tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77783195630658782622024-02-19T10:37:35.441+01:00The HyppopothesisYet another blog about design speculation.abahgathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15120427392498424635noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778319563065878262.post-61947823060157937102014-02-07T01:42:00.002+01:002014-02-07T01:42:53.016+01:00The best way I found to make a quick & perfect "soffritto"For years I've been struggling with cutting onions in "soffritto" size when cooking. But then, one day, with no reason, I found the perfect solution for the problem and I stuck with it ever since.<br />
So I thought it could come in handy to someone else too :)<br />
<br />
Here are the steps:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizj0m4Kbx58L9vM2B8oSX0QDgAUf3uyBWA6i7UGNGhCEQ3nUhQIOXLAYTu7iLzc6-urtAA5PGalKwVg792bAU9ZgKlpJMFHRMxelOMVBmaubXdjoNt7_tQNiKB-Hhib-WqTgHo7P1VhfXF/s1600/CipolleMix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizj0m4Kbx58L9vM2B8oSX0QDgAUf3uyBWA6i7UGNGhCEQ3nUhQIOXLAYTu7iLzc6-urtAA5PGalKwVg792bAU9ZgKlpJMFHRMxelOMVBmaubXdjoNt7_tQNiKB-Hhib-WqTgHo7P1VhfXF/s1600/CipolleMix.jpg" height="258" width="480" /></a></div>
<ol>
<li>Cut an onion in half</li>
<li>Cut off the top part and peel off the harder layers - do not cut off the hairy bottom part</li>
<li>Make some radial cut into the onion paying attention not to cut all through the bottom part</li>
<li>You'll get a bunch of onion wedges attached to the bottom</li>
<li>Now hold the onion together and start slicing it</li>
<li>A perfect <i>soffritto</i> will come out!</li>
<li>*bonus tip* remember to put a spoon of water in the pan with the oil, to avoid burning the onions ;)</li>
</ol>
"Why is it on this blog?" "Is this even linked with design at all?" some of you may ask.<br />
Well, it's a trick that removes lot of frustration (and tears) from the process & makes me save time. If this ain't about user experience I wouldn't know how to call it. :P<br />
<br />
Do you have cooking tricks like this one you'd like to share? :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696543891051823615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778319563065878262.post-47048978304129223302014-01-24T17:51:00.000+01:002014-02-05T12:16:51.932+01:00Design is a mission - a.k.a. We are all makers!Yesterday at our monthly meeting of the Milan UX bookclub on "Change by Design" a good question was brought up by a non-designer:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"You (<i>designers</i>) talk about your mission of making the world a better place, yet I've never seen a designer doing something for himself, in order to improve *his* world. If that's your mission shouldn't it be normal?"</blockquote>
I couldn't but agree more. :)<br />
Design <i>is</i> a mission and it should permeate every thing we as designers do (at least this is my point of view), especially in the world of makers we are in today and with all the extra power we've been given.<br />
<br />
So I started thinking of what I've done to improve *my* life and a few things came to my mind..<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Travel</i><br />
I like to travel.<br />
Better, I LOVE to travel.<br />
<br />
If I had enough money I'd travel most of the time. It teaches you so much, it broadens your view, it makes you understand that there are points of you you never thought of, it humbles you, it gives a new perspective to things...<br />
<br />
Yet, being the kind of person I am, I need to remove from the trip as much stress as I can before leaving. I need to plan, to find out the best spots to visit and I need to provide myself with the right tools for the trip. And when they do not exist, I build them. :)<br />
<br />
This is what happened when I planned to go to the <a href="http://www.lofoten.info/" target="_blank">Lofoten Islands</a> on a solo trip a few years ago.<br />
Being on you own in a place completely new where public transport does not run as frequently as you're used to, you need really clear tools to help you move around.<br />
<br />
Veolia (the company which owned the public transport there) provided this timetable:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDEEBv1Xp22__wTu_4rCR-VzwqEZYrXtItIs6wMJDjAK9JnhiqQYop9PGwqyjo2wULwPRp2gjAnx6wop3z0MSbK9UtC6266lOe4iwouFhfDlgz7xEpAHs8ZI93Q1HG40oaiLxZxEuL0PT/s1600/Screenshot+2014-01-24+13.42.09.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDEEBv1Xp22__wTu_4rCR-VzwqEZYrXtItIs6wMJDjAK9JnhiqQYop9PGwqyjo2wULwPRp2gjAnx6wop3z0MSbK9UtC6266lOe4iwouFhfDlgz7xEpAHs8ZI93Q1HG40oaiLxZxEuL0PT/s1600/Screenshot+2014-01-24+13.42.09.png" height="195" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
This timetable was useless to any foreign traveler visiting Lofoten islands: it had no route maps, no visual clues, nothing except times and places most of the time unknown to visitors. It did not give a hint on where those buses were going. Were they heading south? Could I take two to get where I want? No guess.<br />
<br />
That’s why I decided to make my own. It had to be the right size to be carried in my shoulder bag, moreover it had to be easy and straightforward to consult when on the road in Norway.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNAWsY6qanHvEjVCFulV61FKgBRauGKuQFBMTq0CCt1SlcKC1AWc6hs9Fdvqzcxouu7IpX8w5ed_roYZpu2d0UFbQuifEaabIgQMJ8DaB4352f3zdnR40-UtKaChqydtTKf3laM2BziSVp/s1600/CIMG4443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNAWsY6qanHvEjVCFulV61FKgBRauGKuQFBMTq0CCt1SlcKC1AWc6hs9Fdvqzcxouu7IpX8w5ed_roYZpu2d0UFbQuifEaabIgQMJ8DaB4352f3zdnR40-UtKaChqydtTKf3laM2BziSVp/s1600/CIMG4443.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
Here I had:<br />
<ul>
<li>a visible list of all the available bus routes - every headline being also a bookmark for quick access;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>a visual representation of each route and its stops (circles) on a map of the island - these maps are designed to overlap, so that by flipping through the guide, I could easily go through all the possible routes visually and know exactly which ones stop where I needed<span style="color: #77787b; font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><i>;</i></span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>the Veolia timetable for each bus at the very bottom of the page: once I found out the right one, I would need to know the time it stopped by.</li>
</ul>
<div>
This timetable made my trip much better, and not only mine: it also been an invaluable tool for other travelers I met on my way.</div>
<div>
Silke was one of them:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFSVXgTj3mvKbjVwyI1hoJVRzhyphenhyphenyiwKDdEd1DGs7yvQGQkbHaaGSp6oETq9bNwKqaMpVM08a-0sy6OWVYFqzNXPWrCF3GYXRPahkpCcoewKwSYSxsL3NPC4LrBuvgGZfUG2Az_kG0-ABL5/s1600/Silke_2b+copy.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFSVXgTj3mvKbjVwyI1hoJVRzhyphenhyphenyiwKDdEd1DGs7yvQGQkbHaaGSp6oETq9bNwKqaMpVM08a-0sy6OWVYFqzNXPWrCF3GYXRPahkpCcoewKwSYSxsL3NPC4LrBuvgGZfUG2Az_kG0-ABL5/s1600/Silke_2b+copy.jpeg" height="400" width="268" /></a></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>sugru</i></div>
<div>
<a href="http://sugru.com/" target="_blank">sugru</a> is a self-setting rubber for fixing, modifying and improving your stuff, a sort of play-dough that becomes hard overnight and sticks to every surface. I bought it a year ago and it's my favorite tool for hacking things better.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
One example overall: my mum needed a bigger container for the aerosol tool, so I cut a hole in a tupperware, used sugru rubber to make the top part stable and to avoid leaking and the trick was done!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT4qqsJSY21tSxa-f6fqR4WKpKTyRfD0DGr85tZDhTm8H5HFMrUdCyAQr8K8ZRmCm4A4zgiUyyY2WXH2mWSDka5yUiCS7MM-xYeITuSfy_9h96g9I449vHeW9zOAICaThudYnkaDOdqAXv/s1600/IMG_7545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT4qqsJSY21tSxa-f6fqR4WKpKTyRfD0DGr85tZDhTm8H5HFMrUdCyAQr8K8ZRmCm4A4zgiUyyY2WXH2mWSDka5yUiCS7MM-xYeITuSfy_9h96g9I449vHeW9zOAICaThudYnkaDOdqAXv/s1600/IMG_7545.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<br />
<br />
And I could go on.. but let's sum things up: I truly believe in what Paul said, yet I think there's a difference in design-as-a-job and in design-as-a-mission and people are different. Some might choose the first, not knowing the latter is much more fun. :)</div>
<br />
Yet in this world of makers everyone is a designer in his own way and you can discover design abilities in the most diverse people. For design is always about solving problems no matter how small or big they are and we are all makers at heart - ever since we started using LEGO blocks :)<br />
<br />
***<br />
<br />
