Earlier this year, just like approximately 30 million others, I received my first Facebook invitation. Not a particularly memorable moment for me, it went unnoticed. And since, I’ve been much a Facebook satisficer, not doing the inviting, not creating the groups, but just sort of playing along.
But now that’s all changed. Facebook found my family. More…
Forget what you’ve heard about first impressions; it’s the last impressions that count. Last impressions — whether they’re with customer service, an online shopping experience, or a blind date — are the ones we remember. They’re the ones that keep us coming back. But there’s one kind of final impression that people seem to forget.
The closing line of email — that line that you write before you type your name — has been all but forgotten. Go take a look at your inbox: you might be astonished at how little attention people pay to the closing lines when writing email. This underrated rhetorical device is so frequently disregarded that many people have the gall to use an automatic closing line attached to their email signature file. More…
Sure it’s true. Books — real books in print — have been around for, well, quite a while. But as a new publisher of user experience books (and staunch researchers), we want to ensure that the books we design are as usable as possible.
We’re looking to apply some usability research strategies to test both print and digital editions of our first book, Indi Young’s Mental Models. To do this, we need your help. More…
Just about 15 years ago, during college days in Pennsylvania, I found the secret place. It was a signless storefront off campus where they sold one thing: notes from college courses. Not just any course notes, but wonderfully meticulous notes taken by responsible students in class. Notes were transcribed, cleaned up, and sold for a reasonable amount.
The official explanation for the business was to provide equal opportunity for students who had to miss a class. But it was no secret: everyone knew. This store was in the business of selling free passes. More…
I’ve been thinking about words recently. A lot. Between finishing up the editorial and design process for our first book and working with the masterful contributors for A Brief Message, I’m seeing words in my sleep.
That’s why when I recently ran across a passage about words in what I thought was an otherwise non-word-type book, Eat, Pray, and Love, it stood out. More…
Jake Barton, one of the speakers at the upcoming IDEA conference I’m so excited about, is always surprising me. Just when I think I understand his approach (designing spaces to tell stories), he comes out with another type of project altogether (designing films)—through it all, winning awards from every major design organization there is. There’s no doubt, Barton and his studio are truly remarkable. More…
I’m really excited about the upcoming IDEA conference in New York City. Not only is its lineup of speakers the very people I’ve been looking to for inspiration recently, but it’s being put on by the Information Architecture Institute.
OK. It’s true. I’m on the advisory board of the IAI, but I’m still thrilled to see an event sponsored by an IA-related organization reaching outside the typical boundaries of what’s considered to be “information architecture.” More…