Can you believe it? Barbie is 50! Yes, that pint sized plastic being who is, or has been, good friends with most young girls on the planet is officially middle aged (I must check out her beauty secrets because she still looks great)!
Anyway, Barbie has been a busy girl and is the ultimate example for those who want to switch careers. Did you know that Barbie has had more than 100 jobs? As well as being a doctor, astronaut, zoologist, air hostess (sorry ... flight attendant) and police officer, she has served in the US armed forces and even stood for presidential election. No doubt she was fast tracked through medical school and various other training facilities.
What Barbie's résumé highlights is the fact that just because you have a certain occupation today, you are perfectly capable of doing something different tomorrow. Now we all know the employment scene has changed somewhat in the last few months and getting the perfect job is now a little more challenging. This means that many people will choose to stay longer in roles they perceive as 'safe' and therefore may feel frustrated on the personal development front.
If this sounds like you, why not take the opportunity of channelling that excess energy into a course of study to broaden your skills. There's a number of great industry operated courses (eg ADMA or the AFA in Australia) to choose from as well as certificates, diplomas or post graduate degrees at technical colleges and universities.
Find your passion and develop it so when the employment market picks up, you'll have something extra to offer your current or future employers. Who knows... you may even be able to give Barbie a run for her money!
Image courtesy of: Angelina:)
Following our recent taming of PHP, the Oracle returns with a short, sharp summary on another web-programming language, ASP.
ASP - short for Active Server Pages - is a server-side scripting language developed by Microsoft. Like PHP, ASP runs on a server as opposed to the individual computer of a visitor to the site.
It is a free technology that allows anyone to construct and maintain modern, rich websites. Similar to PHP, ASP has had many an incarnation since launching. Its latest release is ASP 3.0 but 'classic ASP', as it is sometimes referred to, has largely been surpassed by the use of ASP.NET, which relies on the use of Microsoft's .Net Framework and is seen as a more reliable and versatile scripting language.
The Microsoft .NET Framework's Base Class Library (BCL) consists of various features including the capacity to construct web applications. It is the BCL's sub-library - Framework Class Library - that is most relevant to ASP.NET.
All budding web designers require to get started with ASP is the free .NET Framework (the latest version of which - 3.0 - is included with Windows Vista) and the free Visual Web Developer. Pages with .aspx extension are ASP.NET (as opposed to simple ASP) and are seen as faster and more consistent than scripting completed in ASP. However, many ASP.NET pages still include some 'classic ASP' script.
ASP is a popular scripting language for sites that use online forms (where information is sought by a particular company, like in an online store for example) and forums. Some popular websites constructed in ASP include www.myspace.com, job-searching website www.monster.com and Australian dating website www.match.com.
The whole Mac vs PC debate does indeed extend to the use of ASP. Seeing as it is an exclusive Microsoft application, pages constructed in PHP and JavaServer pages are found on servers running non-Microsoft operating systems. The Adobe ColdFusion platform is also popular as it can run on several systems.
This brief description is just the tip of the iceberg with regards to ASP and its inter-operability with other extensions like AJAX, for example. There are literally dozens of websites and forums available to programmers for tips, but for beginners, the best place to start would be Microsoft's official site, www.asp.net.
Image courtesy of: Thomas Hawk
Okay, not THAT kind of proposal. The kind that makes you money, not the kind that throws you and your spouse-to-be into debt for years to come.We can answer these questions and help you save
all that time and money using real world examples to teach you how to
craft more effective proposals that get you working!
Fun Friday afternoon stuff:
Quite a funny story was unveiled here in Las Vegas at Mix. Netflix VP of Web Engineering explained why they deployed a Silverlight-based video player. Netflix wanted to enable their MacOS customers to access their on-line video library. But because the solution worked for MacOS and Windows - and allowed them to use a solution that didn't require an installation of an application from their site, and allowed them to utilize adaptive streaming - dramatically reducing issues associated with "buffering", they've ended up standardizing on Silverlight for their video streaming. I was surprised to learn that they roll-out a new player every two weeks as they continue to try and improve the on-line experience - that's quite a short product development cycle!
We are excited to bring you the first session in our Fellows Speaker Series: Inspire.
Stories overheard about Clive Piercy:
1. He started his first design office in a laundromat
2. He played football for Manchester (that's in England)
3. He holds the Guinness Record for the longest foldout design presentation
in the world
One thing we know is true: Clive has a passion for design. And on March 19th we'll find out why.
