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Wait, Back Up
One common mistake we make as communicators is forgetting our audience’s context. As we dive full steam into our idea, our audience is still back at the station, trying to figure out which way our train’s going. While you might have been fully immersed in your idea for days (or years), your audience might be…
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The Noise Inside
“Nowadays most men lead lives of noisy desperation.” – Henry David Thoreau Many of us would admit to living noisy lives. Often we’d say that our environment, or our culture are to blame. We look at always-on technology, our crazy schedules, our boisterous kids, but these are often red herrings, distracting us from where the…
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Looking for Trouble
Most of us have enough trouble (thank you very much), we don’t go out looking for it. What we’re looking for is a trouble-free existence, free from responsibility and things breaking down, where the drinks are cold and the water’s just right. But is that really what would make you happy? I had this realization…
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Always Something
Ever pick up your head at the end of the day and think, where did the day go? Did I do anything besides stare at a screen, firing off another email, reacting to the latest ping? Did I take note of one person around me, or even truly listen to those closest to me? It’s…
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Beyond Buzz
Does the loudest voice win in a shouting match? Some people think so, which is why they keep talking louder, re-explaining their point more urgently. Many advertisers think this is the case as well. Their billboards get larger, the ads get brighter, as they try to compete in en ever-noiser space. Even as their audience…
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Your Life’s Work
David wrote a great post about what’s important in life. But what affected me is the PS at the end of the post: “My life’s work is Basecamp.” Such a profound statement. In recent years Basecamp (formerly 37 Signals) has focused their efforts on their collaboration software, so much so that they changed their company’s…
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Small Things
Behind every graphic you see, there’s a graphic designer. It’s easy for designers to point to their work when it gets projected in Time Square, but this isn’t the reality for the daily work of most designers. Most designers sweat over dots and pixels that are seen by only a handful of people for a…
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Work Hard, Be Grateful: The DDC Road Show
On Friday night I got to go to the Draplin Design Co Road Show, as Aaron Draplin graced the city of Winnipeg with his presence. Best known for Field Notes and a boat-load of killer logo designs (particularly of the thick-lined variety), the Portland local shared a ton of great stories and insights about making…
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Your Rhythm and Rhyme
Here’s a story that resonates with me, can you relate as well? The Frogs by Kahlil Gibran Upon a summer day a frog said to his mate, “I fear those people living in that house on the shore are disturbed by our night-songs.” And his mate answered and said, “Well, do they not annoy our…
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Norman doors and designing for humans
Here’s one of my favourite comics from The Far Side. This comic’s clever because even the most “gifted” of us know what it feels like to be humiliated by a simple door. Doors offer fascinating examples of interaction design. Most doors go completely unnoticed, precisely because of their good design. Over hundreds of years of…
