October 2008
12 posts
“We need to drop out of committees that are a waste of our time and stop sending...”
– Dan Ariely, Predictably Irrational
people work feverishly to keep their options open
Watchit made me cry
“Ownership simply changes our perspective. Suddenly, moving backward to our...”
– Dan Ariely
“Introducing market norms into social exhanges violates the social norms and...”
– Dan Ariely, Predictably Irrational
zero is an emotional hot button
given a choice, people will always choose the free item
we anchor ourselves to initial prices
and then we compare everything to that
WatchWhy I always felt so bad in the suburbs.
“I don’t want to live the life of a Boxster, because when you get a Boxster...”
– James Hong, cofounder of the Hotornot.com rating and dating site
use a decoy
if you have two things to choose from, people will always choose the one that looks better, even if they don’t need it.
context is king
most people don’t know what they want until they see it in context
getting a form's structure right
Pay attention to:
Affordance (the lure)
Compelling entry points
Comparison chart
Benefits
Security
Tour
Where to go from there
Consistent design
An overview of what’s to come
Help along the way
Language aid
Save and continue
Orientation
Title
Progress indicator
Progress feedback
Chunking
Headers
Labels
July 2008
19 posts
personas
shorthand for the key findings discovered during a real investigation
how to get feedback from uncommunicative people
Rehearse how you will respond if there is no reaction
Practice speaking slowly and taking long pauses
Make it clear that you expect a reply—and are willing to wait for one
Ask open-ended questions that help the person come up with a plan
tips for giving feedback
Focus on improving performance
Keep the focus of feedback on the future
Provide timely feedback
Focus on behavior, not character, attitudes, or personality
Be specific
create an action plan
A statement of the current situation
Specific goals
A timeline
Action steps
The coach’s role
managing vs. coaching
Managing
Telling
Directing
Authority
Immediate needs
A specific outcome
Coaching
Exploring
Facilitating
Partnership
Long-term improvement
Many possible outcomes
“Agreement is the foundation of successful coaching.”
– Closing Gaps and Improving Performance: The Basics of Coaching
when to quit your job
These are the top ten reasons why you might want to quit your current job. These are difficult, if not impossible, work problems to solve. If these problems exist in your current job, make a plan, and quit your job.
You’ve stopped having fun and enjoying your job. No matter what changed, when you dread going to work in the morning, it’s time to quit your job.
And the top ten reason...
context is king in asia
When viewing objects in front of complex backgrounds, Asian fixate more on the surroundings than do Americans. Compared with America’s stress on individuality, context is king in Asia, and those social forces may be directing Asians’ attention to scenery.
“My advice is this: no matter how much time you are given, never ever go over...”
– Garr Reynolds, Presentation Zen
“It’s not about us, it’s about them. And about the message.”
– Garr Reynolds, Presentation Zen
“You have to think very hard about what is important (for them) and what is not...”
– Garr Reynolds, Presentation Zen
“Design is about making communication as easy and clear for the viewer as...”
– Garr Reynolds, Presentation Zen
“The more strikingly visual your presentation is, the more people will remember...”
– Paul Arden
logo on the first and last slides only
“People have a hard time coping with excessive cognitive strain.”
– Garr Reynolds, Presentation Zen
“By stripping down an image to essential meaning, an artist can amplify that...”
– Scott McCloud
zen aesthetic values
Simplicity
Subtlety
Elegance
Suggestive rather than the descriptive or obvious
Naturalness
Empty space
Stillness
Tranquility
Eliminating the nonessential
“You believe in your story, or you do not.”
– Garr Reynolds, Presentation Zen
questions we should be asking before preparing a...
How much time do I have?
What’s the venue like?
What time of the day?
Who is the audience?
What’s their background?
What do they expect of me?
Why was I asked to speak?
What do I want the to do?
What visual medium is most appropriate for this particular situation and audience?
What is the fundatmental purpose of my talk?
What’s the story here?
What is my absolutely...
June 2008
6 posts
“We talked about calling it Friend Stalker, but we thought that might give the...”
– Evan Williams, found of Twitter
“In a meeting, if you initiate humor, you’ve got the table.”
– John Morreall, humor expert and professor at William and Mary
“In 2007, five of the top ten best-selling books in Japan were written on a...”
– Brent Lewis, director of digital commerce at publisher Harlequin
“What NBC tries to do with music is make its Olympic stories more interesting to...”
– Frank Shorr, Emmy-winning sports-broadcasting veteran and director of the Sports Institute at Boston University
“Positive sounds have a 65% chance of changing listeners’ moods.”
– Martin Lindstrom, sensory branding expert
“Life conspires to beat the rebel out of you.”
– Alex Bogusky
May 2008
4 posts
meme
An information structure that replicates between human minds. Examples include songs you hear someone singing that won’t leave your head, jokes, and even language.
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
– Leonardo da Vinci
“In Austria, people are organ donors by default. They’re given the right to...”
– Dan Heath and Chip Heath, Fast Company
“If we want to accelerate the recent trend of reducing waste, it may be time to...”
– David Roberts, Fast Company
April 2008
5 posts
what drives online spending
A sense of adventure The satisfaction of using technology effectively Consumers prone to hedonistic motivations have a tendency toward unplanned and hasty buying online. To capitalize on such motivations, online vendors can design websites that stir feelings of technolocal control and adventure. - James Kuczmarski, Fast Comapany
“The blog world is built on relationships.”
– Robert Scoble
“I don’t think you’re smoking space crack at all.”
– My boss Joe, upon seeing one of my conceptual designs
the grill
ambitious editor: i didn't know you were on the editorial team.
me: yes i was.
ambitious editor: for how long?
me: about six years.
ambitious editor: six years! oh my goodness.
me: yes.
ambitious editor: how long have you been a designer?
me: about a year and a half.
ambitious editor: did you have to study a lot to become a designer?
me: some.
ambitious editor: what did you do? take classes?
me: yes, i took classes, i read, i learned visio.
ambitious editor: and HOW long have you been doing this?
me: about a year and a half. okay, i've got to go! take care!
“My view of consensus management is that it gives everybody a veto, and one of...”
– San Francisco financier and chairman of the UC Board of Regents, Richard Blum
January 2008
5 posts
VzD
Visual design attempts to solve communication problems in a way that is at once functionally effective and aesthetically pleasing. - Mullet & Sano
“To design is much more than simply to assemble, to order, or even to edit; it is...”
– Paul Rand
five reasons why teams are dysfunctional
1. Inattention to results 2. Avoidance of accountability 3. Lack of commitment 4. Fear of conflict 5. Absence of trust - The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, by Patrick Lencioni
design is in the details
It is in the detail work that design really happens — that the clever, delightful moments of a design occur. Those are as important, if not more so, than the concept itself. The details are where we earn our money and our respect, and the details can only be worked out through making stuff. - Dan Saffer