Oh and for those of you who might be interested, here are *my* sketchnotes of the meeting:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYa4IZ4YMHWTrMbKXoZraaEDzsmVwl7-hIqhCQvrrzjJMvdXHRm5_Xl8YgqPasmM8hcx3PU8jwF9tyvNvF7a15LkXr9Ok3gmwW7qiijBSX8ih2edJoHC4LgczTVfVCTkCHd1AtFhzNR2Uq/s1600/2014-01-23+22.09.25-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYa4IZ4YMHWTrMbKXoZraaEDzsmVwl7-hIqhCQvrrzjJMvdXHRm5_Xl8YgqPasmM8hcx3PU8jwF9tyvNvF7a15LkXr9Ok3gmwW7qiijBSX8ih2edJoHC4LgczTVfVCTkCHd1AtFhzNR2Uq/s1600/2014-01-23+22.09.25-1.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696543891051823615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778319563065878262.post-59992743483999306382013-11-02T17:44:00.000+01:002013-11-02T17:44:20.224+01:00UX Masterclass in Rome *my* summaryLast month I attended the <a href="http://uxmasterclass.com/2013/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">UX Masterclass</a> in Rome. Many useful information have been shared and suggestions on how to do our job better.<br />
All in all a very nice conference, despite the "remote location" in Rome.<br />
<br />
Beside being a pretty nice event on User Experience, this was also another great occasion to practice with my <a href="http://hyppopothesis.blogspot.it/2013/01/why-i-take-sketch-notes-and-why-you.html" target="_blank">sketch notes</a>.<br />
<br />
So here's the visual summary of *my* UX Masterclass - meaning the sessions I attended that day:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1GFUN9NioM19_LMNaLhhGTD8CgX6Cnn1Wo8nyFP9l_72D46fYBxKU-AH-3NURSryFbHwG7Blm9x4ShzlK92Ydw74eRVM4ySwVPdVL0Esf8LkOuiDI0qvMkvqEedisXdzMmrU30Keymfzk/s1600/2013-10-04+10.04.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1GFUN9NioM19_LMNaLhhGTD8CgX6Cnn1Wo8nyFP9l_72D46fYBxKU-AH-3NURSryFbHwG7Blm9x4ShzlK92Ydw74eRVM4ySwVPdVL0Esf8LkOuiDI0qvMkvqEedisXdzMmrU30Keymfzk/s400/2013-10-04+10.04.44.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Life in the fast lane" by <a href="https://twitter.com/ashleybenigno" target="_blank">Ashley Benigno</a> - Nokia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxDFc9n9er6M_8A00lVzVCwZFWX4d5W4hvHoKWWHrWZPXrI4rwA_hbbf9OpJUHSd4WT9Hyi3PNzfyP73uCUMfAk7WduYfmxiLH9eFWnDXIQJGIWY57OLrvhTf9yJyNeHubNehljLXIczyO/s1600/2013-10-04+10.25.27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxDFc9n9er6M_8A00lVzVCwZFWX4d5W4hvHoKWWHrWZPXrI4rwA_hbbf9OpJUHSd4WT9Hyi3PNzfyP73uCUMfAk7WduYfmxiLH9eFWnDXIQJGIWY57OLrvhTf9yJyNeHubNehljLXIczyO/s400/2013-10-04+10.25.27.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"UX Strategy" by <a href="http://uxmasterclass.com/2013/speakers/giuseppe-montella/" target="_blank">Giuseppe Montella</a> - Vodafone</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-BLrbB5UV6lbSHYxceF1I-ESWu3_XHIrM5GChS_AXvHTDEcZ-CZOTcnua8FxK2owYhHf0vWMipUWhz6QRIvCBnWMJmviQgtvhjFm3f10UGjGG13Qh21rE9tL2Q4rrGkdnkCfXQY7bem3X/s1600/2013-10-04+11.22.27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-BLrbB5UV6lbSHYxceF1I-ESWu3_XHIrM5GChS_AXvHTDEcZ-CZOTcnua8FxK2owYhHf0vWMipUWhz6QRIvCBnWMJmviQgtvhjFm3f10UGjGG13Qh21rE9tL2Q4rrGkdnkCfXQY7bem3X/s400/2013-10-04+11.22.27.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Visualizing the customer user experience using an experience journey map"<br />
by <a href="https://twitter.com/marciokl" target="_blank">Marcio Leibovitch</a> - <a href="http://www.yucentrik.ca/" target="_blank">Yu Centrik</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTaZchODnK5GKdTr7WfgDPVW6Ku9KGn8owhyphenhyphenjId5ToZ2P9Z69vygZi6GfkhnYJ-Ocw_s6UjGujAa-zicNTY6V1EX0jADjli5x7W5YZUH-ftauio1QzL1JgLNfULlLtmIwjpbfVqtQMkNzc/s1600/2013-10-04+12.46.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTaZchODnK5GKdTr7WfgDPVW6Ku9KGn8owhyphenhyphenjId5ToZ2P9Z69vygZi6GfkhnYJ-Ocw_s6UjGujAa-zicNTY6V1EX0jADjli5x7W5YZUH-ftauio1QzL1JgLNfULlLtmIwjpbfVqtQMkNzc/s400/2013-10-04+12.46.06.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Applying User Centered Design in large organizations" roundtable<br />
with <a href="https://twitter.com/LucaPetroni" target="_blank">Luca Petroni</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/bobschu" target="_blank">Robert Schumacher</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/glew" target="_blank">Gavin Lew</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/fgail" target="_blank">Frederic Gaillard</a>,<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/tsnitker" target="_blank">Thomas Visby Snitker</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hvorbek" target="_blank">Helga Letowt-Vorbek</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVlCAHmMPfAMgYlY3C11urVlOR68jXg7DiDXb9K4PnV2c_uQfpwUPzrrWQag2IiyMrHHXMWkHuLf6ahGeQnyv-CM6viyHpCq0v2Tf-NXY0yCYWo7kxdj0RIfmYyI6D6niFs4sF9Hbx0QfA/s1600/2013-10-04+14.22.51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVlCAHmMPfAMgYlY3C11urVlOR68jXg7DiDXb9K4PnV2c_uQfpwUPzrrWQag2IiyMrHHXMWkHuLf6ahGeQnyv-CM6viyHpCq0v2Tf-NXY0yCYWo7kxdj0RIfmYyI6D6niFs4sF9Hbx0QfA/s400/2013-10-04+14.22.51.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Service Design and UX: Measuring and Improving the Overall User Experience"<br />
by <a href="https://twitter.com/bobschu" target="_blank">Robert Schumacher</a> - <a href="http://www.gfk.com/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank">Gfk User Centric</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimaVrYqqHkyoBWslYJ4W4CNqBYhhU8PoSSeG4CRASztiw70CJqxIkxa-NRb9vcOEN8dMJv9847V7Htjq6HNK4lE-6rYTQ3UEOA-gmuQdXnojCCncAHy3LlFrJzWfI0WZUQ5DnbxoLqlyS2/s1600/2013-10-04+15.39.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimaVrYqqHkyoBWslYJ4W4CNqBYhhU8PoSSeG4CRASztiw70CJqxIkxa-NRb9vcOEN8dMJv9847V7Htjq6HNK4lE-6rYTQ3UEOA-gmuQdXnojCCncAHy3LlFrJzWfI0WZUQ5DnbxoLqlyS2/s400/2013-10-04+15.39.15.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Integrating UX in Product Strategy" by <a href="http://uxmasterclass.com/2013/speakers/simon-herd/" target="_blank">Simon Herd</a> - <a href="http://www.serco.com/experiencelab/" target="_blank">Serco ExperienceLab</a><br />
"Impactful Experiences starting with non-users" by <a href="https://twitter.com/bobbywatson" target="_blank">Franco Papeschi</a> - <a href="http://www.webfoundation.org/" target="_blank">Web </a><br />
<a href="http://www.webfoundation.org/" target="_blank">Foundation</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigEF9VdSIhRmCiw5x_OQrr2CdfqmhyAc10xVTp1zt8jVOJDPIqoR6Xn6xtmPutlSOlyecYzfPJ5a8yhNjfT8_Am5BY_6ogwoUmzy5993eOB302ZNrA-0JInaHTK9dr4AXQXrV3scMVX58e/s1600/2013-10-04+15.40.47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigEF9VdSIhRmCiw5x_OQrr2CdfqmhyAc10xVTp1zt8jVOJDPIqoR6Xn6xtmPutlSOlyecYzfPJ5a8yhNjfT8_Am5BY_6ogwoUmzy5993eOB302ZNrA-0JInaHTK9dr4AXQXrV3scMVX58e/s400/2013-10-04+15.40.47.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Ambient experience" by <a href="http://uxmasterclass.com/2013/speakers/job-rutgers/" target="_blank">Job Rutgers</a> - Ontario College of Art & Design<br />
"The apple design project" by <a href="https://twitter.com/antonioriz" target="_blank">Antonio Rizzo</a> - Università di Siena</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br />
</b><br />
<div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimL4af0fz0gmWswTQICDiUImKPjA7GnkCaU8Gl2UPvOg-ReS3xHnannpCBYyQWsRLBY7JX7My1-eZXHbEJbdxpVBuDXH8iugC8m0vjdjoPIzLhK4Hd8kKIPlqjsrsSDz6yZGBtm7EqGuK7/s1600/2013-10-04+16.59.30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimL4af0fz0gmWswTQICDiUImKPjA7GnkCaU8Gl2UPvOg-ReS3xHnannpCBYyQWsRLBY7JX7My1-eZXHbEJbdxpVBuDXH8iugC8m0vjdjoPIzLhK4Hd8kKIPlqjsrsSDz6yZGBtm7EqGuK7/s400/2013-10-04+16.59.30.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"UX and ROI: the impact of UX on the business" by <a href="https://twitter.com/fgail" target="_blank">Frederic Gaillard</a> - <a href="http://www.axance.fr/en/" target="_blank">Axance</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br />
Unfortunately I had to run for the plane and couldn't be there to see all the "<b>UX around the world in 60 minutes" </b>talk. I regret it, because it was a lot of fun - every speaker bringing up funny facts about his country :D</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So well done <a href="http://assist.it/en/" target="_blank">Assist</a>!</div>
<div>
See you next year? :)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696543891051823615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778319563065878262.post-76379960667854752292013-03-29T18:45:00.000+01:002013-03-29T18:45:27.228+01:00Tea bag usabilityEvery morning, the first thing I do when I enter the office is preparing myself a cup of tea. That's how I start the day, with a hot mug of tea (or infusion whatsoever).<br />
<br />
Whenever I try out new stuff, here's my user journey:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>I pick the tea I want to try full of curiosity & expectation</i><br />
<i>I unwrap the tea bag & throw the paper wrapper into the dust bin</i><br />
<i>I pour hot water in the cup</i><br />
<i>I put the tea bag in the cup</i><br />
<i><b>I recover the wrapper from the dust bin</b> to know the right infusion time.</i></blockquote>
<br />
This happens *every single time* I pick a new tea flavour, for most of the process is done without thinking.<br />
And as most of the things that happen *every single time* and cause trouble because of information, it's a design fault.<br />
<br />