Would you expect to develop a MacOS application using a platform from Microsoft? With Silverlight 3 developers are able to create applications that run outside the browser on the MacOS. While the idea might sound crazy, and certainly is landscape changing - it's smart for Microsoft. As more applications move to the Cloud, and applications consume Cloud services, Microsoft can continue its role as a big player in the emerging Cloud computing space, in developer tools, and in the platforms used for delivering content.
I saw a great example of this with KEXP developing a media player that works on-line and off-line, with auto-detection of network capabilities. The player is stand-alone (works outside the browser) and I saw it running on MacOS and WIndows. If you are a MacOS developer you can get the Eclipse Tools for Silverlight at www.eclipse4sl.org/mac.
Sometimes you see uses of technology that you've never considered - from vendors you would never expect. That happened today with a totally unconventional use of Silverlight for use with document management and repurposing content - print content.
I thought that Adobe had document management and cross-platform sharing wrapped-up with Acrobat and PDF. After all, PDF is an ISO standard, and Acrobat is on its 9th version. I've written a number of books on Acrobat and managed the largest PDF user's conference for some time - so I'm partial to it... but a short while ago I saw something that is potentially game-changing for publications looking to monetize legacy content. And with magazines and newspapers under pressure - who doesn't want to monetize their digital assets? So I nearly fell out of my chair today when I saw covertocover.com showing past issues of Rolling Stone that include full text search and easy navigation between issues and pages - and it was all leveraging Silverlight. This is a great, unconventional use of the Deep Zoom technology that Silverlight supports - and it solves an immediate business need that publishers are facing - how to monetize legacy content.
Microsoft has made some pretty significant announcement here in Las Vegas today that will impact the way you communicate on-line, develop Web and interactive content - and event how you think about what is on-line and what is a desktop application...
Silverlight 3 was announced here and has some technical features that are useful for developers -things like GPU acceleration and support for additional CODECs such as H.264, MPG 4, and AAC but the real mind-blowing things revolutionize the user experience:
· Live streaming with full DVR-like controls - pause / slow motion / rewind for live streams. This puts Silverlight live streaming miles ahead of anything else. NBC announced they are renewing their use of Silverlight for all streaming of the next Olympics (Vancouver) using Silverlight.
· HD streaming - you'll see this at the next Olympics as they'll be streaming all content in HD.
· Out-of-browser experiences on Mac and Windows - not just a browser plug-in
· Off-line support: Silverlight 3.0 applications can run as stand-alone applications. So they can consume services while connected, and then switch to an "off-line" mode when not connected.
· Support for multi-touch - like the "pinch" - think Minority Report or iPhone
I'll have more updates throughout the event... as I'm at a Microsoft-focused event, most of my posts will focus on their technology this week...
Although warmer temperatures have been reported in the UK recently, (a whopping 15 degrees!), more and more of you Brits are leaving your local shores for a new life Down Under. You have heard tales from various folks about how good life can be here - a work/life balance - ocean swims before work - surely it can't be true!
You jumped on to the internet did your research and found that yes, Sydney is booming, plenty of jobs, not too many candidates - name your salary. So you packed up your bags and your life, took the plunge and arrived in Sydney, full of hope, promise and motivation.
Unfortunately, in the time between you doing your research and jumping on a plane, the 'GFC' hit and it has hit Sydney hard. Not only have you got no local experience, you also have visa restrictions. Did you really leave behind a great job/life/friends in London to take a big step back career wise?.Don't fear, and don't lose your stiff upper lip, something will come up, but it might mean you end up spending more time on the beach than you previously thought you would.
So how can you to land yourself a job during this tough time:
• Ensure your CV is mistake free, two pages maximum, with all your local contact details;
• Make sure you research your industry sector very thoroughly - don't fall down at the first job interview hurdle, when it becomes really apparent that all you have been doing is just sitting on the beach;
• Networking is key in this relatively tight job market. It really can be all about who you know, you might find out about jobs even before they are advertised to the wider public;
• Take advice and listen to what other people are telling you, especially when you are going to interviews - make sure to take notes of names mentioned, brands to research etc;
• Be realistic with salary expectations, don't convert from other currencies - the most frustrating thing is pricing yourself out of the market;
• Be flexible with jobs opportunities - perhaps you could take on part-time work/contracts while looking for that ideal permanent job; and
• Don't apply for every job under the Australian sun, make sure your job search is highly targeted capitalising on your skills and experience.
Most important of all ... remember don't give up, you aren't the only one in this situation, and most certainly won't be the last ...
