February 2013
1 post
Wear and tear
I’ve always been fascinated by how the things I use are changed by use, by time. Ever pull a pair of old favorite shoes out of the closet and wonder how you wore them that last time given the hideous condition they are in? They changed over time, becoming at once more fitted to us and less the pristine object we were allured to. Or the collected newspaper from momentous events, continually...
December 2012
3 posts
Hats off to Kottke
I was sad when Jason Kottke posted post Sandy
The situation in New York and New Jersey is still dire** so posting stupid crap seems frivolous and posting about the Sandy aftermath seems exploitive. Information is not what people need right now; people need flashlights, candles, drinking water, safety, food, access to emergency medical care, a warm place to sleep, etc.
via kottke.org
In fact...
Waiting on the 3D pixel
I’ve long held the fantasy that pixels would animate on the Z axis. Pop up to come meet our finger, depress based on resistive properties granted as part of their styling. Buttons that look soft and rounded might depress with a bit of squish while those with hard edges might pop down as depressed.
Photographs might allow for a spacial reading (maybe my dog could see herself better than she...
Magic
Manipulating things you’re not in contact with is magic.
We’re resigned to the fact that we have to touch something to change it and when we realize air can extend our reach, it feels like a superpower.
The joy of a remote control car or, even better, airplane (if you can ever be in control); feeling the can pop after launching a rock with a slingshot; seeing tinsel dance after...
February 2012
3 posts
Companies are people…ish
The Facebook timeline is great for people, sure. But what about older, more complicated entities? It turns out the timeline is the perfect frame for telling a company’s story, from the founding myth to major historical incidences. As compared to a wiki page, the timeline allows a much more engaging way to explore and consume the stories around a brand.
New York Times, Ford, and Coke are...
ETAOIN SHRDLU
The AIGA/NY Linotype event last night was fantastic. Much like the Linotype machine it was elusive, having to get to the Brooklyn Navy Yards and all, and required patience, only a few could see the machine at a time, and it paid off huge. Seeing the movie was fantastic and being able to immediately getting to hear for ourselves the music and witness the magic was unreal.
During the film there...
The most important thing about…
While at Re:Design conf last year I incidentally said something like “That’s the important thing about teaching, you have to reflect on your work in order to share it with others.”
Someone pointed out that that phrase, “The important thing about” is a game he plays with his kids. The example was: The important things bout chairs is that you can sit on them. That...
January 2012
6 posts
Of Coursekit!
The rumors are true. I’m the Creative Director at Coursekit and we’re going to change education. Expect more from me on this and all the topics surrounding it soon. That, however, can wait.
What can’t wait is this: our already impressive team needs more of the very best design and engineering talent around. It will be the most fun you’ve ever had disrupting a major...
“Elegance is a synonym for beauty that has come to acquire the additional...”
– Wikipedia
Totally knee-jerk reaction to i(Text)Books
This is awesome for education AND publishing
TGADGS (Thank God Apple Doesn’t Get Social)
When will Amazon release theirs?
What web/app company will rise up and topple the textbook giants?
iBooks Author looks like a super powerful Keynote (hope it has flame transitions)
What about fonts?
I can’t wait to make a book…
The New Web Typography →
Nick Sherman and Chris Clark made this and it’s awesome. Great showcase of Font Bureau’s WebType.
The future is now.
Splatf just reminded us that the iPhone is 5 years old and that Jobs said at its announcement that it was 5 years ahead of its competitors. He took this benchmark to assess if anyone has caught up to the first iPhone or today’s.
I agree that it is still ahead by many metrics, but I disagree with the interpretation of Jobs’ hyperbole to mean “nobody else can make this for 5 years”. He...
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