Here's the fault: the infusion time is printed on the wrapper.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzWsV5pvOLqVp41dvDDilwlEMTvnnGxL4t8KspYX_Sm9eM_iQ4MbzoPGe_L6BKXVhI3tgAKjTo6UsAR5tLB1fFmqg56RmmitQ318yDX_LdDWWnvyoOUdqf61yMqm-P-ecQM8n-v_p5P3g/s1600/tea_bag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzWsV5pvOLqVp41dvDDilwlEMTvnnGxL4t8KspYX_Sm9eM_iQ4MbzoPGe_L6BKXVhI3tgAKjTo6UsAR5tLB1fFmqg56RmmitQ318yDX_LdDWWnvyoOUdqf61yMqm-P-ecQM8n-v_p5P3g/s400/tea_bag.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
Odds are no one considered the use case I'm in.<br />
Having the infusion time printed on the piece of paper hanging from my cup instead of the wrapper wouldn't increase cost to the producer. Yet it would save me and countless others a hand in the dust bin.<br />
<br />
Minor improvements can make a huge difference at times.<br />
It's time to go back and check whether there's any use case you didn't consider in your last design. :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696543891051823615noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778319563065878262.post-5680381800779636562013-03-05T23:37:00.004+01:002013-03-06T09:48:25.799+01:00Gesture interfaces meet MYONatural interfaces are something that we've been talking about for a while now and in the last years ideas and products involving or enabling them blossomed and became intertwined with our daily lives.<br />
<br />
Even though gesture interfaces had been in the field for around 3 decades, even 10 years ago it was hard for common people to think we would all have handheld devices gesture controlled in our pockets today. Yet we do. The iPhone was a great innovation that pushed technology to take a huge leap forward.<br />
<br />
But iPhone was just the first step.<br />
<a href="http://www.nintendo.com/wii" target="_blank">Wii</a> first and then <a href="http://www.xbox.com/en-US/kinect" target="_blank">Kinect</a> completely changed how games have been played.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgZF_N3wQiJScp9g1X2PTGKYxFetHlWrXC6VE4HyMgNEHZ6YbncQ9FN0l7cvIqCJouAOXw1C8zTAC6xxYoIRZaepfF65ouHUuIfs0nBcuoBy0Os_xEbIlvrutgA0ebcrV9dnfDkCvBFl8/s1600/5544fbc6-b46e-4fe8-832e-c29f0a7808b4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgZF_N3wQiJScp9g1X2PTGKYxFetHlWrXC6VE4HyMgNEHZ6YbncQ9FN0l7cvIqCJouAOXw1C8zTAC6xxYoIRZaepfF65ouHUuIfs0nBcuoBy0Os_xEbIlvrutgA0ebcrV9dnfDkCvBFl8/s400/5544fbc6-b46e-4fe8-832e-c29f0a7808b4.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Touch interface has been transferred to computers as well (just think of the Touch pad first or at the latest <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/Surface/en-us" target="_blank">Microsoft Surface</a> & <a href="http://www.asus.com/Tablet_Mobile/" target="_blank">Asus Pads</a>) and <a href="https://www.leapmotion.com/product" target="_blank">Leap</a> promises to transfer the gestural kind of experience to a computer screen as well.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKnQhxQi-OWayM6gHdekZXeDLXXNQVa-PTExW0Rs6CKMddnZeYRv_2oGLtBfZhwgcrtR96tCTgUUjJUHD295Yc7I6s_3d9BI0i7fZQq8KgaiBf5eRQ3TXdl0p7SGtnSV6S7gAaWpV__LN/s1600/surface3b20red20touch20cove-100008656-gallery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKnQhxQi-OWayM6gHdekZXeDLXXNQVa-PTExW0Rs6CKMddnZeYRv_2oGLtBfZhwgcrtR96tCTgUUjJUHD295Yc7I6s_3d9BI0i7fZQq8KgaiBf5eRQ3TXdl0p7SGtnSV6S7gAaWpV__LN/s400/surface3b20red20touch20cove-100008656-gallery.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Yet, somehow, technology has always been a strong enabler: we must touch a screen or have a camera looking at us & be in a specific space region in order to transform our actions into behaviour. Quite far from the <a href="http://hyppopothesis.blogspot.it/2012/09/a-designers-call.html">"feels like magic"</a> idea of great design, ain't it?<br />
<br />
I believe the game is getting tougher now that a new competitor has shown up. <a href="https://getmyo.com/" target="_blank">MYO</a> define itself as "The next generation of gesture control" and it's not hard to believe them!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFGtEwMoag_BLiqwgwW2ZMXMTUxy9SVin2pBU-9all8OfyYzaAprDx1aJFWin7cv6ZfYo4hxow7z9mIvbp4ydQ_DzK_fsmgqjxlBF0FUUIulmgr81GnqYfw-aawsGwrPNAC2V6xvLs8X9/s1600/Myo2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFGtEwMoag_BLiqwgwW2ZMXMTUxy9SVin2pBU-9all8OfyYzaAprDx1aJFWin7cv6ZfYo4hxow7z9mIvbp4ydQ_DzK_fsmgqjxlBF0FUUIulmgr81GnqYfw-aawsGwrPNAC2V6xvLs8X9/s400/Myo2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
MYO is nothing more than an armband (plus valuable APIs) which allows you to behave as a human controller to any device - once a set of movements has been linked to specific behaviours (and you know what does what - yes, this is not really "natural" as Norman <a href="http://www.jnd.org/dn.mss/natural_user_interfa.html" target="_blank">says</a>), you can just control the program/device by just moving your arm. In this case you wear the controller, which is much less constraining than ever.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Have a look at their video to understand its potential:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/oWu9TFJjHaM" width="560"></iframe><br /></div>
<br />
If this strikes an inner cord of yours, just go ahead and <a href="https://getmyo.com/preorder" target="_blank">preorder one</a>: you still have more than half a year to think of how to make use of it - the first products will ship in late 2013. What are you waiting for, then?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696543891051823615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778319563065878262.post-66136395120707352782013-02-10T02:02:00.003+01:002013-02-11T14:59:29.185+01:00WIAD 2013 *my* summaryToday I attended the World Information Architecture Day conference in Milan - a conference on IA that takes place every year in different cities in the world on the very same day.<br />
<br />
There was much food for thought, plus the opportunity of practicing a little more my <a href="http://hyppopothesis.blogspot.it/2013/01/why-i-take-sketch-notes-and-why-you.html">sketch notes</a>.<br />
<br />
So here you go *my* summary of almost the whole of it (talk #4 is missing):<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid3RpoDwBDFrPzv8klqf2SMbNCKCDvvAQrWmaFmiJPOIo7vp1MavExeSFpUQfTCuYiEshEaenczvc_YCafF8__CiVQAghHSe2rIS_y064xXdSIhj6r7rCHWCrnYmKH_GQNUOFH2DiqCwHI/s1600/2013-02-09+11.05.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid3RpoDwBDFrPzv8klqf2SMbNCKCDvvAQrWmaFmiJPOIo7vp1MavExeSFpUQfTCuYiEshEaenczvc_YCafF8__CiVQAghHSe2rIS_y064xXdSIhj6r7rCHWCrnYmKH_GQNUOFH2DiqCwHI/s400/2013-02-09+11.05.06.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">"Analogico, Digitale, Pervasivo. Il rapporto con lo spazio e con il tempo<br />
negli ecosistemi informativi complessi." by <a href="https://twitter.com/fedebadaloni">Federico Badaloni</a> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiNfPy2ykif4bQbDNxnGYWqkP3dNTJrK_sRnDLf7jQ4AG4_xNgEnCc9s6gduVMOouRqH59CREyemCb-NmUeaOmId2by-d-5om0lDSyOCZf55c64Cr3Hsrq84wkWLooYkKKPpdhD17MheYA/s1600/2013-02-09+11.05.42-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiNfPy2ykif4bQbDNxnGYWqkP3dNTJrK_sRnDLf7jQ4AG4_xNgEnCc9s6gduVMOouRqH59CREyemCb-NmUeaOmId2by-d-5om0lDSyOCZf55c64Cr3Hsrq84wkWLooYkKKPpdhD17MheYA/s400/2013-02-09+11.05.42-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">"User testing nello sviluppo di un'architettura dell'informazione:<br />
il Card Sorting" by <a href="https://twitter.com/MarcoBuonvino">Marco Buonvino</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibrV187433FEsdAI-1I9kOuYbia8fbrMFTQYRLLnxfeSzrt37wIdFrq9QLXdqQKfZMppM3FPszFvgKZQNMF0z7fmyI35bSmbvYB1GG0xSPWb0WLSylWiCXNugeFVmNWvvROGU8jbjKUGTu/s1600/2013-02-09+12.35.49-1+copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibrV187433FEsdAI-1I9kOuYbia8fbrMFTQYRLLnxfeSzrt37wIdFrq9QLXdqQKfZMppM3FPszFvgKZQNMF0z7fmyI35bSmbvYB1GG0xSPWb0WLSylWiCXNugeFVmNWvvROGU8jbjKUGTu/s400/2013-02-09+12.35.49-1+copy.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">"Il postino di Neruda e il design. Un case study di mobile banking" <br />