Image courtesy of: griffs0000
A festival that my husband and I are both dying to attend one year
(he would be most excited about the music and would be most excited
about movies and interactive), South by SouthWest has just finished up
it's Interactive portion. Below is a copy of the Web Awards Winners
from their site.
Web Awards Winners
We are pleased to announce the 12th Annual SXSW Web Awards Winners below -- all sites that have launched or been completely redesigned in 2008. The winners in each category were revealed at the SXSW Web Awards Ceremony on Sunday evening, March 15.
Green and Non-profit websites that are striving to make the world a better place.
Humor, memes and all the stuff that is weird for the sake of weird.
From traditional photography to untraditional performances, this category focuses on web-based collections of life, society and culture.
Things I Have Learned in my Life, So Far
Sites that revolutionize the power of publishing by providing regularly updated content of a personal or professional nature.
Sites devoted to the promotional needs, functions and services of for-profit businesses.
This category showcases sites that push the boundaries of CSS coding technology, bringing together top-notch design and content with standards compliant and accessible code.
While the SXSW Interactive Web Awards focus on the best new internet destinations, this category is devoted to sites that launched before January 1, 2008.
Social networks and wikis that have quickly developed an extraordinarily active multi-user community and an exceptional following of users who assist with content development.
From elementary school learning to advanced technology-related tips, these are sites that help you learn.
These are cutting-edge and trend-setting destinations that are pushing the envelope and challenging our perceptions of the web.
Sites related to actors, television, films and the film industry, as well as destinations that offer streaming video content.
The online destinations that help make your life a lot more fun.
Why So Serious? The Dark Knight Alternate Reality Game
Sites optimized for handheld and portable devices.
Animations, cartoons, and other intriguing content built using applications such as Adobe / Macromedia Flash.
Sites related to musicians, bands, and the music industry, as well online radio and other destinations that offer streaming audio content.
The portfolios, pet projects and personal collections of individuals who are displaying their work and passions online.
This category is devoted exclusively to the student web designers who are refreshing this industry with new talent and new ideas.
Modernity Spirit of Experimentation
These are the sites that are re-inventing and re-defining the technical parameters of our online experience.
The online public's favorite finalist site from the competition. Over 12,000 signed up to vote for this year's People's Choice Award.
The judges' favorite finalist website from the competition.
Goe is a collection of 2,058 NEWspot colors.
Giovanni Marra, from Pantone, will discuss how the Goe collection takes
advantage of current design and printing technology to be cleaner,
greener and more accurately reproducible.
I was reading the latest advertising, marketing and media news on the Australia's B&T web site the other day and saw an announcement that up to half of the companies within STW Communications Group's stable may introduce a nine day fortnight for staff in a cost cutting measure.
The CEO said it was a more creative way of trying to manage through tough times and could help prevent job losses across the group which includes companies like Singleton, Ogilvy and Mather, Massive and Ikon Communications. Other companies like Network Ten, ACP Magazines and News Magazines are considering similar options.
I think it's an interesting concept. Yes, you get less pay, however every fortnight you get one day off. Perhaps this may be quite appealing to some. Things like a haircut, a facial, lying on the beach, or seeing a movie during the day (very indulgent!) come to mind. Never mind the fact, that this type of initiative could prevent hundreds of staff cuts in these tough times.
Anyway, that's my opinion, but I'd be really interested in yours ...
Image courtesy of: Joe Lanman
Would you be prepared to work a nine day fortnight in order to prevent more staff cuts in your company?
I was flicking through a magazine while sitting in the waiting room at my osteopath earlier in the week, and came across an article on the primary causes of chronic back pain (which I have unfortunately become too accustomed to of late!).
Now whilst I know that the cause of my own back pain is simply the result of two slipped discs in my lower lumber spine (too much information perhaps?), I was intrigued to read that the two most common causes for the equivalent level of (often quite excruciating) discomfort can be moving house and changing jobs.
Having been actively involved in helping people change jobs (and careers) for many years now, I have always known that the process of applying for a new role, interviewing and then ultimately starting in a new position can certainly be a mentally stressful period. However I wouldn't have put two and two together to think that such mental stress could also leave someone experiencing such levels of physical pain.
So I asked my osteo what he thought about it, and he was adamant that it was true. He quite simply recommended that if you are feeling mentally drained or anxious by the prospect (or process) of changing jobs, then you should immediately ensure that you are stretching your back (and neck) for 20 - 30 minutes every day. This will help prevent any unnecessary related spasms or snaps which could see you on the torture table at an osteo, physio or chiro begging them to help relieve your pain.
