Informational Geometry

I wish everybody involved in building websites, everyone , to take a look at this presentation from Agile 2008. This presentation basically explains how the whole process should work, and why. It's too revealing to summarize, you just just have to check it out. The Wisdom of Experience by Alan Cooper http://www.cooper.com/journal/agile2008/ OK fine here's a quote, " No competent business person would choose speed over correctness if they had confidence in the outcome. " Thanks.

Every four years a phrase is uttered from living rooms and bars across the USA. It's the Olympics, and along with the spectacle and grandeur are few questions about what constitutes a "real" sport. Comments like, "Where's the skill in that?" and "Look, he's got a gut" are exchanged, and of course, "How is that a sport?" Here are the most questionable sports, from a broad panel of Baltimoreans: - Badminton? Hello! Tennis people. - Synchronized diving? Isn't just "diving" enough? - Rhythmic gymnastics? What's the deal with the ribbons? - Target shooting? You don't DO anything, you shoot a gun, how is that a sport? - Beach Volleyball? In those bikinis? This just can't be taken seriously. I myself am not a sports fanatic. I'm just happy to be entertained by the great big show that is the Olympics. Leave a comment about the Olympic sports you find questionable!

One of the biggest trends on the web for 2008 is the reign of simplicity. Over the past few months, some of the biggest websites have revamped their site design, opting for sophisticated but simple over gratuitous graphical bloat. Stripped away are the blends and visual effects, replaced with meaningful information, helpful text, and thoughtful interactions. It seems as if some of the best practices in user centered design are finally getting through to people. Facebook launched a new "cleaner, simpler design". They say, “We’ve made the changes... in order to highlight the most recent and relevant information that users value, give users even more control and ownership over their profiles and simplify the user experience ,” said Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. And a couple month's back MySpace launched a design update , one of many, which they are working on with Adaptive Path . My personal favorite new design is the BBC website . Launched in April after an ope...

It's been a few weeks since I've written anything in my blog and so I've decided to force some inspiration. I do this for work all the time right? I sit down and design internet detritus for random clients, every day, so why can't I just force inspiration on myself? "Force" is a bit harsh, I should use "process"... let's go. Researching "inspiration" on Google uncovers: - Way too many utterly useless search marketing pages - Christian references - Women's fitness - "Forgiveness" - Inspiring Quotes - A couple of blogs (I like http://www.wdydwyd.com/ ) A couple clicks and I get to the wikipedia post on Artistic Inspiration . All this is very interesting, but I'm not waiting for divine truth to compel me. Isn't the entire internet, potentially, a source of inspiration? But there's something intrinsically wrong here trying to find inspiration online. I'm staring at a screen, but it's sunny outside. Plus I...