BrentManke.com

Tag: Design

  • The Minimalism of Winter

    Last week while eating lunch and gazing out the window at the -30° cold, we noticed a small bird in the cedar by our deck. A pine siskin or similar sparrow, its gray, brown, and yellow-hinted feathers puffed out to capture each bit of warmth. Our kids jumped to the window to salute this brave…

  • 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…

  • Humble Design

    Do designers really know best? A common trap for developers and designers is to build idealistic software and websites while disregarding feedback and input from everyone else. Because no one’s as enlightened as you, right? We sing Steve Jobs’ mantra, “people don’t know what they want until you show it to them,” convinced that our…

  • Designers Prune

    “Yes” is easy. “All of the above” is simple. “Just one more thing” is one thing too many. “No” is difficult. “A, not B” takes thought and guts. Faced with unlimited information but limited attention, infinite opportunity but finite energy, knowing what needs to be removed is as important as knowing what needs to be…

  • The Human Element in Design

    The Human Element in Design

    As kids on family vacation, our mom would make us stand in the picture when she took photos of the sites. As much as I disliked being in photos at the time, I understand the value of capturing memories of the people, not just the places, on vacation. Putting people in the picture is not…

  • Do Beautiful Things Work Better?

    I still remember the first time I went snowboarding in my (then) new snowboard pants. My first real boarding pants, they felt good, looked great, and changed my world. As I became one with the mountain that day, I honestly felt like I became a better snowboarder. But can new pants really make you a…

  • Say Something: Free Card Template

    I love making cards for people for two reasons: they’re personal, and they let me avoid the card aisle at the store. I also love things that are FREE and downloadable. So I thought I’d share the love and give you a card template that you can download (for free!), personalize and give to someone…

  • Online Advertising Video Infographic

    Our online creative team at Golden West made this video to communicate the rising importance of the internet in our daily lives, and the importance of businesses realizing this as they invest in advertising. Though there are many videos like this out there, not many feature Canadian stats, so we spent a lot of time…

  • Average Joe Computer Services

    Check my newest website design, for Average Joe Computer Services! Average Joe is a new computer support company serving southeastern Manitoba. Chris (no, his name’s not Joe:) was really great to work with in developing his site. He came to us with a strong concept based around his JOE “characters” which represented his various computer…

  • What Jip en Janneke Can Teach Us About Storytelling

    As I mentioned before, I’ve been admiring children’s books lately. Since coming to Holland we’ve been spending a lot of time in the kids’ section of bookstores, looking for books that will help Olivia learn Dutch language and culture. Lots of fun! I’d like to introduce you to one of this country’s favourites. Jip en…