Just remember, stretching will help you through the stresses of changing jobs and have you back on deck in no time ... pardon the pun!
Image courtesy of: filipe ferreira
As I address this topic, I feel kind of bashful, like I've given in and decided to fill out the Facebook "20 Things About Me" list and tagged all of my friends. I can't help but feel like I've missed the boat and it's too late to add my two cents, however, the constant stream of similar questions spotting my inbox and conversations over the past couple of weeks makes me eager to respond on a broader level. So here goes, plain and simple, in one single sentence:
Don't be desperate, just be flexible.
This is vague, I know. Here are my thoughts around the statement above. The job market is slim and the candidate pool is fat. No surprise there. What I've been surprised to find is the progression of the "recenly laid off" candidate, and how they all follow very similar paths.
Step One: The Employee gets laid off. He or she now become "The Candidate."
Step Two: Celebratory / Sorrowful food and drink
imbibing ensues. During this time, The Candidate will resort to a mix
of emotions; anger, self-pity, general malaise. This is normal and can
last for days.
Step Three: Acceptance - it's now time to get back to
work! Resumes are updated, Linked In Networks grow, Facebook status
change by the hour.
Step Four: Realization that getting a new job is not
nearly as easy as it has been in the past. This often causes The
Candidate to revert to Step Two. Over and over again. This is normal
and can last for days.
Step Five: Taking a new job. Yes, you are correct that I write "take" not "get."
Now don't think that this is dire and I'm one of those recruiters saying "be grateful and take what you can get." No way. I write "taking a job" rather than "getting a job" because I want to stress that very important point once again.
Don't be desperate, just be flexible.
In the past the acts of negotiating pay rates, benefits, and working from home was commonplace and expected. Picking apart job descriptions and receiving multiple offers was once part of the typical employment process. Be flexible in the fact that these added benefits and job-fat have now been totally been stripped to the bone. Should you take the first job that presents itself? No. Working towards a job that still makes you want to get out of bed in the morning is still important. Don't let that go, just realize that your seat cushion may not be as soft and your sodas may not be free anymore. And most important, your salary may, and most likely, will be different. Obviously, don't undersell yourself, but realize that a lot of people currently working are taking a 10% paycut, so your new salary may look the same.
I'm just trying to be as optimistic as I can and that this is just a downturn in the economy. Which means that someday there will be an upturn and things will go back to normal.
In the meantime, I'm personally still pretty busy and working on a variety of open jobs. SO if you're one of those swimmers in that big candidate pool, please don't hesitate to give me a call.
The Oracle continues its lay-person summaries of the various web programming languages, this time with PHP.
PHP - a recursive acronym which stands for PHP Hypertext Pre-Processor - is a general-purpose server-side scripting language. Other server-side scripting languages include ASP, Java or ColdFusion. PHP in its original form was launched in 1995 by Danish programmer Rasmus Lerdorf and at the time stood for Personal Home Page. It has been in a constant state of evolution ever since, with its latest version - PHP 5.2.9 - released just a few weeks ago in late February.
Server-side languages - in this case PHP - run on web servers, as opposed to running on the individual computer of someone visiting the site. PHP, then, is a language used to create websites, often through the use of a database like MySQL (others include Access and Oracle). A general database stores information like email addresses, phone numbers and names on a computer; an online database, however, stores this information online so that it can be accessed through a website.
Databases like MySQL can store information only; they cannot process it. Server side languages like PHP, however, take the information from a MySQL database and 'embed' themselves as HTML or, in other cases, as images, PDF files and even Flash movies so you can see the information on your web browser.
It is PHP's interaction with HTML, however, that is most common. PHP can construct HTML, and HTML can link information with PHP. A simple example is a site with an e-commerce element to it. Product lines are stored on an online database, which PHP then draws from to create an HTML page viewable from a web browser.
PHP is free, which makes it easily accessible. Many PHP programmers routinely consult online forums and message boards like HotScripts to confirm correct codes.
Hopefully you're not feeling too confused!
Image courtesy of: LaughingSquid
If the bad economy is dragging you down, pick yourself up by snacking! Anything from chocolates, bubble gum, candy, potato chips to sugared French bread (why would someone eat bread with sugar on it?) are selling like hot cakes at Japanese supermarkets, department stores and convenience stores. They are being consumed, shared and even given away at company pantries, meetings and outings. Believe me, I have been living here in Japan for 12 years and swear the Japanese do not have anything resembling a sweet tooth.