by <a href="https://twitter.com/italomarconi">Italo Marconi</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6BZwbaDiQGnjJOzOKp6QJeauqMwYYFCuvNYhsr0hYaf2RTUvzCRsCSLXx7Gb3LbDOM2eKJcp91LJRERhuL3jk-THG7GnzZn_MM00PUbS52Ig7RwtXv7pU1C5OTGEvdBsH6Szevv5hmjD6/s1600/2013-02-09+14.24.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6BZwbaDiQGnjJOzOKp6QJeauqMwYYFCuvNYhsr0hYaf2RTUvzCRsCSLXx7Gb3LbDOM2eKJcp91LJRERhuL3jk-THG7GnzZn_MM00PUbS52Ig7RwtXv7pU1C5OTGEvdBsH6Szevv5hmjD6/s400/2013-02-09+14.24.15.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">"Architecta 2013" by <a href="https://twitter.com/claudio_muci">Claudio Muci</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXjeAIHU3fNwQlNaZEAc4UKH8h2Ew8KQlCc73VHD-jVuM2xFoB7Ipbtmtd2xFqkk353RS1c9EbPKrO2AgVm7ZzsFhIQEYX_Rlc9TVdj2jZVoyJgHDup5Kb7ZPxgW4UcDyNUy7qGWZF0Xm/s1600/2013-02-09+15.08.05-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXjeAIHU3fNwQlNaZEAc4UKH8h2Ew8KQlCc73VHD-jVuM2xFoB7Ipbtmtd2xFqkk353RS1c9EbPKrO2AgVm7ZzsFhIQEYX_Rlc9TVdj2jZVoyJgHDup5Kb7ZPxgW4UcDyNUy7qGWZF0Xm/s400/2013-02-09+15.08.05-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">"Per una Architettura informativa Objects Oriented" by <a href="https://twitter.com/LucaPetroni">Luca Petroni</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXHFgWWx-bgC88zMk4A_B42dpMzcTN0QXbYq2OSGcuAHpYcBGH94oxpczuzx9y6Uh3puwVmTcigs51rEnORANNO5g3JoWE_xvgF50pfhSRrSXc9Xpn6HVqfh7quBt5mquVzjeUyMmdQ7ds/s1600/2013-02-09+15.48.51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXHFgWWx-bgC88zMk4A_B42dpMzcTN0QXbYq2OSGcuAHpYcBGH94oxpczuzx9y6Uh3puwVmTcigs51rEnORANNO5g3JoWE_xvgF50pfhSRrSXc9Xpn6HVqfh7quBt5mquVzjeUyMmdQ7ds/s400/2013-02-09+15.48.51.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">"IA - Not sexy?" by <a href="https://twitter.com/Cecce67">Cesare Bottini</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5LbUOdmbc29fZG4sc4k0uqerQv5ONGyPWBqZmc9ThD4s5gp5N_bCbKtz1xCWZz9poEjse3WzHQwqVQeLFaapVFBsVeIYWN3a5yReeRjL8bwlEK99U0w-DpLduFkLh7pIqqxMc0ZtREWgv/s1600/2013-02-09+17.15.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5LbUOdmbc29fZG4sc4k0uqerQv5ONGyPWBqZmc9ThD4s5gp5N_bCbKtz1xCWZz9poEjse3WzHQwqVQeLFaapVFBsVeIYWN3a5yReeRjL8bwlEK99U0w-DpLduFkLh7pIqqxMc0ZtREWgv/s400/2013-02-09+17.15.43.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">"Architettura della simulazione. Sistemi, flussi, interfacce, <br />
esperienze: spostare l'utente al centro di un preventivatore assicurativo" <br />
by <a href="https://twitter.com/stenopedro">Stefano Pedrioli</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXVEA3qI_KQ8ymoEwMxGateYJ2HhPW2BUHZwpH8BfdBH6bT50vi9h08ZJ-8rilWLfWSpKHQDqGFj5jPyopvTfj8JzK15Lp-ft8X-HRJ1jIbL7c6dxLRqJV3RcuHD-PIk28Tc9MRuik8A0/s1600/2013-02-09+17.38.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXVEA3qI_KQ8ymoEwMxGateYJ2HhPW2BUHZwpH8BfdBH6bT50vi9h08ZJ-8rilWLfWSpKHQDqGFj5jPyopvTfj8JzK15Lp-ft8X-HRJ1jIbL7c6dxLRqJV3RcuHD-PIk28Tc9MRuik8A0/s400/2013-02-09+17.38.01.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">"Concetti, ontologie, architettura della conoscenza" <br />
by <a href="https://twitter.com/sweetdreamerit">Stefano Bussolon</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/dariobetti">Dario Betti</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
And what better time and place to present the new <a href="http://milanuxbookclub.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Milan UX bookclub</a> T-shirts? A big <i>Thank You</i> goes to <a href="https://twitter.com/lallodola" target="_blank">Daniela</a> for having the idea and to <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/valerio-ghirardani/49/186/91a" target="_blank">Valerio</a> for allowing us to use his special font. Guys you're great!<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6JEdyOm0F7Ui76QHMmp0dglrUGTYZRmY-D_krPFa7TpUykH7-O6kcCvbOwIF23TUtbXP8fHsa6p6HKP0MIipW3QPgi9jRTeJdZMgGU8LGKxKQK5PdMcE-oNkZpiiAxL4pzjm0pg7Q3S1i/s1600/2013-02-10+01.17.57+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6JEdyOm0F7Ui76QHMmp0dglrUGTYZRmY-D_krPFa7TpUykH7-O6kcCvbOwIF23TUtbXP8fHsa6p6HKP0MIipW3QPgi9jRTeJdZMgGU8LGKxKQK5PdMcE-oNkZpiiAxL4pzjm0pg7Q3S1i/s400/2013-02-10+01.17.57+copy.jpg" width="371" /></a></div>
<br />
See you next year! :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696543891051823615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778319563065878262.post-49139499526729534032013-02-03T22:18:00.000+01:002013-02-03T22:19:18.098+01:00The perfect cookbookYesterday I had a dinner to celebrate my birthday with my university female friends and they gifted me with a handmade cookbook with some of the recipes I always ask them hints about (I'm not sure if I ever talked about my passion for cookery in this blog).<br />
<br />
This present shows they care for they knew I wanted to collect their fabulous hints & tips somewhere. But there's more: they paid attention to what was important to <i>me</i> and built "the perfect Serena's cookbook".<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHAz4x0IdH6xd-Bc4azW-EJGygWs1ZxoVIDC1EBB37JO6gan49Zpivtpf9wREhLmZBmfLYJ8o2CxcI6dluipGN7BNVlBwl-_nYCMhZxRnsiL1aPZ8v-jFDflfUcbOKSA-BazNFLRgLwIQf/s1600/2013-02-03+11.11.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHAz4x0IdH6xd-Bc4azW-EJGygWs1ZxoVIDC1EBB37JO6gan49Zpivtpf9wREhLmZBmfLYJ8o2CxcI6dluipGN7BNVlBwl-_nYCMhZxRnsiL1aPZ8v-jFDflfUcbOKSA-BazNFLRgLwIQf/s400/2013-02-03+11.11.15.jpg" width="388" /></a></div>
<br />
Indeed this cookbook is simply perfect!<br />
It's a ring binder where every recipe is stored in a plastic bag. You can take out the recipe you need and then forget about it while cooking: you can spill anything over it with no worries, all you have to do is to swipe it clean once you're finished.<br />
<br />
Thank you soooo much girls! :)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1dDlzeM-Un-ud2ISKxmeG184nYoUZBajFs6E5SPPMdu6U9CtDZ85f2fF1vi4zNZwX5l3fDObG1lA381ijp8SDUXey8zGW-bias5bWHh9x7wpZIKOZFsWmk_iDXEhdju6q1GJygoSWOVeO/s400/320891_2483626778428_1286209088_n.jpg" width="400" /></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">PS: I already talked about cookbooks a couple of years ago in <a href="http://hyppopothesis.blogspot.it/2011/02/design-for-context-cooking.html">this blog post</a></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696543891051823615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778319563065878262.post-89981219348507711922013-01-29T21:35:00.000+01:002013-01-29T21:35:38.433+01:00Why I take sketch notes (and why you should too)I first saw live sketch notes at <a href="http://www.ux-lx.com/" target="_blank">UXLX conference</a> last year - not that I had never heard of sketch notes, yet I had not seen them live before then.<br />
All the sketches were hung in the hall right after each session. <a href="http://livesketching.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Live Sketching</a> people were fantastic in fixing on paper the core concepts of every talk and the flow of it - it felt you could grasp the sense of the talks you did not attend.<br />
<br />
Just have a look yourself:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlV_aPO9WVlft2AIPYkUUWwkkH4xuCcOQW1DomCIBdOLYBlkvDZH5W1ex1iigSm7wDGmOiv3g3TsPhdtunq-zx3xDSG98k8O0hIwZxaP1nOPRHRI-8LcjADFNQ653ASdzDPEmr0XGJxfAc/s1600/2012-05-16+15.27.54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlV_aPO9WVlft2AIPYkUUWwkkH4xuCcOQW1DomCIBdOLYBlkvDZH5W1ex1iigSm7wDGmOiv3g3TsPhdtunq-zx3xDSG98k8O0hIwZxaP1nOPRHRI-8LcjADFNQ653ASdzDPEmr0XGJxfAc/s400/2012-05-16+15.27.54.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can also browse through Live Sketching <a href="http://lockerz.com/gallery/12474769" target="_blank">gallery</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I've always been a visual person, and those sketches stroke some inner chord of mine. It took a while, but as soon as I caught the wave of change in my life and was gifted a plain page Moleskine, I decided I would start using sketches in my notes.<br />
<br />
Here are the sketch notes I took at an event I attended last week called "Personal Branding e Reputazione in rete" by <a href="http://marcomassarotto.com/" target="_blank">Marco Massarotto</a>:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Nw2Bbuv-AE7JwLptIezBZSOHoZNUhJoGwZ_b-Q9kT3WrnHa20NrocfsMgYTv3bTMZYgg11he70bF5pnvYA6yu-1U69CDkmxXkNf-o1OX-JAMzsyQsUGOsPuLG8CRoIsYsO5_qrpJFEl-/s1600/SketchNotes_photo+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="455" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Nw2Bbuv-AE7JwLptIezBZSOHoZNUhJoGwZ_b-Q9kT3WrnHa20NrocfsMgYTv3bTMZYgg11he70bF5pnvYA6yu-1U69CDkmxXkNf-o1OX-JAMzsyQsUGOsPuLG8CRoIsYsO5_qrpJFEl-/s640/SketchNotes_photo+copy.jpg" width="560" /></a></div>
<br />
I must say that having switched to sketch notes has been a major improvement in my note taking: any time I look back at the sketch notes I've taken so far there's no need to read to know what they are about, I remember the whole story at a glance and dive into details (text) quicker and only if needed. I'm sure that with practice this will improve a lot and I will be able to take notes more effectively, which in turn will help me to focus more and to better remember what I hear.<br />
<br />
There is scientific evidence for the utility of sketch noting - here's Sunni Brown's TED talk about how doodling helps retainment:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="http://embed.ted.com/talks/sunni_brown.html" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
Given all these plus, why shouldn't we all be taking sketch notes?<br />
<br />
For those of you who think they cannot draw, here's a book that will help: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Back-Napkin-Expanded-Edition/dp/1591843065%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAJIJ6OULHFUAWICMQ%26tag%3Dwecart-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D1591843065" target="_blank">The back of the napkin</a> by Dan Roam.<br />
<br />
