The modern designer is faced with an ethical dilemma: follow an employer’s demands for a money-making app that turns the user’s smartphone against them...or mindfully develop apps that put the smartphone back into the service of its owner. Turn it back into a tool instead of an invader.
Read MoreOn April 22, 2017, I gathered with my wife, my sister-in-law, brother-in-law, and a few thousand amiable strangers in New York City to draw attention to an issue of concern for all of us: the move away from rationality and fact-based decision making in America and Europe. We gathered to participate in the international March for Science.
Read MoreHow is it that some designers and developers who rely so heavily on the good design of their iPhones, Androids, and other consumer technologies still deliver solutions that aren't easily understood without a manual, special training, or a call to the help desk?
Read MoreDoes the world need another blog post that attempts to explain the differences between agile and waterfall methods in project management? Maybe not, but I was asked to put one together anyway. So now I share it with you.
Read MoreFew human projects are more carefully planned than those involving manned spaceflight. We can assume that the flight of the Discovery, the ship dispatched to Jupiter, has been planned to the very last detail...with the exception of the most important aspect of the mission: finding whatever there is to find near Jupiter. That the mission's planners could not have known what would be found there must have been considered a significant unquantifiable risk.
Read MoreI have a visceral reaction to the use of "click here" in interface design. I feel like a rubber band should be snapped on the wrist of the content author every time it happens. I've never seen a great reference that sums up why it's a bad idea and what the better alternatives are.
Read MoreThis is an old favorite of mine: a slide I put together for a presentation describing the role of the content strategist in major website redesigns. Of course, the sentiment in this slide is true at any stage of a website's lifecycle. Please make sure you're not just churning out sausages that no one wants.
The marketplace is flooded with books and articles that emphasize the importance of personal brand management. Now that the means of mass communication are in everyone’s direct control, we’re all expected to show our skills in action, not simply through a static CV or résumé, but through an ongoing stream of social media and blog posts. Prove that you know what you say you know...continually.
Read MoreThe Internet demands to be fed. Your career likely demands that you feed it. You are what your Internet record says about you which is why we're all personal brand managers now. We have to prove that we're active, that we go to interesting places and do interesting things. We're competing against the next fellow who's aggressively marketing himself. We redouble our efforts to catch up. On one hand, this is a boon to those who are looking to stand out. On the other, it's a new infringement on personal time as we're leashed to a data vortex that demands constant intake.
Read MorePrivate citizens are using the power of their mobile devices to influence the programming decisions made by commercial news and entertainment outlets. They’re using it to record and break the news themselves, augmenting -- or even circumventing -- the established media.
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