all the good things

“When a small, unassuming object exceeds our expectations, we...

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:10:10 -0500

“When a small, unassuming object exceeds our expectations, we are not only surprised but pleased.” — John Maeda on a smashing magazine article on minimizing complexity in user interfaces

beautiful use of color paper and cuts.

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:01:08 -0500

beautiful use of color paper and cuts.

some really great datavisualizations from xkcd

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:58:00 -0500

some really great datavisualizations from xkcd

some of the earlier sketches of digg. how neat.

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:55:35 -0500

some of the earlier sketches of digg. how neat.

what a wonderful showcase of the possibilities of augmented...

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:28:56 -0500

what a wonderful showcase of the possibilities of augmented reality

this is where ideas go to die (sadly so true if you work for a...

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:06:00 -0500

this is where ideas go to die (sadly so true if you work for a big company)

Ben Franklin kept a daily planner and asked himself “what...

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:29:00 -0500

Ben Franklin kept a daily planner and asked himself “what good have I done today” every night. What a great thing to ask oneself everyday. via Maira Kalman’s observations

"With Kiva we had huge dreams but we were practical about getting started,” Jessica says of starting..."

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:18:23 -0500

““With Kiva we had huge dreams but we were practical about getting started,” Jessica says of starting Kiva.org. “We knew we had to begin with something specific and doable. In fact, I think that’s the only way to start, period—small, specific, and focused. We’re still a relatively small team, so we can be nimble, responsive, and innovative. Sometimes to address the big injustices in the world lots of tiny, context-specific, tailored solutions are appropriate.””

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:39:30 -0400

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”

- Gandhi

new goal to get on this site

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:08:37 -0400

new goal to get on this site

"Historically the field of architecture has been dominated by 2 opposing extremes. On one side an..."

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:53:25 -0400

“Historically the field of architecture has been dominated by 2 opposing extremes. On one side an avant-garde full of crazy ideas. Originating from philosophy, mysticism or a fascination of the formal potential of computer visualizations they are often so detached from reality that they fail to become something other than eccentric curiosities. On the other side there are well organized corporate consultants that build predictable and boring boxes of high standard. Architecture seems to be entrenched in two equally unfertile fronts: Either naively utopian or petrifying pragmatic. We believe that there is a third way wedged in the no mans land between the diametrical opposites. Or in the small but very fertile overlap between the two. A pragmatic utopian architecture that takes on the creation of socially, economically and environmentally perfect places as a practical objective.”

Bjarke Ingels ted talk on his architectural design process. 1)...

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:16:03 -0400

Bjarke Ingels ted talk on his architectural design process.

1) design is an evolution of good ideas that stick

2) remix ideas that are dropped for future use

3) architectural movements do not need to be counter to current avant garde movements

4) story telling is important to all architectural problems

5) sustainable does not have to be = guilt/suffering/protestant ethic. it can be celebratory and fun

"Much more important than working hard is knowing how to find the right thing to work on. Paying..."

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 16:05:28 -0400

“Much more important than working hard is knowing how to find the right thing to work on. Paying attention to what is going on in the world. Seeing patterns. Seeing things as they are rather than how you want them to be. Being able to read what people want. Putting yourself in the right place where information is flowing freely and interesting new juxtapositions can be seen. But you can save yourself a lot of time by working on the right thing. Working hard, even, if that’s what you like to do.”

- Caterina Fake on why working hard is overrated

listening to users != building exactly what they want -...

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:10:52 -0400

listening to users != building exactly what they want - Paul Buchheit

"But seen from another angle, craigslist is one of the strangest monopolies in history, where..."

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:49:28 -0400

“

But seen from another angle, craigslist is one of the strangest monopolies in history, where customers are locked in by fees set at zero and where the ambiance of neglect is not a way to extract more profit but the expression of a worldview.

The axioms of this worldview are easy to state. “People are good and trustworthy and generally just concerned with getting through the day,” Newmark says. If most people are good and their needs are simple, all you have to do to serve them well is build a minimal infrastructure allowing them to get together and work things out for themselves. Any additional features are almost certainly superfluous and could even be damaging.

Newmark has been working hard to extend the influence of his worldview. His public pronouncements have the delighted yet apologetic tone of a man who has stumbled on a secret hiding in plain sight and who finds it embarrassingly necessary to point out something that should long have been obvious. He seems to have discovered a new way to run a business. He suspects that it may be the right way to run the world.

”

- Gary Wolf on Craigslist

Wired invited Khoi Vinn, lead designer of NYTimes.com, and his...

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:45:42 -0400

Wired invited Khoi Vinn, lead designer of NYTimes.com, and his design team to redesign the stubbornly anachronistic Craigslist.com

the process behind the NPR redesign

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:14:59 -0400

the process behind the NPR redesign

"The difference between high income and low income earners * They maintain a strong work ethic. ..."

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 21:12:00 -0400

“The difference between high income and low income earners
* They maintain a strong work ethic.
* They don’t watch the clock.
* They seek to improve their skills.
* They do quality work.
* They’re flexible and adaptable.
* They maintain a good social network.
* They possess self-confidence.”

- via get rich slowly

I hate interfaces that show clear detail but that detail is...

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:32:44 -0400

I hate interfaces that show clear detail but that detail is useless, such as the x minutes interface in windows that is vastly oscillating from 60 minutes to 6 minutes

Google maps API repurposed to use for a portfolio site....

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:28:51 -0400

Google maps API repurposed to use for a portfolio site. brilliant!