So just don't worry and give yourself a chance and some time - and let me know how it goes :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696543891051823615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778319563065878262.post-60877761842208047372013-01-10T00:51:00.000+01:002013-01-10T10:49:58.664+01:00User Experience DIY<blockquote class="tr_bq">
If it's broken, fix it.<br />
If it's not broken, improve it.</blockquote>
<div class="p1">
This is Sugru's motto.</div>
<div class="p1">
Sugru is a mouldable material that bonds to almost everything and turns into strong & flexible silicone rubber overnight. </div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
I'm sure there are things you use that you complain about, that you feel must be improved somehow. Might it be the lid that gets too hot, or the scissors not so comfortable to handle, ... Designers not always make things right (too much focus on the form instead of the function) or you want to tweak something a little bit in a previously unthought way.</div>
<div class="p1">
Waterproof, stable at high and low temperatures and resistent to high pressure as well, sugru seems to be the perfect companion to hack the things of everyday life so that they are exactly how you want them.</div>
<br />
<div class="p1">
Check this video out for some ideas: </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/A2VOKPeZjjg" width="560"></iframe><br /></div>
<br />
<div class="p1">
The website showcases many other ideas and hints. </div>
<div class="p1">
Here are a few of my favourite ones:</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sugru.com/guides/how-to-improve-a-knitting-basket-with-a-sugru-clip" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/sugru-prod/guides/image1s/1365/large/onLrsf2dR9imyDCXi0_b?1350293667" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How to improve a knitting basket with Sugru clips</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sugru.com/guides/how-to-create-a-hard-wearing-knee-patch-for-kids-pants" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/sugru-prod/guides/image1s/1369/large/6EGtD1GjSriDP_M8qqEn?1350294238" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How to create a hard-wearing knee patch for kids pants</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: start;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sugru.com/guides/how-to-make-plugs-easier-to-use" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/sugru-prod/guides/image1s/1356/large/w-Dowi-VSeqON5CkYAkW?1350294894" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How to make plugs easier to use</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="p1">
I must admit I've never tried it in real life, but I'm eager to.</div>
<div class="p1">
I love the idea of fixing versus consumerism (I hope the age of consumerism will come to an end very soon!), but waaaay more I like the empowerment this little dough gives us: to build our world as it "should" be. :)</div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">For more info visit <a href="http://sugru.com/">sugru.com</a> or <a href="https://sugru.com/buy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">buy some</a></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696543891051823615noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778319563065878262.post-43014024210741782942013-01-02T21:59:00.000+01:002013-01-02T21:59:13.593+01:00Let your imagination be bold<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/30lKLG6mzNk" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
I love this video from Lacoste on the "Polo of the future": it reminds me that you are never too bold when you imagine possible futures and that you should never ever limit your imagination.<br />
<br />
For one day, no matter how far in the future, it might all become real.<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
The whole story: <a href="http://www.lacoste-future.com/en/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lacoste future</a></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696543891051823615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778319563065878262.post-46751846844022306792012-12-26T17:06:00.000+01:002012-12-26T17:09:05.206+01:00Christmas UX & brandingMerry Christmas!<br />
<br />
I like Christmas, because in this busy and fast world it is <i>that</i> day that requires you to take a break and think of the perfect gift for the ones you love. In this roller coaster Christmas still holds as one of the few safe spots.<br />
<br />
I like also wrapping gifts - as I do with most of the manual labour -, but this year I really focussed on it in order to create a UX consistent across all my gifts: I printed out a bunch of stickers in various sizes and layouts and used them to identify my presents. I have to say that I'm happy with the result: my "brand" stood out loud and clear among all other gifts, even when the <i>wrapping</i> was different. :D<br />
<br />
Do you agree?<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs3grkQiJldvMDubLi33QoAq_Rj-Leven68N5yo4-EeZwmOTz5l6YbPS1i1J0tzJsHyu0Thaz2_s6vs33qjyZRQgL0vN8eEBbr4X6HwMVJ-hI2AyBIh23E1f4YwRD-L7JadWaBMsmMjidT/s1600/IMG_2408.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs3grkQiJldvMDubLi33QoAq_Rj-Leven68N5yo4-EeZwmOTz5l6YbPS1i1J0tzJsHyu0Thaz2_s6vs33qjyZRQgL0vN8eEBbr4X6HwMVJ-hI2AyBIh23E1f4YwRD-L7JadWaBMsmMjidT/s400/IMG_2408.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKi5dvfErDomTR0KZ-_0QBbIftuEUwkxyhZgVrN3ZPbQX7j3cXVRXsm0W3gZifDWt0tCYslSZsZE0fBeC1sM-8JEgxSsUUN1yPrWNZNHLYUpwF4I-fKYRY1-veHVo8YFxA_w7jNE5LsD2W/s1600/IMG_2405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKi5dvfErDomTR0KZ-_0QBbIftuEUwkxyhZgVrN3ZPbQX7j3cXVRXsm0W3gZifDWt0tCYslSZsZE0fBeC1sM-8JEgxSsUUN1yPrWNZNHLYUpwF4I-fKYRY1-veHVo8YFxA_w7jNE5LsD2W/s400/IMG_2405.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrR-dOrMv71-TohWgu5pDHnQksnceFqgSLJ2i9Sk6eBqa8UtqLb4JybM-xp9RXbjPxLJvgLFytoAdywgImcIGdkGC-tIKsQVX0lFkxKwhPMPjhXi5mF61FtGfGb2hqP2sZNIzwZsTWI5fK/s1600/IMG_2369.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrR-dOrMv71-TohWgu5pDHnQksnceFqgSLJ2i9Sk6eBqa8UtqLb4JybM-xp9RXbjPxLJvgLFytoAdywgImcIGdkGC-tIKsQVX0lFkxKwhPMPjhXi5mF61FtGfGb2hqP2sZNIzwZsTWI5fK/s400/IMG_2369.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<u>Note for the next year:</u> thinking back on it, I should have included a space for the name of the recipient to avoid ungracious handwriting over the sticker. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">PS: The tree was a free vector and it can be found <a href="http://wowvectors.com/decoration/christmas-graphics/" target="_blank">here</a></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696543891051823615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778319563065878262.post-56857265247745867912012-12-16T23:47:00.001+01:002012-12-16T23:50:37.150+01:00Never warp your brain with timezone math againHave you ever tried to convert time among time zones?<br />
It's a most difficult thing, at least for me: I cannot remember which abbreviation stands for what (and even which is the one for my local time - d'oh!).<br />
<br />
So each and every time is a pain:<br />
- first look up for time zones;<br />
- then check which one I'm in (and no I don't travel often out of my zone..);<br />
- then check if the abbreviation they gave me is right (so many ways to spell the same zone! grr);<br />
- then ask Google for conversion.<br />
<br />
I'm happy to say that I eventually found a solution! - well, actually I stumbled into one :P<br />
So I'm glad to present you with: <a href="http://everytimezone.com/" target="_blank">Every Time Zone</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://everytimezone.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN9G3PTJDKoNlh7x7WvlkkFZc0GgmQSnK7C7qhnxlY1AbuSbM_69p0x5rJGBkIkXspBCjESWfEC-vShIRjqIVts5JFRfoLZ5VE6iYGW_SVsXhkerOG9IIW1rYBPRg9-0UQb-uupeeH2Kwe/s640/everytimezone.png" title="" width="520" /></a></div><br />
This website is well crafted in many ways and I love all of them. Just have a look and you'll notice by yourself what I mean (be sure to move all the way to the left with the time ;) ).<br />
<br />
The only detail I'd suggest <a href="http://twitter.com/amyhoy" target="_blank">Amy</a> & <a href="http://twitter.com/thomasfuchs" target="_blank">Thomas</a> to add is the possibility to search for a specific city name not in the list - more often than not I'm not sure where a city is - & then highlight the time zone it belongs to. That would be most helpful. :)<br />
<br />
All in all thumbs up!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696543891051823615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778319563065878262.post-10172774114512085052012-11-21T22:07:00.000+01:002012-11-21T22:08:18.714+01:00Standards are our friendsWe recently bought a new car which I happen to use from time to time, alternating it with my beloved Seat Leon.<br />
As soon as the new car came home, I started having problems with opening and closing cars using a remote control - which I never had before - to the point I left this new car open in a parking lot all day.<br />
