Very Cool Information Visualization Website

http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/

Inappropriate Playmobil Children's Toys

Somebody didn't really think about the customer when designing these!

(or is it a joke -- I can't tell)

check it out >

Interface Trend: Fluid Interfaces

A "Fluid" interface allows you to change the size of your window, and the interface adapts accordingly to show you more or less content -- more or fewer thumbnails for example -- without decreasing the usefulness of the site.

Not only is this great for users who have larger monitors (or smaller ones such as iPhones), but as a designer, it makes it easy to adapt your site to other devices (like cell phones) without having to generate lots of different versions of your design.

Stretch and shrink these windows and notice the number of thumbnails changing:

http://www.thefind.com/search?query=frog
http://www.thefwa.com/

This one takes a little more effort, but it's a nice example in Flash of the interface adapting to window size.
http://www.cubic.com.br/#/en/peca/44/81

Interface Trend: Fixed Footers

http://www.thefind.com/search?query=womens+watch
http://moma.org
http://www.sitepoint.com/
http://www.totalbeauty.com/reviews (fixed touts at the bottom)
http://www.hi5.com/ 
and of course, http://facebook.com

Interface Trend: Modal Windows

Modal windows are perfect for login processes because they don't take the user out of context, and allow them to log in and go right back to what they were currently doing. Usually you click an "X" or "Close" button to get out of them, or click anywhere on the screen other than the window. Most of the time the screen behind the window darkens or fades out and its functionality becomes inactive.

Here are a few nice examples.

Nice Modal windows: 
http://www.nick.com/  (click "log in" or "register")
http://getsatisfaction.com/  (click "log in")
http://listen.grooveshark.com/  (click "log in")
http://www.scrapblog.com  (click "feedback" on the left)
http://www.scrapblog.com/builder/#
http://fancybox.net/example
http://www.shadowbox-js.com/index.html (scroll down for examples)
http://www.twine.com/ (fades out the background nicely)

Open/close effect examples:
http://www.likno.com/jquery-modal-windows/examples.php
http://www.ericmmartin.com/projects/simplemodal-demos/

For video too:
http://www.burconsult.com/tutorials/fancyplayer/index.html

Reverse Graffiti Project

(image by Christine van Doesburgh)
If you see the outlines of flowers on the sidewalks in Amsterdam, it wasn't because of that puff you took at the coffee shop; artist Christine van Doesburgh has been spiffing up the neighborhood with "reverse graffiti"

Inspired by the Reverse Graffiti project (photo above), van Doesburgh made stencils of local plants and used a high-pressure water hose (usually used to clean graffiti off of walls) to stencil the plants onto the ground.

Here are a few more photos of the Amsterdam ones:

depressing error message

RFID smart wooden blocks

Shameless re-post: Wilsonbuilt's blog
RFID + Wood =

Sure it looks like a bunch of cute Scandinavian wood blocks and maybe a Red Hot Fireball. But it's actually a media triggering system developed by Jørn Knutsen, Einar Sneve Martinussen and Timo Arnall from Architecture-og designhøgskolen in Oslo. Put an object in the little bowl and it triggers an attached computer to do different stuff – play a movie, or start a kid’s game. Check it out here on belowtheclouds.com.

Interview with David McConville at West Coast Green

Co-founder of Elumenati and board member of the Buckminster Fuller Institute, David McConville talks about his work in immersive media and his theory behind it.

Part 1



Part 2

West Coast Green Conference 2009 Starts Soon in San Francisco

There are some great speakers, including the mayor of SF, Gavin Newsom, and lots of design-related people like Michelle Kaufmann, queen of green pre-fab housing, David McConville of Eluminati, and exhibitors that include the good folks from Inhabitat.

I'll be reporting for envisionGood.tv, so check them out afterwards to see some video from the event.

The conference claims to be, "the largest conference on green innovation for the built environment" 

http://www.westcoastgreen.com/

Useful InDesign Libraries/Templates from EightShapes

http://unify.eightshapes.com/wireframes/wireframes-preview/

Only catch, you have to have at least CS3, and I prefer C2...

Animation of StreetView by Google Japan

Really cute animation, though I'm not sure how accurately the process is represented :)

What the #$% is a CarrotMob??

Here's a video that will give you the scoop, in case you were wondering! http://img17.yfrog.com/i/z6a.mp4/

see more info at carrotmob.org >

Facebook Offers "Lite" Version

Facebook is rolling out a preview of Facebook Lite (http://lite.facebook.com) to the United States and India today. They're still working out the kinks, and planning to translate it to many other languages, but this seems like a promising start, especially considering 70% of their users are outside of the US and many (even within the US, on college campuses for example) have limited bandwidth.

It's pretty much as you would expect, a simplified version of regular Facebook, without the slow-to-load features like apps and the left-hand-side menus. But it still has profile pictures and shows photos and videos in your feed.

Design Revolution: 100 Products That Empower People

I can't wait to get my hands on this book!

