reDesign And Reason

In case you haven't already seen it in the last couple of days, the new portfolio web site (done in HTML5) is now online; check it out: DesignAndReason.com



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(image) The Anatomy of a Perfect Landing Page.

I don't know if I would call this a "perfect" landing page but lots of good points are made here.

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Augmented Google Earth Gets Real-Time People, Cars, Clouds

This is an interesting utilization of technology although I'm not 100% convinced on the benefits of displaying even more detailed visual information–which will require more RAM–on Google Earth, a program that already requires lots of RAM to run smoothly.

holograms providing tactile feedback

I just came across the video above via a eNewsletter from Gizmag. to summarize: the idea of holograms providing tactile feedback was presented in 2009 SIGGRAPH by students from the University of Tokyo.

below are a couple excerpts from a presentation for a class I took at OSU. the objective of the course was to submit design ideas which sought to improve the quality of one's living room experience regardless of technological contraints. to summarize this project: this floating hologram would control all of the electronics in a users' home. one of the features of this technology included tactile feedback (shown in the images below).

here the user is selecting "yes" to continue watching the movie from the previous night.

profile view of the hologram, depicting the tactile feedback.

while watching the movie, the user decides to dim the lights in the living room.

when I presented this project, many people's first reaction was "that's impossible." however (as previously mentioned), the objective of this project was to design without technological constraints under the pretense that engineering restrictions are only a matter of time before they're overcome.

"Now that we can make anything, what will we make?"

the new look of Sean John

although Sean John's new logo is now legible (compared to the previous 'signature' logo) I'm not quite sure how it directly reflects the style of most of the clothing shown in the video above. yes, I understand the concept: futuristic (yeah, yeah, who DOESN'T claim to be futuristic these days?) however the multiple designs using acid washed denim don't seem to echo the clean-cut logo. although I did notice a couple cardigans, the "metal in the nylon fabric" and "printing on the inside of the t-shirt" seemed to be the most celebrated designs. while most of the designs are indeed cutting edge and new, the logo seems to be futuristic in a different (more conservative) way.

if the new Sean John logo were an article of clothing, I imagine it would be something one might wear with an evening gown or tuxedo, not with acid washed denim.

just imagine...

Google has used its wit to outsmart the world once again. Google Latitude (being released today) enables users to locate their friends and vice versa via their location on Google Maps Mobile.

This is such a dumb idea.

of course, I don't mean dumb in the sense that it should not have been done, but dumb in the sense that someone should have already released this by now as it is not a result of some break-through technological advance, but rather, this is what happens when the technology is available for long enough and people begin to think.

"What else can we do with this?"

Bruce Mau's Massive Change discusses the power we as humans (specifically as designers) now have. Technology has facilitated an array of options which seem to be endless. In effect, since we have yet to discover the full range of what may be accomplished through existing technology, we are not yet fully aware of our capabilities.

"Now that we can make anything, what will we make?"

Just imagine how many lives might have been save had someone thought of this application years ago? Take, for example, James Kim, an editor of C-Net.com (a web site which provides expert reviews of modern technology), who died from exposure and hypothermia while trying to retrieve help for his family after their car was buried in snow during a road trip. Kim’s death could have certainly been prevented had he received a signal on his cellular phone and been able to contact the appropriate local authorities for help. Furthermore, had his cell phone been equipped with Google Latitude, certainly his death would not have occurred from being lost in the cold.

Ironically, only a few weeks after Kim’s death, C-Net.com released survey results that indicated the general public’s distrust of location based software in cellular phones largely due to the pervasive fear of being watched by “Big Brother” regardless of the palpable dangers that surfaced during Kim’s disappearance and death. Also, most cellular phones are already equipped with software enabling users to be located during emergencies while the device is turned on (even if there is no service signal available). This indicates that the fear of being located by a mobile communication device is merely perceptual; users have been located by their cellular phones before this feature was advertised as a technological breakthrough.

Design can save lives...

Technology provides us with possibilities and allows us to imagine; design utilizes both possibilities and imagination so that we may make our lives easier through new ways of navigating, communicating, interacting, sharing, learning, teaching, dating, and expressing emotion. My only hope is that this technology becomes more affordable and lasts longer than a year or so. This new era brings forth positive change and maturation... dream.

made you look

on my way back from a meeting this morning, I noticed one of those bench signs that said (in big bold yellow letters), "SEE YOU LOOKED! BENCH ADVERTISING DOES WORK!"

