Monthly Archives: February 2009

Yes, we’ve been in business for months now, but we’re finally getting around to our launch party. But we’re not just having one event, we’re having THREE.

Filed in Events, Industrial Design, Kicker, Product Design 2.0 | Comments (0)

While doing some research, I accidentally stumbled onto the Wikipedia entry for Gesture Recognition, an entry that, amazingly, I’d never seen before, despite days and days of research for Designing Gestural Interfaces. Buried in the entry is a great name for a condition that poorly-designed gestural interfaces can cause: gorilla arm.

Filed in Gestural Interfaces, Interaction Design, Touchscreens | Comments (0)

“[To] Pack a big array of touchscreen buttons together…the best pattern might be a hexagonal grid.” http://icanhaz.com/hexbuttons # Six Gadget Trends and Their Effects on Social Media: http://tinyurl.com/ajnvyw # Amish hackers. Yes, you read that right. http://tinyurl.com/dfqplg # Braille interpreter for those who don’t know braille: http://tinyurl.com/aoa7wp # PBS’ list of the Top 30 Innovations [...]

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This article on homes designed for an aging population sparked a few thoughts about the parallels between aging and sustainability. I’m thinking about how each can inform the other.

Filed in Green Design, Product Strategy | Comments (0)

Saying, “We need a breakthough innovation” is as ridiculous as saying, “We need breakthough usability,” or, “Get me some breakthough beauty!”

Filed in Inspiration | Comments (0)

I love our office. Huge windows, great light, interesting people, and the periodic blast of traffic down Bryant. It’s a great place to work. But it’s always fun to shake up the routine. Two very different workshops last week did just that.

Filed in Speaking Summaries, Tinkering, Visual Design | Comments (0)

Rands: “The first three big design decisions you make are vastly more important than the second three.” http://icanhaz.com/randsontwitter # If you haven’t seen it yet: Amazon announces Kindle 2 (Electric Boogaloo) http://tinyurl.com/ateyak # Still can’t figure out why a reading device needs a dedicated (or at least visible) keyboard all the time. #kindle2 # Does [...]

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In 1994, telecommunications giant AT&T ran a series of television ads in the US created by N W Ayer and directed by David Fincher (!) with the tagline “You Will.” While designers fetishize the Apple 1984 ad, I think we should also remember this series as a lost set of classics.

Filed in Inspiration, Interaction Design, Technology, Touchscreens | Comments (0)

The User Illusion: Cutting Consciousness Down to Size by Tor Nørretranders is a remarkable book. It’s not hyperbole to say that it’s one of the most mind-blowing non-fiction books I’ve ever read, nor to say that nearly every page contains some sort of interesting or profound insight or revelation about the human mind.

Filed in Book Reviews, Product Design 2.0 | Comments (1)

Coming soon to a sony mobile phone near you – vein authentication: http://tinyurl.com/d28can # Wow. Turn existing, passive surfaces into gestural input devices via scratch input: http://icanhaz.com/gesturalkitchentable # XRay from our pals at @stimulant: http://tinyurl.com/d84jyn # Get your James Bond on with the ultimate Spy Pen. Shame it doesn’t have lasers. http://icanhaz.com/spypen # We’re flattered [...]

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