I recently had the pleasure of being a guest on Jeff Parks i.a. podcast. This was my first time being both interviewed and recorded, and kudos to Jeff for making it an awesome experience! The conversation we had revolved around failure and why it’s so important for designers. The topics include concepts I brought up in my three part posting on the importance of failure, and feedback we received on the wiki he set up. Thank you to Christian Crumlish, Daniel Szuc, Jan Jursa, Valeska O’Leary, and Eric Reiss for that feedback btw! You can listen to the podcast either here or via iTunes. Hope you enjoy!
In the final part of this series on the importance of failure, I’ll be getting a little philosophical on the subject. Part 1 and Part 2 covered some practical means to take advantage of failure. The final two methods are meant more to change the mindsets of both individuals and organizational leadership to encourage an environment that takes full advantage of failure. Failure always has a negative connotation to it, and these final two approaches are perfect for finally putting a positive spin on the subject. Continue reading →
In Part 1, I showcased the first two methods for dealing with failure and learning from it. Part 2 will focus on activities that can be during a retrospective, or stand alone. These next two methods have a certain risk associated with them due to the emotions that can arise during the resulting conversations. If done successfully however, the passion these emotions invoke can help solidify the lessons that are available to be learned. Continue reading →
The key to any advanced prototypes using Blend 3 w/ Skecthflow is using the SketchFlow Animation Panel, the more advanced States panel, or by adding common interactive behavior to controls. Now, if you happen to have any Flash background, setting up animations will feel very comfortable for you. Below are my thoughts on how to set up some of the behavior that is exhibited by another Silverlight Prototype I put together. (Please explore the prototype to see how feedback and annotations work.) Continue reading →
My first introduction to Blend wasn’t a pleasant one, so bad that when Blend2 came out I promptly ignored it. However, while attending the Day of .Net Conference I sat in on a demo of Blend 3 with Sketchflow. It was impressive to see the improvement that has been made in the Blend, and with the addition of Sketchflow. To dive deep into the capabilities of Blend, I downloaded the trial version and set out to create a prototype for a future design of this blog (and do some R&D for how to use this on my project team). Below are some thoughts I had while cranking out this concept. Continue reading →
Seeing Things Differently – It is always best to keep in mind the people that always need a little help.
Designing A Unified Experience – Kim Goodwin gives an outstanding overview of design. Great video to check out.
Todd Zaki Warfel – redUX DC ‘09 – Todd gives us a great run down of the workshop he gave on prototyping at the IA Summit back in March. Continue reading →
Ghost in the Pixel is one of my favorite Interaction Design blogs. Last May, Uday Gajendar posted some insightful questions to guide young designers on the path they want to take professionally. I found this helpful in allowing me to better define the type of designer I want to be when I grow up. Below are my answers. Continue reading →
Web Design From The Gut – Web design has a process that’s for sure, but so much still just comes from the gut.
40 Helpful Resource on User Interface Design Patterns – Smashing Magazine serves up this great collection of all the patterns you will ever need.
Feedback. The Creavity Killer – Very nice 12 step program for those that find themselves always on the defensive with their creatations.
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How to Create A Style Guide With Ease – Great tips on how to great a style guide that is both thorough and understandable.
Oldie but goodie: When I’m asked to design a bridge … – Dave Malouf offers some great starter points for attempting the Mozilla Design Challenge. Continue reading →
Twitter’s Most Moronic Change: Removing @ Reply Settings – Twitter community outrage on recent change to their @ Reply system.
About Challenges and Authentic Experiences: An Interview with Bill DeRouchey – Great interview looking at the history of Interaction Design, and where the profession is going. At the end of the interview is a nice piece of advice for young UX Designers. Continue reading →