I sincerely hope no one is fooled by this. we all know that there's a huge difference between merely getting someone's attention and clearly articulating a message, don't we?

I remember riding in the car once when I was very young -- I saw a balloon floating in the sky that was attached to a long string decorated with multi-colored, triangular shaped flags. it had to be at least one hundred feet in the air. when the car finally got close to the base of the balloon, it was a car dealership.

'a car dealership?' I thought. 'what do balloons have to do with selling cars?'

so, I asked [whomever was driving] why a car dealership would do this? it has nothing to do with all the books I'd read on advertising approaches. just kidding, I was probably only eight years old or so.

the answer I was given was, "to get your attention." and it worked. so its a successful means of advertising, right?

wrong.
this balloon only confused me. it said nothing about their company, how they're different from the next car dealership, or even what their profession is. this, in many ways, is probably worse than going unnoticed. in the consumer's mind is now ambiguity (which does not lead to inquiry) rather than surety or simply not knowing the company exists. how can one believe it is good in any way to first mislead someone before asking for a business relationship? I thought the balloon meant there was a circus in town and then I'm disappointed by this stale, lame car dealership?

its as if so many of us are begging for the attention drug in any possible form that we'd do anything to get it.


is that intelligent?

you have got to be kidding me.

T-Mobile's G1 with Google Android

T-Mobile's G1 was released earlier this week. This is the first product I've ever purchased the first day it was released; I'm not much of an early adopter (1st runner-up is my last phone, the T-Mobile MDA, which I purchased only a week after it was released).

When I first learned of Google Android, an open-sourced operating system for handheld devices, I was very excited but at the same time a bit disappointed because some of the things I saw regarding the interactive maps ran circles around my thesis. I quickly got over that once I realized I'm no match to Google's Research + Development Team anyway -- "if you can't beat em, join em" one of my goals.

So its been about four days since I've had the phone. I must say, I am a bit disappointed and considering sending it back. A few minutes ago I got an email from T-Mobile asking me to fill out a survey "regarding your experience with your new T-Mobile G1 with Google phone."

Apparently, they have no idea how passionate I am about this subject.

One of the questions asked me to rate how satisfied I am with my device; I answered "somewhat dissatisfied" (a step up from the lowest, "extremely dissatisfied"). The next question asked, "Why are you "somewhat dissatisfied?""

My response:

I've found there are some design flaws that need attention.

The hardware (specifically the covers over the microSD card and USB/headphone connectors) seem a bit flimsy, like they will break off in a few months or so. They also tend to get in the way when I'm trying to use these slots.

The interface isn't very intuitive; it could benefit from more user testing. Why is it so difficult to turn GPS on or off? Menu: Settings>Security & location (the description of this menu option does not mention GPS).

Why is it so difficult to add a contact from someone who sent me a text message? I practically have to outsmart the smart-phone.

Why, if I see something on the screen (ie time, battery icon, Bluetooth logo, etc) am I not allowed to click, or touch, it and be given options pertaining to what I clicked? I mean, this is a touch screen, right?

And let's set aside all the complaints bloggers have been making about the difficulty in transferring contacts from MS Outlook (you don't really think I'm going to manually type in +300 contacts, do you?). My biggest frustration (being a former Windows Mobile owner) and possibly the deal-breaker is the fact that this phone does not allow the user to copy+paste. So many times have I been on the internet and saw part of an article and sent it as a text message to a colleague. Or saved part of an email in the notes of an appointment.

I use my phone primarily for business -- am I outside of your target audience?

Busta Rhymes said it best when he spoke of how much he loves
what he does in his song Genesis (00:54 – 1:24)

"...I'ma die tryin for y'all
With the blessing of an angel's tear cryin' for y'all
Back to the foundation, takin you under back where it all started
With a whole new beginnin and a brand new hunger
Starvin to where my skin was suffocatin my ribs
Now we got bitches interior decoratin my crib
Touch the love I got like you holdin my heart in your hand
And watch my manifesto, shit was all a part of the plan
The fashion that I choose to deal with this shit
Sometimes it's so hard to describe the passion that I feel for this shit
How many struggles I survived just to eat this meal
Never thought y'all meet a nigga that could be this real."


You probably don't understand the passion I feel for this. If not, you certainly won't understand why I was so excited to get this phone. I've been an avid fan of Google, Google Maps, interactive maps, and handheld devices for the last three years (borderline obsession) -- I thought this phone would boost me into the next dimension. It didn't.

