almost daniel.

So the iPad is a large-format iPod Touch when people thought Apple would be entering the tablet market the same way everyone else has entered that market: re-working an operating system to a touch/large-format interface. People were expecting Mac OS X on a touch screen. Instead, Apple decided to expand the featureset of the mobile environment used in the iPhone and iPod Touch devices. Even more device-centric than Mac OS X, the mobile environment is geared toward getting the best bang out of mobile-sized processors rather than mediocrity. This is always Apple’s approach, so why are we surprised by a product that does things in a different way? Yet controversy abounds and the technorati is sadface.
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In July of 2009, Amazon.com demanded that Apple remove a new iPhone app from the makers of Delicious Library, an excellent Mac desktop application for managing your personal library. I grovel and beg… I mean, I outline some ideas for the way Delicious Monster could have their cake and eat it, too.
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I did a talk at a refresh central arkansas meeting back in May 2009. It’s about WordPress. I’m sure you’re surprised. Jump to about 16:40 in the clip for the beginning with my highly inappropriate first slide. You can watch the slideshow after the jump too.

EDIT: Just found out that the second half of the talk never got recorded. Bummer. But that means that I get to say that the second part of my presentation was the most exciting thing ever seen.

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Some people in higher education don’t get universal design, especially when creating curriculum or web sites. UD isn’t about the branding or style. And it isn’t about accommodation or creating content for the lowest common denominator student (a phrase that borders on insulting to those students who are left out when universal design isn’t practiced). UD is about getting it right the first time by providing content accessible to all users, not just those with a disability. Instead of one-size-fits-all, UD recognizes that there are numerous sizes. The goal is to provide a continuum of sizes to fit each individual. To suggest otherwise is to miss the point entirely.
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Lots of books get inspired by blogs. Why is a book a good thing for you (other than being a life-goal)? Are there methods of publishing outside the major publishers, or how do you work inside that system? What kind of information is book appropriate?

The bottom line: Find something to say. Write good stuff. Get known. Be proud of your work. Be creative in your own marketing.

Presenters

Pam Slim

Kate Lee

Stephanie Klein

Guy Kawasaki

Hugh MacLeod

Date

Tuesday, March 17

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This ain’t your mom’s accessibility panel. This is how universal design benefits everyone, not just those with disabilities. Universal design is “design that is so thoughtful that it works for everyone from the start instead of needing to be ‘patched’ for the disabled.” The idea is to make a more enabled future for everyone, not just traditional disabled people.

The curb cuts (ramps) on sidewalks or roads are probably the best examples of universal design. Think about how many non-disabled people use those ramps for pushing strollers/prams, riding bikes or skateboards. This was a solution that helped everyone.

Presenter

James Craig, Apple Inc

Date

Tuesday, March 17

Site

cookiecrook

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I arrived at this session and it was SRO and full. I got some final ideas (after making it inside with 15 minutes to go):

• When designers push their vision out to “version 10″, it can cause tension with developers who are usually starting from the other end (i.e., Agile). Developers want to start small (and efficient/elegant) and progressively build toward a design. Balance is key.
• The best possible thing a designer can do for a developer is to share the problem and challenges, not just ask for a composed feature. That way the designer is asking to partner on the solution with the developer. Happiness ensues.
• The best possible thing a developer can do for a designer is to communicate principles and needs to designers to create a more common ground. For example, talking to designers about considering both real-time interactivity and asynchronous actions.
• The best possible thing both can do is hang out with each other outside the office.
• Build trust.

For the rest of the notes, I depend on my trusty Michigan friend, daniel slaughter. He takes amazing notes.

These are notes from a session at sxsw interactive. My own take on topics are mixed in with what the presenters were actually saying, so do not assume all of this content is my own.

holy crap, it’s andy budd.

holy crap, it’s mark trammell.

usability testing and user research should be at the beginning, middle, and end of of a project. regularly scheduled user research sessions can start interweaving user research into the entire process.

Presenters

Mark Trammell (Digg)

Juliette Melton (User Experience Mgr, Lumos Labs)

Nate Bolt (Bolt|Peters)

Carla Borsoi (VP Research & Analytics, Ask.com)

Andy Budd (Clearleft Ltd)

Date

Monday, March 16

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There is not just one wireframe for a project. You need a wireframe for each type of documentation user: design team, business people (how does this affect them during day to day), managers (are the ideas good ones?), developers (details so they know how to build).

Presenters

Nick Finck (Principal / Director of User Experience, Blue Flavor)

Donna Spencer (Maadmob)

Michael Angeles (Dir of User Experience, Traction Software)

Date

Monday, March 16

Sites

The Slides! The Slides!

Balsamiq Studios

OmniGraffle

iplotz

Books

Sketching User Experience

Iterate from sketches to a wireframe.
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I apparently am evil enough to need this session.

There is an intersection between what is ethical to do and what makes good business sense. Let’s find out! Free speech, civil liberties, and privacy online. There is a mismatch between intellectual property law and terms of online use.

Presenters

Danny O’Brien – EFF

Eva Galperin – EFF

Date

Sunday, March 15

Sites

Electronic Frontier Foundation

Best Practices for Online Services

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