<br />
It wasn't until I had both the key in my hand that I realize the issue: I was blaming myself, yet it was a usability problem!<br />
<br />
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<img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQTt2V904hGovc5IstD7DsZSSlEix6ohOfo9hTfUzLS73ofs4quLPPAOgZcet-AqZROlDvYo-8Tt565tjqtnW4kZA2kND3hkHMmcbJ5aXIfTkcc3SbFN3uPLlf6vZ4VIfZOhIOShblZEpV/s400/2012-11-04-21.51.png" width="480" /></div>
<br />
As you can see the button to open the new car (remote control on the right) is in the exact same position than the button for closing the older car (remote control on the left - the one I'm used to). Bingo!<br />
<br />
This story reminds me of the importance of standards.<br />
Defining standards, even in small things such as remote car controls button positioning, would lead to less distress in the user. For not having to think too much when performing small tasks is, in the end, an improvement to people's life - which is <a href="http://hyppopothesis.blogspot.nl/2012/09/a-designers-call.html">the ultimate design goal</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696543891051823615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778319563065878262.post-63636488583554215462012-11-06T00:54:00.000+01:002012-11-06T00:54:05.402+01:00Small changes can make a big difference - Public tickets in MilanDo you remember <a href="http://hyppopothesis.blogspot.it/2012/07/what-happens-when-usability-fails.html">the post</a> I wrote on Milan public transport tickets and their poor design?<br />
I think someone from ATM (Milan public transport company) had the same feeling.<br />
<br />
In fact the last time I took the train, the tickets I got from the machine were a little different from the ones I remembered:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju_qsAXmeXqjheHyWYsL17zrgvxDuA7-d0OIKghAgqyVhB7dKqB2ysAJUrVf2_DVsE01649XElBoGGbnKWWCiMjrSaopqHcJaVEua3vQbfExZWSmIqOasFYqdhVInqsVbmuwMxRBHrYu7N/s400/tickets.png" width="400" /></div>
<br />
<br />
I believe there were constraint to be kept in the "graphic design" (the pinkish background), yet there are 2 small changes in printed content which make a great difference:<br />
<ul>
<li>the introduction of <b>a big black arrow</b> (much more visible and recognizable than the pinkish one in the background - which looks a bit too much a decoration);</li>
<br />
<li><b>the new advice on the white end</b> - by giving the same direction to all the text on the ticket, the user is less prone to get the feeling that the white part is somehow "different" from the rest of the ticket (read "something to be stamped").</li>
</ul>
<br />
Small changes can lead to big improvements indeed.<br />
I'm sure less people get frustrated now and I bet there are less queues due to wrong ticket side insertion. :)<br />
<br />
Well done ATM!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696543891051823615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778319563065878262.post-47039157154517477662012-10-03T02:22:00.000+02:002012-10-03T02:22:48.584+02:00Car bumpers and design ethicsI can't get the point when changes in the design are merely an aesthetic matter and in the name of beauty allow the introduction of loads of distress to the user.
<br />
<br />
For instance I can't understand why car manufacturers switched from a plastic bumper to a fully varnished one.
<br />
<br />
Here's an example starring FIAT Punto (I'm Italian after all :P):
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc8P5s7RhrjUDKeeAOh9fQMmoRutKniQsEddrF0ZUJNWOz00yfWdBT0qKNsmZHBH8OziZeWZeK4k_a9Zy6HswKWy0A1pgv8O3IgXJ59c8f9m_cpoehfPMma8SZcPj3hHSw2oo8zmqXyzdT/s640/punto_global.png" width="504" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FIAT Punto - 1994 vs 2012</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Ok, ok, I had a little car accident yesterday and this might look as a personal frustrated rant, but I swear it isn't. After all, what are bumpers there for if not for "getting bumped", that is "bump into something while preserving the car from breaking" (and therefore needing annoying and expensive assistance)?
<br />
<br />
The old plastic bumpers were great at this: if you bumped into things lightly enough [as I did yesterday] you would end up with nothing but a small little scratch on the plastic - almost invisible - black on black. That's why I loved the introduction of plastic car door bumpers: I didn't have to worry too much about car doors anymore back then.<br />
Today with the new fancy bumpers at any bump you end up with a horrible scratch on the varnish which is impossible not to notice and forces you to go and get the car repaired both for aesthetic purposes and for honour (you don't want others to know, do you?).
<br />
<br />
A design change that make you spend money when not needed, to repair something which isn't broken is good for moving money, but how good it is for the end user?
<br />
<br />
Putting it more on an ethical level: should designers really put marketing before the greater good when making design decisions? shouldn't we, instead, take it as a challenge to make a thing more desirable, yet avoiding compromising about the quality of our choices?
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696543891051823615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778319563065878262.post-63193033234398465672012-09-24T14:03:00.001+02:002012-09-24T14:13:36.100+02:00No Place Like HomeWhen Dominic Wilcox was commissioned to create a pair of shoes for the Global Footprint project in Northamptonshire, he got inspiration from the Wizard of Oz Dorothy character who could be transported home by clicking the heels together and designed this pair of shoes that can guide you home.<br />
<br />
No more iPhone strolling, there's no need of understanding a map pointer anymore, the experience is all that matters here.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.design-milk.com/images/2012/09/gps-shoes-dominic-wilcox3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="http://2.design-milk.com/images/2012/09/gps-shoes-dominic-wilcox3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.design-milk.com/images/2012/09/gps-shoes-dominic-wilcox-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://2.design-milk.com/images/2012/09/gps-shoes-dominic-wilcox-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm sure this is just the beginning, and that these idea can be further improved to avoid physical connection cables or to signal heights... Yet it's just one more thing that reminds us how seamlessly technology can be integrated into everyday life to improve it.<br />
<br />
Kudos to Dominic :)<br />
<br />
Here's the video that tells the full story:<br />
<br />
<iframe style="text-align: center;" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/49425556?portrait=0" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe>
And here's <a href="http://www.dominicwilcox.com/gpsshoes.htm">Dominic website</a> documenting this and other inventions.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696543891051823615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778319563065878262.post-27794139473395490262012-09-20T16:47:00.001+02:002012-09-20T16:48:59.338+02:00A designer's call "Designers have the power to change the world and improve people's lives."<br />
<div class="p1">
Aral Balkan strongly believe this and support this idea greatly in this TED talk:</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="331" scrolling="no" src="http://talentsearch.ted.com/video/Aral-Balkan-Great-design-should/player?layout=&read_more=1" width="420"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="p1">
The statement is very strong, yet must be acknowledged by every designer and taken very seriously, for "with great power comes great responsibility".</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Aral gives us a couple of rules to fulfill our call: </div>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li1">don't let technology get in the way but take advantage of it as an invisible ally;</li>
<li class="li1">focus on the experience & create things that empower, amuse and delight.</li>
</ul>
<div class="p1">
How can I recognize a great design? you might ask.. </div>
<div class="p1">
Well, it's easy: "Great design feels like magic" :)</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Thanks Aral!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696543891051823615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778319563065878262.post-37503419293007330162012-07-31T00:09:00.000+02:002012-07-31T00:10:33.478+02:00A way to build trust: legalese made simple by design.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Terms&conditions and privacy policies are meant to be accepted, not read.<br />
This is a widely spread feeling: companies want us to accept them to protect themselves, but make them hard to comprehend and time consuming so that we don't care and give our acceptance based on good faith.
