siri is a threat to their “fully armed and operational…
RT @andybudd: Howard The Duck is the 4th best film George Lucas has produced in the last 20 years. Discuss.