Maybe I'll try to patch things up between MDA & I; she's all I really needed. I'm wondering if I should've never left her. Although she could've moved on to someone who really appreciates her,
if she understands me, she'll take me back.

"Chillin wit ya girl while ya thinkin bout ya ex."
- from the song Dr. Knockboot by Nas (01:47 – 1:49)

Okay this was supposed to be a desigNERD blog but now I'm just clownin so I'm out.

metrics: the boring part

In this blog I will share with you a way to gauge the effectiveness of advertising. For those of you who have never utilized Facebook's advertising, it will provide some behind-the-scenes insight as to what tools you are given as an advertiser.

These examples are very small but are indicative of other ad campaigns I am currently running.

CHARTS.
Many people cringe at the thought. They are the driving force behind marketing departments and the sum of all fears for abstract expressionists. In this case, they represent hard facts (forensic evidence, if you will) verifying or disproving the validity of your colorful and cute website with countless hours spent on usability testing and typographic grid structure layouts. They are also, where creativity meets logic, art meets science, and design meets reason [shameless self-promotion].



The image above shows data on a Facebook advertising campaign for the African American Alumni Reunion. This accurate, albeit small-scale, example provides insight on the expected effectiveness of an advertising campaign.



What I find particularly interesting is the fact that the ad that I thought would draw the most interest didn't while the ad [shown above] with an image that is not easily recognizable at such a small size is garnering the most responses. The copy is pretty much identical, the major difference is the image.


If you're like me, you've noticed the keywords listed under Targeting. You'll have to excuse the stereotypes: Facebook won't allow advertising to specific ethnic groups, therefore, I had to use keywords that [I thought] would align with the interests of the target audience's.


While the keywords are much more extensive, the success of the campaign is less than the previous.
[note: the ad above adds one word: "celebrate" — a call-to-action which did not seem to hold much weight]
This ad is the one I thought would garner the most responses [percentage wise] but didn't. My theory [yet to be tested] is that this ad is less effective due to the fact that the more effective ad shows actual people rather than a juxtaposition of stock images.

Although this idea of Metrics is never absolute - that is, there are plenty of factors that must be considered besides (in this case) changing the image - it is always interesting to observe.

its always the little things

being the full-fledged nerd that I am (eg: one morning not too long ago, I got excited when I tied a windsor knot correctly on the first try. it was then that I began to examine my social disposition), I find joy in some of the strangest things; things regular, non-geek people would be completely indifferent to.

since I've decided my thesis would be more effective if presented in an interactive environment, this morning I purchased the domain mfaDesignThesis.com. I decided not to simply redirect to my now two year old (and rather out-dated) portfolio site DesignAndReason.com like I did with MTStanford.com.

"enough plugging already, get to the point of this blog so we can get on with our lives."

in creating the layout for the "coming soon" page (that I've always advised others against) I decided to try and make an animated favicon.

I bought the domain at about 10:00 this morning.

It's 10:44pm and I just got it up.

(that's what she said)

Anyhow, there aren't enough adjectives to accurately describe the nerdy, cornball feeling of excitement that followed this hallmark achievement. It was the binary equivalent of an orgasm coupled with embarrassment stemming from the fact that there's no hope for me ever being cool. In my struggle to educate and enlighten myself, I've completely lost sight of being hip (or even normal, for that matter).

mtstanford.com

A shorter, easier to remember domain name: MTStanford.com is now live. Its not much of an advance, as it merely redirects to DesignAndReason.com, but its much easier to tell someone "MTStanford Dot Com" rather than having to repeat it multiple times and wait while the not-so-tech-savvy try typing the name correctly ("okay... 'Design And Reason Dot Com' Let's see... D [click] E [click] S [click] I [click] G [click] N [click]... Design And What?").

Plus its easier to fit on a business card.

By the way, the redesign will be done soon. I need a developer who loves to figure things out and has a bunch of time on their hands. I am none of the above.

Cell Phones & Society

[1]
Convenience: The “Smart” Phone
Recent findings from a British study show storing contact information on cell phones decreases people’s ability (while reducing the need) to remember telephone numbers. Moreover, nearly one-quarter of the survey’s participants could not remember their own telephone number. While today’s advanced cell phones, also called Smart Phones, can allow time for us to prepare and focus on arguably more important issues by eliminating the need to retain or recall seemingly less important details (such as the correct spelling of colleagues’ last names) it can also facilitate a culture of thoughtless robots or, as suggested in Charlotte Thomson Iserbyt’s book, “The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America.”

