Last week I had a Skype conversation with some fellow UX professionals about the essence of User Experience Design. Perhaps unsurprisingly, a lot of the discussion focused on why so many practitioners and companies have a misconception of our activities. … More
I love metaphors and analogies; they make complicated stuff seem simple. Here’s my take on what I believe are the core elements of user experience: the Triforce of UX – feel, perceive, convey. User Experience happens whether it is intentionally … More
We’ve heard that “content is king” for years. Curiously, the metaphor stands up extremely well, even when stretched, prodded, and otherwise abused. Here’s my take. Content is KingContent rules all things. Food ingredients are the content objects that allow us … More
If reports from the recent South By Southwest Interactive Festival are to be believed, “serendipity” – a fortunate accidental discovery – appears to be “Buzzword of the Month.” This is both good and bad. Good, because we need more serendipity … More
Recently, I’ve started to wonder what really matters to me here in life. The answers have surprised me and I’d like to share one of them with you now. Over time, I’ve acquired more personal property than most. I have … More
Earlier this year, my dear friend, Hannah Koppel, gave me a paper angel she had made. Here’s a photo: Hannah is a talented designer and ceramacist. And as the daughter of renowned silversmith Henning Koppel, her gene pool leaves … More
I grew up in an unusual household. As the son of politically aware scientists, by the time I was six, my greatest passions were music, baseball, antique cars, and nuclear isotopes. What I learned at a very young age has … More
On January 24, 2013 one of the clips on my TIMBUK2 Messendger D-Lux Bag broke due to harsh weather conditions. To be fair, it was the second time, cause low temperatures cause the plastic to wear off in general and … More
Yesterday was “World Usability Day.” This is sad. Here’s why. We denote particular days for two reasons: To commemorate something (Martin Luther King’s birthday, for example), or to bring attention to a cause not otherwise in the public eye. “Usability” … More
An acquaintance recently called my user-experience (UX) message “outdated.” As perceptions are always true in the eyes of the beholder, I did not contest this remark. But I’m surprised that this person doesn’t seem to understand either my mission or … More