You have probably all heard by now that Google’s CEO, Eric Schmidt, predicted in a Wall Street Journal interview that in the future we may be able to change our name once we have reach adulthood “in order to disown youthful hijinks stored on [our] … Read More →
Category Archives: Location
Synthesis Synthesized
Despite silly season we had a great time during my workshop on design research synthesis at the IxDA Munich meeting. We worked in three mixed groups and we tried to visualize the synthesis process, including input/output, activities, methods and tools used, stakeholders involved, ways of … Read More →
Quadruped Cardboard Box
Creativity and Rapid Prototyping at its best. It was interesting to observe how many people instantly tried to photograph these two young artists by using their mobile phones. Look at the cyclist on the right. Drive-by-shooting. Yes, I confess myself guilty, although in my case … Read More →
Thermostatic Temperatures
Ever since reading Don Norman’s classic “the design of everyday things” forcing functions became one of my favorite topics. I always keep a sharp lookout for them. In the example above you can see the thermostat of a typical German shower. By default the maximum … Read More →
Order and Chaos
How do the shoe laces on the left feel compared to the ones on the right? Which are better? Why?
Post-its, Patterns, Preservation
Tomorrow Monday (July 26th) I will be hosting a workshop on design research synthesis during the Interaction Design Association meeting at IDEO Munich. See the official announcement on IxDA Munich or Linkedin. Slides of the presentation will be available here after the workshop. Drop by … Read More →
On/Off Trees
This switch is attached to a tree in a heavily frequented plaza of a small hostel in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. There are no gadgets, no machinery or any other electric devices that could be triggered by that switch. The way it is taped … Read More →
Finding Focus
I recently returned from a 2-month trip to South America. It was an intense time of roaming the southern hemisphere. Traveling lightweight both physically and mentally facilitates the awareness of freedom. To experience life at its best, it is beneficial to challenge your comfort zone. … Read More →
Aggregate State Transitions
For interactive digital products animations/transitions are a core element forming the user experience. Nature got it’s own way of animating transitions, when the change of season is accompanied by elements slowly changing their aggregate state.
Surface Stories
Can surfaces communicate meaning, tell stories or evoke feelings? How about personalized surfaces? How can surfaces influence the perception and interaction with an object/interface/area? I find the topic of surfaces and their affordances and effects increasingly interesting.
Packaging Nuances
The mysteries of package design. It is impossible to read the instructions on the back of the bottle, without constantly turning it around. Bad packaging design + information overload = unsatisfied customer.
Phone Locks. Literally.
Unlike software locking mechanisms, this hardware lock not only restricts the use of the phone to a specific country and network provider, it also dictates the location of use. As you guessed correctly, the precautions are intended to prevent theft of the devices. With the … Read More →