February 2012
1 post
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Topics
My good friend Cam Todd has started a new podcast, called Topics. The premise is simple: each episode, Cam speaks with a different guest about a different topic. Cam is a great conversationalist and the episodes so far have been a lot of fun.
I had the distinct privilege of being a guest on the third episode. The topic for the episode is something near and dear to my heart: Back to the Future.
...
January 2012
1 post
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November 2011
2 posts
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The Serif and The Ligature
Today, Studio Neat is proud to introduce two new products to the Glif line: the Serif and the Ligature.
The Ligature is a small metal keyring loop. It screws into the tripod thread in the Glif, and allows you to always keep the Glif handy. I carry mine around on a keychain, but of course you could attach it to your bag, purse, etc. And the nice thing is, because it screws into the tripod...
5 tags
Jony Ive on Simplicity
“Why do we assume that simple is good? Because with physical products, we have to feel we can dominate them. As you bring order to complexity, you find a way to make the product defer to you. Simplicity isn’t just a visual style. It’s not just minimalism or the absence of clutter. It involves digging through the depth of the complexity. To be truly simple, you have to go really...
October 2011
2 posts
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“Simple can be harder than complex. You have to work hard to get your thinking...”
– Steve Jobs
(via Bloomberg Businessweek)
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Thank You, Steve
My life would undoubtably be very different if it were not for Steve Jobs.
I never met the man personally, but he was my design teacher. He taught me to value user experience and simplicity above all else. He inspired me to be a more thoughtful designer, to obsess over details. He showed me that technology does not have to be complicated and cumbersome; it should be fun and full of delight.
...
August 2011
1 post
4 tags
Thoughts on a Kindle Tablet
I was inspired by the discussion Marco Arment and Ryan Irelan had on the latest episode of Build and Analyze about the rumored “Kindle Tablet.” It got me thinking about the kind of device I would love for Amazon to make — one that I would actually consider buying over an iPad.
Few consider the current iteration of the Kindle a tablet, and comparing it to an iPad is apples to...
July 2011
1 post
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The New Home Button on the iPhone 5 (Allegedly)
I was suspicious of the mocked-up design of the new iPhone 5 as seen on This Is My Next back in April, but recent rumors are making it hard to ignore. While several of the design changes are somewhat expected (thinner body, tapered edges, etc.), the new home button is utterly fascinating.
Above image from This is My Next
This Is My Next describes the button as such: “the home button is...
June 2011
3 posts
2 tags
“Indifference towards people and the reality in which they live is actually the...”
– Dieter Rams
(Spotted in his new book, As Little Design as Possible).
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Apple Implements a Split Keyboard for iPad
Beautiful. Thanks Apple!
3 tags
Windows 8 Keyboard
A preview demo of Windows 8 was released yesterday, and like others, I think it looks fantastic and has some innovative UI touches, but I believe it is ultimately a bad idea to built it as a “shell” on top of a traditional, non-touch OS.
One specific thing caught my attention: the virtual keyboard.
Look familiar?
May 2011
4 posts
3 tags
Little Big Details →
If you are a UI designer, do yourself a favor and subscribe to Little Big Details. It’s the small things that make all the difference.
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Glif on a Keychain
For the past few months several people have emailed us, asking about solutions for carrying the Glif around on a keychain. We actually had a keychain hole in our original design for the Glif, but removed it for various reasons, namely that it increased the cost of the mold quite a bit. The solution we came up with, however, is much better than a permanent hole in the Glif itself.
The trick is to...
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Devir Kahan: The Great Case Debate →
Devir Kahan:
I don’t use a case on my iPhone, and most probably never will. Apple made the thing to be a beautiful little block of glass. Precision engineered to be as slim and light as possible. It just feels perfect when you hold it. A case - any case - ruins that. If you have an iPhone and use a case, take it off for a second. Just hold it ‘naked’ for a second, and remember how it’s supposed...
3 tags
April 2011
5 posts
3 tags
“A good idea, well-crafted and pursued with passion, doesn’t need a gatekeeper’s...”
– Yancey Strickler, in his blog post introducing Kickstarter to the world two years ago today. Happy birthday!
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Free Idea: Four-Sided Music Video
I love music videos. For a short, misguided time earlier in my life I wanted to be a music video director, no doubt influenced by the Directors Label DVDs. What appealed to me, I suppose, were the inherent constraints of music videos. The best videos tend to encapsulate a single idea. Songs are typically 3-4 minutes in length, enough time to execute a concept but not too long to bore the audience...
