Dieter Rams - Ten principles of good design

A summary of Dieter Rams ten principles for good design, and an article written by him in 2001. The first: “Good design is innovative.” The last: “Good design must be ‘the least designed’ as possible!”

From observation to design insights

Some thoughts on the purpose of collecting informal observations of “thoughtless acts” encountered in the course of daily life. Some of these reasons resonate with me as I think about why I collect cameraphone photos of design-related things I run across.

Filling Much Needed Holes - Don Norman

“How many times do the never-ending ethnographic studies coupled with ever-eager design groups lead to unwanted, unnecessary, overburdening, and environmentally insensitive products? How many times are these unmet needs best left unmet?”

I Chat, Therefore I Am - Discover Magazine

A chat between two AI chatbots, Alice and Jabberwacky. “A: Do you dream? J: Yes, I dream. A: It goes without saying. Do you remember your dreams? J: I remember them vividly. A: What do you remember about it? J: I think I shouldn’t flirt with a robot.”

Setting Up Shop

This weekend I finally got down to it and started to set things up here so I can start writing on the web again. After a (very) nearly endless hibernation I’m back, partly from a desire to flesh out and share the many bits and pieces of things I have scribbled in my notebooks and partly because I miss that healthy feeling that comes from writing regularly.

Things are definitely still in the process of being setup; apologies if you stumble upon unfinished sections and catch a glimpse of the machinery behind the scenes (more about that later.) I’ll get around to buttoning things up soon enough – at the moment I’m just happy to be back online.

“This is what I have learned” [Icograda]

Speech by Milton Glaser from 2002.

David Foster Wallace - Commencement Speech at Kenyon University

“That is real freedom. That is being educated, and understanding how to think. The alternative is unconsciousness, the default setting, the rat race, the constant gnawing sense of having had, and lost, some infinite thing.”

Some Problems with the Notion of Context-Aware Computing, by Thomas Erickson

“The root of the problem is that the context-awareness exhibited by people is of a radically different order than that of computational systems. People notice a vast range of cues, both obvious and subtle, and interpret them in light of their previous exp

The Fishbowl: Build One to Throw Away?


The Myth of the Great Idea

Ramit says: stop endlessly searching for that golden ticket idea. Choose a simple idea and focus on doing it well. Be smart about taking opportunities that will open new doors for you, and skipping ones that won’t.

notes.torrez.org: Dropsend

“Once again I will say: it’s not the idea, it’s the follow-through. It’s not if you have cool ideas, everyone can have a cool idea, it’s if you follow-through and keep at it. This is what I wish Dropload could have been.”

Pen Jilette: There Is No God

Part of NPR’s series “This I Believe”

Looking past the tools.

Every once in awhile I ask this question too…

Seed Magazine: What Buddhism Offers Science

By His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Kiva.org - Kiva lets you connect with and loan money to unique small businesses in the developing world.

Loan amounts per project seem to be around $500 each, but each lender can loan as little as $25.

Remember the Milk - todo, reminder service

Wow, fantastic UI. Love the task inbox, easy collaboration with contacts and various methods of reminders (email, IM, SMS.) Finally, a 37Signals challenger!

Design for the real world: human ecology and social change

Victor Papanek - available at the SFPL.

Eight: architecture, exhibitions, interiors, products (they designed Apple’s retail stores.)

Our solutions are based on a thorough knowledge of the short and long-term needs of each client and are always part of a coherent plan. That is what we believe is the meaning of creative direction.

On the value of idleness

An essay originally published in Harpers Magazine.

Puzzle player personalities

The “opportunist” vs the “border obsessive.” Opportunists are better at cooperating.

The Thought Project

Simon Hoegsberg stops 150 people on the street in Copenhagen and asks them what they were thinking about right before he stopped them. Charming photos and thoughts.

Cheap Eats at the Semantic Web Cafe

Well written article questioning the viability of folksonomy tagging a precursor to the Semantic Web. The author wonders if tagging will make things worse for us in the long run… that is if the Semantic Web with the One Ontology is where we want to go.

Making software for humans not engineers

Quickie post about engineers as originators vs the people who can take an idea and make it palatable and easy to use by the masses.

First 37 posts at 37signals

Glimpse into the beginnings of a company that has become very influential these days, with Basecamp and Backpack etc. Long time inspiration.

Thinking about “Design Thinking”

Boiling the “Design thinking” buzzword down to its essential parts. Creating that 3rd alternative, prototyping a solution (not THE solution), dealing with complex and shifting problems, being open to interdisciplinary influences and putting emotion into