"Featuring more than 100 contemporary design objects and systems--safer baby bottles, a high-tech waterless washing machine, low-cost prosthetics for landmine victims, Braille-based Lego-style building blocks for blind children (...) that are as fascinating as they are revolutionary, this exceptionally smart, friendly and well-designed volume makes the case for design as a tool to solve some of the world’s biggest social problems in beautiful, sustainable and engaging ways (...) Pilloton challenges designers to be changemakers instead of “stuff creators.”
"
Watch a video featuring the author, Emily Pilloton on the Adobe site

There is a Book Launch Party October 1 in San Francisco, and a panel and reception at Cooper-Hewitt in NYC October 3rd
more info >

Google Making History With The National September 11th Memorial & Museum

Check out this website(maybe a bit chunky today because of high traffic) where you can add your story, search by location, and browse photos that tell the story of that fateful day: http://makehistory.national911memorial.org/ I thought it was quite a beautiful use of Flash.

Read a thoughtful intro by Jill Szuchmacher of Google here.

Mozilla Service week! Sept 14- 21 2009

This is really cool: Use your internet skills to help make a difference. Examples:

* Teach senior citizens how to use the Web.
* Show a non-profit how to use social networking to grow its base of supporters.
* Help install a wireless network at a school.
* Create Web how-to materials for a library's computer cluster.
* Refurbish hardware for a local computer center.
* Update a non-profit organization's website.
* Teach the values of the open Web to other public benefit organizations.

What Is Mozilla Service Week?

During the week of September 14-21, 2009, we're asking individuals to step up and make a difference by using the Web to better their community. We're looking for people who want to share, give, engage, create, and collaborate by offering their time and talent to local organizations and people who need their help.

Mozilla believes everyone should know how to use the Internet, have easy access to it, and have a good experience when they're online. By utilizing our community's talents for writing, designing, programming, developing, and all-around technical know-how, we believe we can make the Web a better place for everyone.

Not sure what you would do? Here are some great stories for inspiration.

check it out >

Useful Image for Web Design Screen Sizing

Click to see a more "useful" view!
This image shows the different screen sizes you can design for and what percentage of people have them.

from methodologie

Human Centered Design Toolkit from IDEO

A free innovation guide for NGOs and Social Enterprises

For years, organizations have used Human-Centered Design (HCD) to arrive at innovative business solutions. In collaboration with the Gates Foundation and non-profit groups IDE, ICRW, and Heifer International, IDEO has specially adapted this process for NGOs and social enterprises that work with impoverished communities around the world. The resulting HCD Toolkit helps organizations understand people’s needs in new ways, find innovative solutions to meet these needs, and deliver solutions with financial sustainability in mind.

Download it here >

Design to Improve Life (INDEX Peoples' Choice Awards)

Browse the really cool projects (including Kiva.org!) and vote on your favorite designs

Yay Denmark for hosting this cool award!

(photo: the 700$ house)

(thanks to Aaron Sklar for the link)

Humanity-Centered Design: IDEO's Aaron Sklar Speaks About How and Why....

IDEO's Aaron Sklar speaks about the process of human-centered design and how it can be applied to solving the 'important' problems of the world...

He is speaking in the SoCap09 conference Sept 1-3 09 in San Francisco, which you should attend if you can...unfortunately I will be out of town. Ironically, doing user research for my current user-centric project!

This video really got me thinking about how to apply the methodologies I use every day in my work as an interaction designer to do something more...how shall I say...'important' for other humans out there. You will definitely hear me using the term, "humanity-centererd design" from now on!

Usability Week 2009 Conference in Berlin Nov 15-20

A great opportunity to learn more about usability and user-centered design, or to get inspired for your current project.

It's too late for the Sydney one but there's still:

Edinburgh
Sep 14-18

Las Vegas
Oct 11-17

Berlin
Nov 15-20

I'm going to try to aim for the one in Berlin. I can't believe it's been 20 years since the fall of the wall, I remember that day so clearly!

http://www.nngroup.com/events/

Maker Faire Africa!

Can't wait to hear more about it. http://makerfaireafrica.com/

First impressions video can be seen here. And photos here.

Maker Faire Africa (MFA) www.makerfaireafrica.com, a celebration of African ingenuity, innovation and invention, will take place August 14-16 at the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT in Ghana's capital, Accra. This event will showcase ICT, robotics, green machinery and software development. Maker Faire Africa asks the question, “What happens when you put the drivers of ingenious concepts from Mali with those from Ghana and Kenya, and add resources to the mix?"

Specifically, Maker Faire Africa will take an approach that will achieve these principal aims:

* Brighten the light on local examples of the “fabrication” ethos
* Provide mechanisms to incubate these innovators and their products to a point where they can be taken to market
* Connect refined plans to disseminate innovations with venture finance
* Inventions that can help with reliable green electricity
* How to use robotics to solve every day problems

Food photography that makes you want to lick your screen

Float

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Amazing Ceiling Art and Other Inspiration on the Web

Check out this really cool blog for inspiration. I found them on Twine because they were in the top 10 because of this post on ceiling art, with great images.
http://www.adistinctiveworld.net/?p=1538

Here are some of the images from their post.

The Senedd(National Assembly for Wales), Cardiff

The Alcázar, Spain
image source