5 tags
Smart Cover for iPad 1 [Update]
A couple weeks ago I posted a hack that allowed a Smart Cover to be attached to the original iPad. The solution was incredibly simple — gluing a few magnets to the spine — but not as easy on the eyes. I also noticed, unsurprisingly, it was not as comfortable to hold along the left edge.
After some tinkering, Tom (of Studio Neat) came up with a 3D model that solves both of these...
1 tag
Allow Me To Reintroduce Myself
I’ve been maintaining The Russians Used a Pencil for 18 months now and realized I never properly introduced myself.
Hi, I’m Dan.
As you may know, I am one half of Studio Neat, along with design partner Tom Gerhardt. Tom and I both recently quit our full time jobs, and are now 100 percent dedicated to Studio Neat activities. I couldn’t be more excited to be moving full steam...
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Pay What You Wish
“I originally pledged a bit more than the estimated fair-price-plus-shipping because I wanted to help subsidize someone… I never thought about the game theory applications or people trying to take advantage of others. I participated as a member of the little community. Every community has some people who are doing all they can, but are in circumstances that prevent them from doing...
March 2011
4 posts
3 tags
37signals Knows Copy
I recently signed up for Basecamp to manage Studio Neat activities between Tom and myself. The 30-day free trial is about to expire, and they sent me an email:
Seems straightforward enough, and that’s the point. Simple, clear, concisely written copy. A thing of beauty.
6 tags
The Cosmonaut: A Minimal, Wide-Grip Stylus
A few months ago, right after the Glif Kickstarter campaign ended, I wrote a blog post about how most iPad styluses on the market today follow an incorrect cognitive mapping, in that they try to resemble a pen. The right shape to mimic — to match the low fidelity nature of capacitive touch screens — is a dry erase marker. I of course didn’t know it at the time, but this was the...
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Smart Cover for iPad 1
When the iPad 2 was announced, like most people, the part that I was most intrigued by was the new Smart Cover. I had nearly convinced myself it was reason enough to upgrade, but eventually calmed down and figured it would be wise to wait for the rumored Retina Display. I wondered though, if it would somehow be possible to retrofit the original iPad to utilize the Smart Cover. Turns out,...
3 tags
Windshield Wiper Control
It seems every time I rent a car I find something pretty offensive to report. Last weekend I rented a Toyota Corolla and was pretty befuddled by the windshield wiper control:
Not to be dramatic, but I could see a bad windshield wiper control design as being potentially dangerous; it would be terrible to be fumbling with one in a unfamiliar car after it suddenly begins to rain. Imagine trying to...
February 2011
1 post
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Pennant for iPad
Last year I posted about some outstanding projects from the Parsons MFA Design and Technology show. One of them, Pennant, an “interactive exploration of baseball data,” is now available in the App Store. I implore you to check it out; it’s quite stunning, and a steal at $4.99.
January 2011
3 posts
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Idea to Market in 5 Months: Making the Glif
On July 11th, 2010, Tom Gerhardt and I had an idea for an iPhone accessory: a tripod mount that doubled as a stand. Five months later, customers began to receive our product, the Glif, in the mail. This turnaround, from idea to market in five months by two guys with no retail or manufacturing experience, signifies a shift in the way products are made and sold — a shift only made possible in...
7 tags
Voice and Tone
I was browsing through the Windows Phone 7 design and interaction guide (pdf) today and enjoyed this section towards the end about voice and tone:
Many users consider text displayed on computers to be another language called computerese, a jargon-filled, soulless, completely impenetrable foreign language that torments them by hindering their ability to complete tasks and asks nonsensical questions...
5 tags
Yves Béhar Gets It
Short interview with Yves Béhar in the New York Times:
The role of designers and product makers is to really become much better editors. What kind of functionality is actually needed — and truly delightful — to consumers? Remove all the extraneous stuff.
As an aside, I just got the Béhar designed, Lonely Sandwich approved Jawbone Jambox and am enjoying it immensely.
November 2010
2 posts
4 tags
Making the Glif
Tom and I put together a short film, mostly to document the behind the scenes manufacturing process of the Glif. You can view it below.
(view on Vimeo)
Hopefully the Coudal Partners don’t have a stranglehold on the documentary-about-the-making-of-a-product-with-emotional-music-and-large-futura-type market.
5 tags
The Right Feel for an iPad Stylus
In general, iPad styluses follow an incorrect cognitive mapping. The vast majority of them are designed to look and feel like a pen. Why? Writing or drawing on the iPad feels nothing like using a pen or pencil. For one, the fidelity is way too low. Also, it is pretty awkward to rest your palm on the screen of the device because it throws off the capacitive detection. Writing on an iPad, to me,...