The question arises: What impact does this impose on society? During a lecture given to the Columbus Society of Communicating Arts, Jesse James Garrett (co-founder and President of Adaptive Path, an experience design firm based in San Francisco, and author of The Elements of User Experience) discussed the dangers of not letting people think for themselves. Interactive designers’ primary goal is to eliminate all potential frustration during the product's operation through usability optimization. That is: the more intuitive the software, the more useful, usable, and desirable. However, Garrett raised concerns regarding designers' devaluation of utilizing the human brain. Therefore, essentially, interactive designers are doing society a great disservice by creating intuitively designed presentations.

This notion suggests that users should be encouraged to “think for themselves” through the use of rigid, non-intuitive technology - in effect, forcing users to frequently refer to the Help menu. This would further the original problem by creating more confusion when trying to accomplish quotidian tasks. Having to search through the Help menu’s index of articles while simply trying to pay an electric bill online does not make the user more intelligent or benefit society in any way. Intuitive interactive presentations eliminate dual objectives: meaning, the user should not need to first view a tutorial in order to learn how to pay their electric bill online - they should simply pay the electric bill online.

[2]
Connectivity + Privacy
Engineers have long been stricken with the task of making things work better, faster, and more efficiently. Cellular phones are synonymous with losing their service provider’s signal due to the user's location, extreme weather conditions, and, other times, absolutely nothing at all. Police and medical reports frequently cite a cell phone’s lack of service as a factor in cases of preventable physical attacks or worsened injuries. James Kim, editor of C-Net.com (web site which provides expert reviews of modern technology), died from exposure and hypothermia while trying to retrieve help for his family after their car was buried in snow during a road trip. Kim’s death could have certainly been prevented had he received a signal on his cellular phone and been able to contact the appropriate local authorities for help.

Ironically, only a few weeks after Kim’s death, C-Net.com released survey results that indicated the general public’s distrust of location based software in cellular phones largely due to the pervasive fear of being watched by “Big Brother” regardless of the palpable dangers that surfaced during Kim’s disappearance and death. Also, most cellular phones are already equipped with software enabling users to be located during emergencies while the device is turned on (even if there is no service signal available). This indicates that the fear of being located by a mobile communication device is merely perceptual; users have been located by their cellular phones before this feature was advertised as a technological breakthrough.

[3]
Proposed Solutions
Steps should be taken to inform the public of not only the dangers of intuitively designed applications and location-based cellular phone software but also the unclear advantages as well. While advertising has made its attempts and is usually fairly unsuccessful, other forms of media can be utilized such as interviews/debates with experts, case studies, documentaries, and published research to clearly articulate both concepts.

eureka

There have been few times in my life when I can honestly say I've experienced what's referred to as "eureka." I'm fully aware of how arrogant I may sound at times and honestly, I don't really believe I'm some design guru who's descended from above - I'm just hard working, attentive, and like anyone else, I have a good idea from time to time.

As this project with OSU's African American Alumni Society comes to a close, I can honestly say this has been the most fun I've ever had professionally. They are great people to work with, they loved my ideas, and I loved theirs. And although I wanted to go in a different direction with the logo (after seeing it for more than a week, the red, black, and green seemed a little predictable but much less than the kinte cloth they used pre-Matthew), this poster is certainly one of my favorite ideas I've had in quite some time. It always seems to be the projects that are not directly related to my career objective that produce the most satisfying results. This, more than likely, can be attributed to my deep passion for the subject.

Description
The slogan, "Faces, places, and memories - honoring our past while creating our future" was developed by AAAS' Marketing Department. Though the slogan alone provokes lots of visuals, the poster simplifies the message by juxtaposing two images - close ups of an African American child and an African warrior - with the AAAS logo as the link between both. While maintaining a visually arresting layout, the poster quickly communicates the idea. Also, this poster reflects the visual identity (logo) by using equally sized and horizontally aligned squares as the primary visual element.

I was so in love with this idea that (as my Facebook friends can recall... all four of you) I made it my profile picture for a few weeks.

Not bad, Matthew.
*pats self on back*

google android

This will, without a doubt, influence my thesis direction in the immediate future.