The Nikkei Weekly reports in this week's edition that, despite the sour sales figures in the apparel and accessories departments, consumers end up heading for the basements, where food and confectionary departments are usually located, to buy their favorites sweets! Couldn't quite justify that LVMH bag of your dreams? How about you compensate with a bunch of chocolate dipped cherries instead? What a treat!
It is reported that sales of sweets at Japanese convenience stores has increased for 24 months in a row!! Isetan Mitsukoshi, a high-end department store, reports a 4% increase in sweets sales from October to January while Lotte's Ghana liquor filled chocolate sales shot up 20% from a year ago.
Snacking on sweets has always been a girlie thing in Japan. However, manufacturers and retailers report that more and more young and middle aged Japanese men now buy them to eat at home (or when nobody's watching)! It is also reported that embarrassed male office staffers sometimes ask female colleagues to pick up a box of chocolate sticks and "something to share" with staff if they step out to the convenience store. Sharing snacks is also said to improve communication among peers!
Why now? With a recent hike in the price of cigarettes and high the cost of "real food", indulging in sweets has become the solution for a quick pick me up. Plus, with the economy sagging, nobody says 'no' to a juicy caramel on a gloomy office floor. Snack away I say!
Image courtesy of: sushina
Last week I discussed the Kindle as just the start of electronic distribution. The folks at Amazon have now released an iPhone application, allowing you to view and access eBooks. While this is nothing surprising - the cool capability is something they are calling whispersynch. You can start reading a book or story using one device, and continue it using another. According to a Wall Street Journal story, it supports up to six devices. While I don't think I need six devices to read a book - the ability move between iPhone and Kindle alone is a great advancement.
As friend of mine recently pointed out that the oldest viral marketing meme was a "yawn". A yawn is an expression, transmitting itself, that is contagious in spreading and does so with great rapidity.
Marketers true to their profession immediately caught on to this "virus" ... and thus emerged "viral marketing". In the marketing world we therefore speak of ideas "going viral", infecting a host, or many hosts and then being transmitted to others. Viral marketing is a strategy by which a marketer creates a campaign focused around the goal of causing viewers of that promotion to spontaneously spread it by sending it to friends. Some examples of viral marketing include: chain letters, viral video campaigns (the popularity of YouTube is incredible), and on line opinion polls.
All the above examples of viral marketing are quite simple and relatively easy to understand. People not only participate in the above but also talk about it to others urging them, and influencing them to participate which is the success of viral marketing.
While the original marketer has sent forth the virus of the idea or the theme, the spreading really begins when unrelated people across the globe, start talking about it and using this theme for coffee conversations.
Image courtesy of: Tambako the Jaguar
There's been a lot of buzz around the Kindle lately, the device from Amazon.com that lets you read books electronically, and download more books and content via an integrated cellular modem. The $259 device foreshadows how we'll be viewing content in the future.
As much as I love my Boston Globe and Wall Street Journal each morning, the economics of printing and delivering a paper to my doorstep each morning can't be viable for much longer in the current advertising market. The cost of printing and delivery alone are too high. The question is not whether these publication will move on-line - rather, it is a question of when and how they will do it.
Will they subsidize a Kindle like device when a subscription is renewed? Or will I buy one device to read both papers - and my Wired and Time subscriptions? The technology for portable reading devices is advancing - but the cost of the devices is the biggest barrier. There's a great story on it from Fortune reporter Michael Copeland here which discusses the economics and the technology. As advertisers take advantage of this new medium, we'll eventually see motion graphics and video advertising in these devices. It's a few years out, but the advancements are impressive.
Connect with me: Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter
Ms. Pistachio was the first to alert me, via Twitter, natch, that Skittles had gone all Social Media on us. Sure as shootin', the current (March 2, 2009) Skittles.com is a mash-up of social media sites where the name of the colorful and intoxicatingly concentrated jelly-bean-oidal confection appears.
Of course, Skittles, with the aid of Agency.com, are following in the footsteps of Modernista!, who took their own website in this direction last year. Still, the fact that a consumer brand has emulated a trendy design shop has got everybody talking, including the ever articulate (and strikingly handsome) David Armano, who rightly predicts, I believe, that we'll see more of this, not less and goes on to link the Skittle move to the emergence of "sponsored conversations."
But what is this "this" that we're going to be seeing more of? I think it's something we could call "aleatoric" design which takes advantage of the fact that web pages, in the end, exist as a set of instructions to be executed by a browser, not a fixed arrangement of text and image (as in the print world). Since these instructions can be linked to dynamic sites themselves (Twitter, YouTube, Wikipedia, etc.), "design now becomes the quasi-symphonic arrangement of fluid elements that resist control or even predictability.