<br />
<br />
Yet, as far as I can say, conditions acceptance is more than ever a starting point for our lack of trust in humanity. "Why make them so hard to read if they are something I must know?" most of us think, and we all tick the checkbox with a feeling lingering in the back of ours head that if time gets tough our interests won't be safeguarded. <br />
<br />
Yesterday I stumbled upon a great example of how good design can be really useful to every party in building trust and a deeper relationship: 500px did in fact a great job in making their T&C and privacy policies user friendly. :)
<br />
<br />
Here they are:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://500px.com/privacy" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj75fYz-b50qaLIM2LWntFII4l5FxUv_sx0dl9JHHvsjK3QekTdoQ7vxBiuPPVqV_TkDbxRt6sGFC4cDZ7uywPQs9CCjHao0vm96LhdlbscvIpTi-UZWDenwWPUx8PMW2dsOzm3jytKTBpE/s1600/pageshot+of+'500px+Privacy'+@+2012-07-00-1400.png" /></a></div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696543891051823615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778319563065878262.post-1235908248000141362012-07-18T00:12:00.000+02:002012-07-18T00:13:17.032+02:00What happens when usability fails? - 2<div class="p1">
They add instructions.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZbyUIsxvuo1qIvKI9mBbU3B9LCvpfA129mJVKxaFa_tMvA_1TqLP7nV_vDKBGcgW3yJsaTw49LJ0GczVr6ke2zzw7M5ZN2sqolGSb_8OOe-lUzOAPpumSAE4ialjxIQzrND_-9sQZbVb/s1600/07052010043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZbyUIsxvuo1qIvKI9mBbU3B9LCvpfA129mJVKxaFa_tMvA_1TqLP7nV_vDKBGcgW3yJsaTw49LJ0GczVr6ke2zzw7M5ZN2sqolGSb_8OOe-lUzOAPpumSAE4ialjxIQzrND_-9sQZbVb/s400/07052010043.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Please don't lean on the button board"<br />
Public elevator in an underground station in Turin (Italy).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="p1">
</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Just another example to reinforce what I said on a previous <a href="http://hyppopothesis.blogspot.it/2012/07/what-happens-when-usability-fails.html">blog post</a>.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696543891051823615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778319563065878262.post-64987005051609013652012-07-12T23:13:00.000+02:002012-07-15T21:25:45.390+02:00What happens when Usability fails?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
They add instructions.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Like on this ticket punch:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB5hM4kYV5kmmxDOAYgM9ketm2rwsbGkYWPnPszVybGCn9u5F4BPv6-TRRMVX7-rLL7o5NQ-IN2Z0TWVRgiHalvWi5y3OR3fbEpczF2rtFNFt70yeFDIUwuA1agoTaiCHUYNmh1uVAWLs0/s1600/2012-07-04+18.44.35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB5hM4kYV5kmmxDOAYgM9ketm2rwsbGkYWPnPszVybGCn9u5F4BPv6-TRRMVX7-rLL7o5NQ-IN2Z0TWVRgiHalvWi5y3OR3fbEpczF2rtFNFt70yeFDIUwuA1agoTaiCHUYNmh1uVAWLs0/s400/2012-07-04+18.44.35.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Insert tickets as shown in the picture"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;">They added instructions because people probably inserted the ticket in the wrong direction too many times, got frustrated, caused stress to others.. </span><span style="background-color: white;">but are </span><i style="background-color: white;">they</i><span style="background-color: white;"> wrong? Or rather there's something wrong in the system?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Let's have a look at tickets: a public transport ticket in Milan (the one for the ticket punch above) and a train ticket.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR4KfHiGBKfzSFroQZSm6ndOSTYj3avM-u9U5KCXyOw6fuI3gQhLHlfYJstdH8e888f2zQUP9-_3cXivSsBJSw1ecvwQHRY4szRmP8Td13MlMMjFJJjCx2gGnrGPDqJMh-JsqQdmHOshYY/s1600/2012-07-04+23.54.06+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR4KfHiGBKfzSFroQZSm6ndOSTYj3avM-u9U5KCXyOw6fuI3gQhLHlfYJstdH8e888f2zQUP9-_3cXivSsBJSw1ecvwQHRY4szRmP8Td13MlMMjFJJjCx2gGnrGPDqJMh-JsqQdmHOshYY/s400/2012-07-04+23.54.06+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
As far as I remember, tickets have always had a "complex" body, with colors, graphics and information and a small empty and usually whitish space on one side. That was the part you had to stamp (the top part in the train ticket).<br />
<br />
Clearly the public transport ticket is designed following opposite rules, for the white band is the bottom of the ticket.<br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Is it still strange that people make mistakes when using them?</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696543891051823615noreply@blogger.com0Milan, Italy45.463681 9.188171445.3745885 9.0302429 45.5527735 9.3460999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778319563065878262.post-58210019838655439212012-06-27T20:16:00.000+02:002012-06-27T20:18:17.579+02:00Paying attention to details - Adv & message<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A few months ago I've been to <a href="http://falacosagiusta.terre.it/" target="_blank"><i>Fa' la cosa giusta</i></a>, a fair in Milan on sustainability and ethical consumption. <a href="http://www.legambiente.it/" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">Legambiente</a>, as the most widespread environmental organization in Italy, was there with a series of posters/adv on the theme.<br />
<br />
Here's my favorite one:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhJ7_0zAXuBwurrWjDk-Qf0xmwyWI5Kr08JMokMp2-N3siXMitgZ7IVpOljKmLuni0d3MlmX3brYP5zR4xRd1A3EFl_5yM9qsKPmWIUAx-z7OR_I2iEfYd2BJIHpJBLYMYfJjVG2PKNIN/s1600/2012-04-01+17.24.29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhJ7_0zAXuBwurrWjDk-Qf0xmwyWI5Kr08JMokMp2-N3siXMitgZ7IVpOljKmLuni0d3MlmX3brYP5zR4xRd1A3EFl_5yM9qsKPmWIUAx-z7OR_I2iEfYd2BJIHpJBLYMYfJjVG2PKNIN/s400/2012-04-01+17.24.29.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Essentially it was a campaign on recycling which I presume was out around the beginning of 2010 ("<i>Happy Old Year</i>").<br />
<br />
What I love of it are the details:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik0qm1gTpg-erZtT_uiRktGhvLOO8h8oOkqnHNfINg_BkEfvl4w9r7iwF0VUOfKWXRQHWSM9_KgOzCorB50VM7xgte89hMZOnwDvRHSL8hthppo3sktvVZqn3asH6XhLLigOQQIzelICN7/s1600/Legambiente.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik0qm1gTpg-erZtT_uiRktGhvLOO8h8oOkqnHNfINg_BkEfvl4w9r7iwF0VUOfKWXRQHWSM9_KgOzCorB50VM7xgte89hMZOnwDvRHSL8hthppo3sktvVZqn3asH6XhLLigOQQIzelICN7/s640/Legambiente.jpg" width="550" /></a></div>
<br />
For non-Italians:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
On the right: <i>Happy Old Year - do not throw away what can be used again: even an old calendar becomes new every 28 years. Start the new year with a different gesture: recycle.</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
On the left (my favourite!): <i>Do not waste this page. Tear it out and stick it on your wall.</i></blockquote>
An adv on a magazine is always perceived as "waste". Without the left note this adv would have lost all its power and with it the message it carried.<br />
Luckily they thought of it and by adding that single line, made the whole thing well rounded.<br />
<br />
Good job Legambiente! :)</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696543891051823615noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778319563065878262.post-61033902136431704472012-05-26T14:27:00.000+02:002012-05-26T14:27:58.040+02:00Bike path<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAONIwYmQ7qpPMDEkPhqZrUjEJ5a2-bqRjCKVCjfGTf2bB7MralF5I5rprYKznvyYysHQcAY8Ke_wRSlkzeosLilbKQYeTV6CoPqDqG6OxeAkTyPpJNDDKW21lyKE4yQku4dm5ZyDyWzN5/s1600/BikePath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAONIwYmQ7qpPMDEkPhqZrUjEJ5a2-bqRjCKVCjfGTf2bB7MralF5I5rprYKznvyYysHQcAY8Ke_wRSlkzeosLilbKQYeTV6CoPqDqG6OxeAkTyPpJNDDKW21lyKE4yQku4dm5ZyDyWzN5/s640/BikePath.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
Uh oh, something went wrong here..Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696543891051823615noreply@blogger.com0Viale Fratelli Casiraghi, 417, 20099 Sesto San Giovanni Milan, Italy45.5465027 9.236081145.5451127 9.2336136 45.5478927 9.2385486tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778319563065878262.post-70305680035964906522012-04-15T00:31:00.000+02:002012-04-15T00:44:39.986+02:00Paying attention to details - ticket restaurant<div class="p1">
There are 2 important things in a ticket restaurant: the barcode and the numeric code at the bottom.<br />
<br />
I wasn't happy at all with the design of mine.<br />
They had the barcode too close to the attached border, so you had to be super careful when tearing out tickets. Restaurateurs can, in fact, refuse to accept a ticket with a ripped up barcode.<br />
<div class="p1">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfhi5TBdnjBU5glLmksX84caExRoIEhs4Ewl8eCoaAswtpj7TMecvxo26AZVXAkfbHzlM3W2C-eCpH1_hAgZHPk_K5IjWqE-hGdFhqZCBocDKto5wTrPxrBEeKhyhaQnnS6OYXvwlUPjIy/s1600/old_ticket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfhi5TBdnjBU5glLmksX84caExRoIEhs4Ewl8eCoaAswtpj7TMecvxo26AZVXAkfbHzlM3W2C-eCpH1_hAgZHPk_K5IjWqE-hGdFhqZCBocDKto5wTrPxrBEeKhyhaQnnS6OYXvwlUPjIy/s400/old_ticket.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
