I’ve made a couple posts about simple watches in the past, and a new one recently caught my eye, from designer Denis Guidone:
I can’t imagine a watch being any simpler, and yet retain its core functionality. One could argue that the center dot could be removed, but I believe it’s essential; otherwise, the brain cannot draw the invisible line from the center to the hour or minute dots that create the ‘hands.’ Here is the watch in action, along with a few others.
When I made my initial post about watches, some Twitter followers reasoned that the use of watch in general is unnecessary, as it duplicates the functionality contained on the face of a cell phone. I disagreed, arguing that fumbling with a phone every instance you want to know the time makes for a poor user experience. At least in terms of efficiency, Mr. Maeda’s got my back (via Twitter):
With a wristwatch it takes less than a half second to tell the time. With a mobile (grasping time incl) it’s about three.
I love the simplicity of this new personal “web-hub” service, Flavors.me. Essentially, it acts as a homepage for an individual, in which they can plug in all of their various online personas (Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc) to collect in one spot. Check out the directory to see the cool designs people have created from a very simple toolset. It might finally be time to ditch my personal site for a Flavors one.
I have posted previously about Google’s Chrome OS, their move to create a simplified, browser-based operating system. In the whirlwind of the iPad announcement, it seems they wanted to ride the tablet wave (see what I did there?) and released a few conceptual screen shots and demo video. One in particular caught my attention. Look familiar?
Twitter user Wearepedistal sent me a link to an excellent collection of minimalist movie posters by Jamie Bolton, and it inspired me to put a post together with a few sets I have found over the years.
Jamie Bolton - Shoot the Glass. The big standout here is the Back to the Future trilogy, very clever. Extra points if you can name all of the years the dots designate.
Oily Moss. Created all the posters with only black, white, and red. Really love the Deer Hunter poster.
Graphic Nothing. Nice use of a similar graphic motif throughout to tie the posters together as a set.
Ibraheem Youssef. Great set of Tarantino posters. These could seriously be the Criterion Covers.
I think the interesting thing about all of these sets is they generally only work if you have seen the film and understand the reference. Thus, they are transformed from a promotional tool to something else entirely.
Any other sets out there that I missed? Let me know and I’ll add them! @RussianPencil
The issue of how to input text into the iPad has been a heated discussion both before and after the device was announced. Obviously, without having the tablet in hand, no one knows how easy or cumbersome it will be to enter text. I actually believe that typing in landscape mode, using both hands as on a full size keyboard, will be a perfectly adequate way to enter even lengthy messages. The on screen keyboard in portrait orientation, however, seems inelegant.
In this case the iPhone style keyboard doesn’t scale very gracefully. It sits in an unfortunately middle ground: way too cramped to type with both hands, but too large to be able to comfortably “thumb type.” A simple solution to improve this scenario:
Scale the keyboard down so it’s about the size of the iPhone keyboard in landscape mode, and then split it into two halves. I discovered that this method of input is not without precedent; Gizmodo briefly mentioned a variation of this in their write up a couple weeks ago.
The above mockup is crudely rendered and not as visually appealing, but I have to imagine it would provide for a better typing experience for this orientation. What do you think? As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts @RussianPencil.
Steven Frank has the best article I’ve read about what the introduction of the iPad means to personal computing over on his blog. A choice passage:
The bet is roughly that the future of computing:
- has a UI model based on direct manipulation of data objects - completely hides the filesystem from the user - favors ease of use and reduction of complexity over absolute flexibility - favors benefit to the end-user rather than the developer or other vendors - lives atop built-to-specific-purpose native applications and universally available web apps
All in all, it sounds like a pretty feasible outcome, and really not a bad one at that.
This is really Apple’s wheelhouse: favoring simplicity over total control. It’s a compromise that I am happy to make, and I’m not the only one.
Much of the criticism I have been hearing about the iPad reminds me of this classic Louis C.K. bit:
Not that criticism shouldn’t be allowed, but some of the complaints are absurd.
I am very interested to see how the iPad takes off as a gaming device. It’s strange, but makes sense, that Apple showed off a racing game and a first person shooter at the keynote. To me, these are the genres least suited for the device. I am really interested to see strategic / management type games (Civilization, Sim City), building games (Incredible Machine, Fantastic Contraption) and simultaneous multiplayer games. Perhaps the board game is due for a resurgance.
As always, your thoughts and comments are welcomed @RussianPencil.
I had the distinct privilege of driving a Lexus the other day and was startled by how poorly designed the buttons on the key fob were, especially considering the “high end” nature of the vehicle itself.
The most notable infraction here is the double duty the top button is performing for both Lock and Panic. I instinctively didn’t want to press the button that most commonly needs to be pressed, fearing I would set off the alarm. Not good. Apparently the Panic mode is activated when the button is held down, and the car is locked with a single press.
The Unlock button is equally as befuddling. Why is the text off to the side, while the button itself is left blank? Furthermore, I find the use of text largely unnecessary (simple padlock icons will do).
Coincidentally, the topic of key fob design is mentioned in the bonus features for the recently released Gary Hustwit film, Objectified (worth a look for sure). Andrew Blauvelt argues the importance of the design of this object, in that it “provides a direct connection between the owner of the vehicle and the vehicle itself.”
I’ve been staying at my folks’ house over the holidays, and I’ve yet to discover any rhyme or reason to the light switches. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve inadvertently turned on the fan, rather than the light, in the bathroom. It seems logical and natural to me to have the light nearest to the doorway, so, from a user perspective, it’s the first switch they encounter.
In this bathroom it’s reversed, with the light on the left and the fan on the right. Is this just a careless wiring issue, or adhering to some kind of housing code that I’m unaware of?
