March 23rd, 2008
If you’re like me, you’ve had quite a challenge at trying to explain Twitter to people, especially non-tech people. Well I just came across a video from Common Craft explaining Twitter. It’s a great resource when trying to explain the site, and they do a whole lot better job at explaining than I would. So, enjoy, because you might need to send this video to others…
December 26th, 2007
Recently I’ve mentioned that I’ve been a little uninspired lately, and a big chunk of that is due to the internet. It seemed like there was this huge stretch in time a few years back, where tons of web companies were doing great things and all of these new web apps and services were coming out. I felt that at least once a week, I was signing up for some new public beta and/or service because it seemed that these services would be of value to me.
Now it seems that lots of companies are coming out with crap. It would be too much of an overstatement to say that all of the good ideas are taken up, however, I’m just not seeing much innovation on the web lately. Did everyone rush to the internet and exhaust all the good ideas? Who knows, but there has been one problem I’ve notice about all of new web apps these days.
There is no human aspect to them. In other words, what value does some of this stuff bring to my life? Not everything will be relevant to me, but it seems that companies get too caught up on providing the latest and greatest technology without thinking all the way through the human aspect of applications and services. One company will copy another thinking that because they can use better technology, their app will be better. But technology doesn’t solve human problems. The fact that something is “cool” doesn’t make it a good service to users.
When everyone is looking for gold in the same river, the best opportunities are somewhere else. Via
There is no way to counter the huge rush to the internet, and it’s going to happen in any industry where there is a lot of success. What is frustrating, though, is the lack of innovation. Everyone is doing the same thing, and hopefully that will change.
Do you think the internet is too crowded with not enough innovation? Or is it just me?
November 1st, 2007
Borrowing a page from Mapping the Web, I thought I’d list out a few of my favorite blogs. I spend almost too much time reading blogs, and trying to better my craft, and there have been many blogs that have helped me along the way. So I’d like to share those blogs:
Signal vs. Noise - This is the blog from the guys at 37signals. I really like the philosophy behind their thinking in how they approach design and programming. I’ve learned quite a bit from them on the basics of interface design on the web. I’d also highly recommend their book Getting Real, there is tons to learn in there.
Design View - Every industry has those people that stand out, and call things as they see them……the very outspoken type. Andy Rutledge is one them in the web design arena. In his blog he gives great info on topics ranging from basic design principles to the business side of design. He also provides great links to other relevant articles on the web.
Cameron Moll - This is almost self explanatory. If you don’t know who Cameron Moll is, I would suggest leaving my site right now and go get familiar with his work and blog. But, I do think he is a stunning designer and a great leader in our industry.
Freelance Switch - Everyone loves freelancing advice, especially those just starting off. Freelance Switch is probably the best freelancing resource on the web. I wrote about them before, and I still feel the exact same way. Their site is still growing, and they now have a job board, as well as a great podcast. This site is a must for any designers’ feed reader.
Jeff Croft - Jeff Croft is another designer that speaks his mind, and always has great insight to our industry. He’s a great designer/writer and there is lots to be learned from his blog as well.
Fadtastic - This is a cool site that talks about trends within the design world. It’s interesting to read the assessments in trends that we see in the current state of the web.
So that is my short list of blogs that I frequently visit. Of course there are tons of others that I visit regularly, but these have been the few where I’ve learned the most, and that provide consistently good content.
What are your favorite sites? I’m always looking to add to my list of feeds.
