I was at Yelp yesterday, doing some research on a Zagat review I was writing, and found a review of Scup’s in the Harbor. The reviewer, Tatsu, said the website is “actually functional” which I take as a great compliment. I think that’s the first priority of a site, that you can get what you need out of it, efficiently. I do worry that I don’t “design” enough, but my recent partnering with some fantastic design firms seems to be inspiring me… we shall see!
So, it was November 2007 when I actually began this [ad]venture of the small business, Ink Pixels Paper. It seems like last week, except that I have memory of so much work! I have goals for this little “biz” and need to plan again. I started off with a plan, but a project that I work on regularly has kept me a bit disoriented, business-wise. So, let’s get that plan back!
One thing I prioritized with this effort is education, and I’ve attended a number of workshops and conferences. Edward Tufte presented in Boston in March and I made it a priority to attend. It was a day very very full of information that is still revealing itself in inspiration on each and every decision I make. Then An Event Apart came to Boston for a 3-day conference that was likewise full of info, and I also ran into a wonderful old friend there. Eric Meyer is a brilliant human, full of energy and know-how, completely generous with it all. And Andy Budd — wow, that guy surprised me. He sounds like the Geico gecko, of which I’m a huge fan, so I break out in a smile whenever he speaks. Jason Santa Maria is a brilliant designer and has a great sense of humor. I wish I lived in NYC so I could have participated in his cheesesteak crawl. Coming up November 3-4, I’ll be heading to the Future of Web Design in NYC. I am looking forward to hearing Daniel Mall’s workshop — he’s one of my favorite designers.
Every new project is an opportunity to do better work. When I see work like this, I remind myself of this.
In this age of web standards, if you are focused on the user experience, WHY would you build a Flash-centric web site? Have you ever met someone who enjoyed waiting for a web site to load?
I was just over at Twisted Village, and scanning the shelves, found this amazing book, Ninja, took it home and found the distro, Gingko Press, puts out a lot of amazing design books. I’m going to have to buy one of these each month.
Everyone tells me I need a cell phone. Sometimes, I think I need one. It can be really hard to find a pay phone, or a working pay phone, these days, and if I do find one, it’s usually questionably sanitary.
I’m disgusted by the quality of cell phone service. When friends call me, the connection is usually half-ass. If I use a friend’s phone, I have trouble hearing and/or being heard. Then there’s the price for this crappy service. If I’m going to pay $60/month for something, I’d like to believe it’s something worthwhile.
Then, there’s an environmental cost. The iPhone has PVCs and BFRs. Then cellphones, in general, have a number of negatives on the environment and world at-large. The downcycling of recycling cellphones is less than ideal.
Social costs… I absolutely loathe that people walk down the street, speaking on their phones, completely disregarding the people around them. I don’t want to hear you laughing loudly at your conversation partner’s whatevers… I don’t want to hear any of your conversations, thank you. And the number of times I’ve nearly been run over by someone talking on their cell phone while driving who didn’t see me… well, I couldn’t even begin to guess. And then the ones that have nearly hit me while I was driving.
Think. Do you really need your cell phone? I suspect very few people really need them. They’ve become fetishized. A fashion must-have. Something easy, but with such an expensive price tag. It seems that people are afraid or unwilling to be alone with their thoughts. Try it. It’s actually quite nice.
If I get one, it will be a decision I’ve mulled over long and hard. And Nokia seems to have the greenest reputation, so far… much as I love me some Apple, it doesn’t look like it will make the grade.