Given this tendency, wouldn't it be better for web designers to have a background in performance, choreography, or musical composition than graphic arts? Isn't it time we acknowledged that interactive design is NOT graphic design (or that the latter is an increasingly small and incidental component of the former)?
Why is it that a sure shot way of spreading information by word of mouth is telling a bunch of people something and asking them not to pass it on? Why is it that bad news always travels faster than good news? It is amazing the way in which information on an office affair or someone getting a divorce is more spoken about than, let's say, a promotion or an engagement. We get a vicarious sense of pleasure in knowing something and immediately telling it to others. Makes you wonder why?
The secret of this is there is an inherent quality of "wanting to talk about" certain things like rumors and gossip. This idea is known as the meme (pronounced /mi?m/ - like theme). This is the basis of viral marketing.
Richard Dawkins defined meme as a "unit of cultural inheritance". These are ideas that spread from person to person, ideas like jokes, fashion trends, urban legends, folk sayings and of course gossip.
As we are all becoming more addicted to the web and spending more time on e-mails, research, chat rooms, downloads, uploads, and tweeters, we have discovered that the web can be our soul partner to express what we want and when we want it. The best part is that so many people are "listening" and respond immediately! The fact remains that people we have told the information to, are sharing it with their own network of friends and peers. The feel good factor on receiving a response is the second trigger, which sets us off on searching and creating new information which we wish to share with the world.
More on viral marketing in the coming days ... but in the meantime please feel free to forward this on to anyone who may find it interesting!
Image courtesy of: Raquel Camargo
I've commented on this before, but the Rebranding Bandwagon just refuses to slow its roll. It seems like every day more and more major consumer product brands are slapping on a happy face to combat the mid-depression blues.
Past approaches of "efficient" and "effective" have gone by the wayside, replaced instead with marketing strategies that are "soft," "playful," and "cheery" - the attempt being, of course, to lighten the doom and gloom the American consumer feels every time they run out of toothpaste or have to feed the meter (or the kid).
It's actually getting pretty ridiculous. Pepsi cans will now be smiling, grinning, smirking, or giving stock advice depending on what kind you get. And I've heard the new 2009 Harley Davidson Softail is coming in "Recession Yellow" and sporting a horn that plays "Don't Worry, Be Happy."
I realize that brands, even established ones, need an occasional "refresh" to stand out on ever more crowded supermarket shelves. I also understand that the current economic situation is a living reality that brands feel like they have to respond to. Still the recent upsurge of rebranding efforts is starting to seem, in look and feel, depressingly trendy to me.
Image courtesy of Gaetan Lee.
I am not a designer. In fact, I think I can safely say the last thing I designed was a snowball-maker out of two serving spoons and a twisty tie (I did not win that battle). However, I do appreciate good design, whether it be architectural, spatial, product or what have you. Take the Aquent headquarters office building, for example. The approach was something akin to "Reconstruction Chic," so aesthetically it's more exposed and choppy than clean and even. But functionally, it's open and expansive, with high ceilings and no doors and plenty of room to work with. I mean, it didn't make this list of inspiring workplaces or anything, but I think it could have.
As borderline OCD about the cleanliness of my workspace, I revel in the large desks, open shelves, and plethora of available cork board. There isn't much on my desk, but what is there matters to me - both functionally and aesthetically. I need something to hold my pens, for example, but it can't just be anything. Instead of a dirty coffee mug, I opted for an Aquent champagne glass.
The reason I bring this up is not because I think any of you particularly care about my desk layout, but rather because I came across this article about the 10 Commandments of good design written by Dieter Rams, legendary designer and Head of design at Braun from 1961 to 1995.
Written about product design, Rams concludes that good design must be 10 things: innovative, useful, aesthetic, understood, unobtrusive, honest, durable, thorough, earth-friendly, and simple. I could not agree more, and can't help but think that these standards apply to all design, not just product. If when designing a website, for example, you can honestly say it satisfies this rule of thumb, I think you've got yourself a bona fide award-winner. Same holds true, in my opinion, of your next marketing campaign, office remodeling, or cocktail party invite. Come to think of it, I think my snowball-maker quickly trailed off after innovative and useful...
But I'm curious to hear from you designers out there. Are there additional "Design Commandments" you think didn't make the list?
Image Courtesy of House of Sims.
Social Bookmarks