-
On Innovation
I’ve been hearing a lot of talk around the office lately about Innovation. This subject is pretty close to my heart…and I’ve got some pretty strong beliefs about what innovation is and is not. For now, though, I’ll just let someone else do the talking: “For a company, innovation is something of a two-edged sword:…
-
Agile + User Centered Design
So, Marc says User Centered Design is compatible with Agile. I think I agree, but with a caveat or two. They’ve Got Different Foci The User Centered Design methodology is based on one simple concept: the person who will eventually use the system should be the focus of the design process. There are many processes,…
-
Today reminded me why I love my job
I’m exhausted. Beat. Dead tired. I just got home after a long, delayed flight from Phoenix to Chicago, returning here merely 36 hours after I departed. It was a quick, gruelling trip that tested my patience. And I loved every minute of it. Yesterday I saw one of my oldest friends in the world, Tami,…
-
Changing Our Slideware Culture
This has been a long time coming. Back in May I completed my Master’s Degree education by presenting my Capstone Project: Prepare. Project. Present. Using Technology to Encourage Effective Presentations. The video of my presentation is now up on YouTube, in three parts. Watch them below by pressing the play button: YouTube Link to part…
-
All Employees Deserve GREAT Software
I’m not here to help build mediocre software. Quite the opposite, actually. No one should be subjected to sub-par tools, whether they’re using their software at home, school, work, or somewhere in-between. One of my UCD-minded colleagues pointed out to me last week that often business users are considered a “special” set of users because…
-
Googled
FYI, my blog returns the top Google result for the phrase “cause all you really need are a few good friends“. Aww yeah. I love it.
-
The Basis of Web Design = Typography
First I read this. Then I read the follow up. And finally I found myself at this page, remembering, yet again, that the key to usability is readability. Now, if what you do every day has little to do with usability, design, or typography, you might think this stuff doesn’t really matter to you. If…
-
Little Side Projects
So I read this design document today and I find it quite inspiring. The designer and author, Khoi Vinh, noticed an action writers around him were taking to be more productive. Understanding a bit about technology, he went about designing a software application that would fulfill these writers’ needs, without forcing them to go out…
-
Fantasy Dev League
I’m sure the ThoughtWorkers will love this:
-
ThoughtWorks Chicago Entrance Sign Mockup & Photoshop & Human Performance
ThoughtWorks Chicago Entrance Sign Mockup Originally uploaded by josh.ev9. This afternoon I threw together a mockup of what the new sign in the entrance of the new ThoughtWorks Chicago office will look like. I worked with Michael, who did the actual design of the sign. Photoshop is, in fact, quite powerful. I’m becoming really in…