No need to say I smiled when I opened the last block I got, just to realize they had been redesigned in a way that drastically improves usability.<br />
<br />
A single small change has been done: the barcode has been moved to the clear side.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNedwz1ZJswT73alnztdmJerZgFq18NMusjb2uA0MyUQpFjRR5RMEsEcRaXlaBPQhEy6ao_lr0SrveyIg3tZY7Upg-d2w7RHIsopZ2pfDLguGEfhymdfXWYFuQizJjLRAXCvbpRSeDklK/s1600/new_ticket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNedwz1ZJswT73alnztdmJerZgFq18NMusjb2uA0MyUQpFjRR5RMEsEcRaXlaBPQhEy6ao_lr0SrveyIg3tZY7Upg-d2w7RHIsopZ2pfDLguGEfhymdfXWYFuQizJjLRAXCvbpRSeDklK/s400/new_ticket.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
A small change, a big leap.<br />
From now on there will be no fear of ripping the barcode - a cause of stress has been removed!<br />
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Details can change your day for the better, even in small things such as ticket restaurant. :)</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696543891051823615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778319563065878262.post-5705393259438759582012-04-07T20:59:00.000+02:002012-04-12T00:23:40.635+02:00Paying attention to details - plugs and adaptorsI think plugs and adaptors can be a very good topic to talk about good and bad design.<br />
<br />
When I was young, as far as I remember, plugs were sort of standardized in Italy. There were only two different, yet very similar, shapes:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgapmYIGYBEJIwwH8wyUBZ2fsVqO2WeVCsUHWIevBnCTwD5PAOHPtSlQplTo2ZOjQPVvqbVYZSKrv1Mnwz5PRTt6k6HPHvxxeznFNUmF3XeeZ18jD9xURRbzCKAJuVC0yJxSo_7pfyBPZBv/s1600/standard_plugs_Italy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgapmYIGYBEJIwwH8wyUBZ2fsVqO2WeVCsUHWIevBnCTwD5PAOHPtSlQplTo2ZOjQPVvqbVYZSKrv1Mnwz5PRTt6k6HPHvxxeznFNUmF3XeeZ18jD9xURRbzCKAJuVC0yJxSo_7pfyBPZBv/s320/standard_plugs_Italy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Multi-plug adaptors, were made to fit these plugs and save space. And they worked!<br />
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Now context has changed.<br />
There are tons of different plug shapes, due to the variety of devices and lack of standardization:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Gh9gPNLq0Ey1tEiDtSBbEXcc3U8UpxVV9N-QjkuqfThEIh4NPFdokO-BXFgOOl-PmwJTCivBtCZDLYeI5nVH2LzxuvU6wCB5ADGmHOAakD0TYOp9KOetwEb1KMYHMV-4Kqa5hYfg80yu/s1600/plugs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Gh9gPNLq0Ey1tEiDtSBbEXcc3U8UpxVV9N-QjkuqfThEIh4NPFdokO-BXFgOOl-PmwJTCivBtCZDLYeI5nVH2LzxuvU6wCB5ADGmHOAakD0TYOp9KOetwEb1KMYHMV-4Kqa5hYfg80yu/s400/plugs.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The old multi-plug adaptor that was perfect 30 years ago, it's not suitable any more: its design forces users to spend time shuffling plugs around in order to be able to plug in everything - an incredible loss of time.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZXUtX-ns2br0Ws5OvGcWwnkP8Uisq8fv9Wokk_oG35dUDvJv11uIdAoInUNqnL4nNpUKYrp7uw8ZTS51P2XrOknz7RthQZ1H_jcFnQirPimIEsxbqcs7PpG1noG8ZC-RsRjoyVayCzDv/s1600/2012-03-27+16.00.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZXUtX-ns2br0Ws5OvGcWwnkP8Uisq8fv9Wokk_oG35dUDvJv11uIdAoInUNqnL4nNpUKYrp7uw8ZTS51P2XrOknz7RthQZ1H_jcFnQirPimIEsxbqcs7PpG1noG8ZC-RsRjoyVayCzDv/s400/2012-03-27+16.00.43.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>My workplace</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Luckily enough there are some other multi-plug adaptors designed with plug abundance in mind, so that any plug can be inserted.<br />
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYMW3Hsxkw60d_bLthkwCm-z1WhXztNleyTyKr6_nE9rq6SWAEFRiXJBQ_lOaJdfrdZM4REXVKQrJnbOLf7UvJnf36B374Us8OPgQk78ukhe54hoc16iEtEMD_4JwE1lEplqvWJm0CVNQE/s1600/33201092314b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYMW3Hsxkw60d_bLthkwCm-z1WhXztNleyTyKr6_nE9rq6SWAEFRiXJBQ_lOaJdfrdZM4REXVKQrJnbOLf7UvJnf36B374Us8OPgQk78ukhe54hoc16iEtEMD_4JwE1lEplqvWJm0CVNQE/s400/33201092314b.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Parallel design</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnDlieZPJWYpc6PyAxFgsyKPUBwV7UY71scSDnnQ5clUFHWhnawL78fk7-pKubkZHqguYzMY_VeZjmzPtNbIGHcR48m4e_-vh_K3SFfuXowpf7IXDkFjrSeA2_MVuEQDhjSNh9T9K4R8lI/s1600/406005070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnDlieZPJWYpc6PyAxFgsyKPUBwV7UY71scSDnnQ5clUFHWhnawL78fk7-pKubkZHqguYzMY_VeZjmzPtNbIGHcR48m4e_-vh_K3SFfuXowpf7IXDkFjrSeA2_MVuEQDhjSNh9T9K4R8lI/s320/406005070.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Customizable - sockets can rotate in order to accommodate any plug</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The good quality of a design can be judged only within its context.<br />
Good design fits the context it's in and strive to solve all the possible issues and to adapt to changes.<br />
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Good design generates tools which save us time, for they don't require us <i>to think</i> - all the thinking has already been done by the designer. :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696543891051823615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778319563065878262.post-28061377858172072862012-02-29T23:25:00.000+01:002012-02-29T23:25:39.637+01:00The power of visual instructions - driving license renewal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A while ago I renewed my driving licence.<br />
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A month later I received a letter with the new sticker that would extend it's validity. Intructions on where to place the sticked were given within the letter text.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFiQAXy5eyJjRMB-lGwunE7_eTeLKxegNMF_GSfFz8DBb-G97RAnGRbVUceYPHswj869772a74jb0eA7_XlVWuT6XzRJGD2iVqovW_7C1ukHfObfrln0gynsy6mCyBEhdd5ib8TrbIU5vs/s1600/Patente_indicazioni.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="70" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFiQAXy5eyJjRMB-lGwunE7_eTeLKxegNMF_GSfFz8DBb-G97RAnGRbVUceYPHswj869772a74jb0eA7_XlVWuT6XzRJGD2iVqovW_7C1ukHfObfrln0gynsy6mCyBEhdd5ib8TrbIU5vs/s640/Patente_indicazioni.jpg" width="560" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"attach the sticker over the second box in the upper left corner of the rear of your driving licence"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="p1">
Though it's basically attaching a sticker to a plastic card, trust me it was not simple to understand where to put it - nor to feel I wasn't wrong..<br />
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I believe visual instructions are much easier to follow and relate to than textual one.<br />
Can you imagine what if <a href="http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/customer_service/assembly/A/A70156286.pdf">IKEA instructions</a> were in plain text? That would ruin the company for sure.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5AB-Go4_U0-7QeDQxDtokrQz9ZmZ1buanugBIVmf_zv1iCyoZwKHZZpdAJQeA_SPMqIcPR4oLPjWTKIm9W7ZEgse63NWu3VDZTIN2ofcKzAfpZWjEvrcDXkuOQwuNv5C-VIv3eo4wPt-D/s1600/ikea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5AB-Go4_U0-7QeDQxDtokrQz9ZmZ1buanugBIVmf_zv1iCyoZwKHZZpdAJQeA_SPMqIcPR4oLPjWTKIm9W7ZEgse63NWu3VDZTIN2ofcKzAfpZWjEvrcDXkuOQwuNv5C-VIv3eo4wPt-D/s400/ikea.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Back to the driving licence letter, wouldn't it be easier if the it would have had an explanatory image similar to the following one?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ8eDmuHD84V_MBkKfaPydu3fm3a0MaV4k824RWoDq8zIqs18xz0VjrACYRjo7Dtv4lo_kaJYpfkKcDxwC2_ZcKDaPu_hWCfHXKArHvpxR4EKI815K9DrS7VEfMc55Q5FCZZRhHfmwXJwV/s1600/Patente_1v4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ8eDmuHD84V_MBkKfaPydu3fm3a0MaV4k824RWoDq8zIqs18xz0VjrACYRjo7Dtv4lo_kaJYpfkKcDxwC2_ZcKDaPu_hWCfHXKArHvpxR4EKI815K9DrS7VEfMc55Q5FCZZRhHfmwXJwV/s400/Patente_1v4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The purpose of instructions should be to state clearly what to do, in order to make the task easy and quick to be performed. Textual instructions are most of the time arguable and language dependent, while good visual ones can be really easy to grasp and "background-independent" (that's why they are used in airplanes).<br />
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<a href="http://i25.tinypic.com/2mxqum1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://i25.tinypic.com/2mxqum1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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So go for more visual instructions, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Make-Me-Think-Usability/dp/0321344758/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329865879&sr=1-1">don't make me think</a> (and don't make me feel dumb) and I'll be grateful! </div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696543891051823615noreply@blogger.com0