October 2010
2 posts
3 tags
Nordstrom's Employee Handbook
This is just great. For years, Nordstrom would supply its new employees with a single 5”x8” grey card that read:
Welcome to Nordstrom
We’re glad to have you with our Company. Our number one goal is to provide outstanding customer service. Set both your personal and professional goals high. We have great confidence in your ability to achieve them.
Nordstrom Rules: Rule #1:...
9 tags
Glif: an iPhone 4 tripod mount & stand
For the past few months my friend Thomas Gerhardt and I have been designing an iPhone 4 accessory. It is a tripod mount, and doubles as a stand to prop up your phone at various angles and orientations. As you can see from the image, and can probably guess as a reader of this blog, the goal was to make something simple and elegant.
We are both very excited that the design has come to fruition,...
September 2010
1 post
3 tags
Votive Candle Solution
A clever solution to a common frustration (if you’re in the business of lighting lots of votives, that is): add a slit down the side for the match. Kind of a moot point if you’re using a lighter, but if matches are all you’ve got, the slit prevents a) burnt fingers, and b) dripping hot wax if you invert the votive to light.
(via Core77 and From Us With Love)
August 2010
2 posts
7 tags
Controlling Apple TV
There has been a lot of chatter recently regarding the assumed upgrade of Apple TV. A lot of the discussion and conjecture has been about price ($99), OS (iOS), hardware (smaller form factor, no physical hard drive), and release date (September). What interests me (naturally, as an interaction designer) is the interface, and how it will be controlled. Using iOS for the new Apple TV is not a...
3 tags
Hidden, without hiding
A key part of design (interface or otherwise) is getting the user to notice something. The need to keep the design clean and uncluttered is contradicted by the user’s desire to not have to hunt for things, or worse, make an irreversible error.
I recently purchased a book shelf from CB2 and had it shipped to my apartment. It was packed pretty efficiently; the shelves overlapped/interlocked...
July 2010
2 posts
3 tags
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Vehicle Key Fob Design - A Follow-Up
Earlier this year I posted about the incredibly flawed design of the Lexus key fob. Fortunately, I stumbled upon the antithesis. Last week I rented a Nissan Altima, and this is its key fob:
Lock, un-lock (with little bumps to feel for in the dark), trunk (hold to open), and panic. Simple, straightforward, no ambiguity.
June 2010
2 posts
4 tags
Battery Hand Wall Clock
Really clever, if somewhat unfeasible, idea for a wall clock. Use the batteries as the hour and minute hands:
I question how fast the batteries would run down if they have to power the weight of their own rotation. Regardless, an elegant idea.
(via Gizmodo and The Wrong Objects).
2 tags
May 2010
5 posts
4 tags
Simplified Privacy Controls on Facebook
I’m digging Openbook’s proposal for simplifying privacy controls on Facebook: place a “Privacy Slider” on every user’s homepage, ranging from completely private to completely open.
Clicking on the slider invokes a popup which breaks down the privacy settings and allows for more granular control (if desired). I think this is a nice, transparent solution… and...
3 tags
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The $0.69 iPad Stand
drewvigal:
Bought a wireless keyboard today to eventually replace the iPad Keyboard Dock I ordered online with my iPad. One really should try out a product before buying peripherals. But what I was really looking for was a stand that kept my iPad upright in either landscape or portrait. Neither the Keyboard Dock nor the iDock does this… granted, those do charge the iPad while docked. And I saw...
2 tags
Never Miss the Key Hole
Clever.
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OneZero: Parsons DT Thesis Symposium
The Design and Technology department at Parsons (of which I am an alum) is holding their second annual thesis symposium this weekend, titled OneZero. I had the privilege of seeing a few of the talks and checked the gallery out this Saturday. The show is described by the students as a “way of sharing research and work as designers, programmers, developers, gamers, storytellers, animators and...
April 2010
4 posts
3 tags
Simplicity isn't that simple
52weeksofux:
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” —Leonardo Da Vinci
Simplicity, by definition, is freedom from complexity; the absence of luxury or pretentiousness. Sophistication, on the other hand, often implies a sense of style, cultivated beauty and refinement. So is Da Vinci contradicting himself here?
On the contrary. I believe the ultimate level of sophistication happens when...
3 tags
Elegance and The Art of Less
Matthew E. May:
The singular thought that what isn’t can often be as or more powerful than what is presented me with a completely different view of the world. In fact, it offered an altogether unique reality—and a life-changing one at that. I embarked on the journey I’m still on, in search of solutions that derive maximum effect from minimum means, ideas that are elegant by virtue of their...
8 tags
Wieden + Kennedy for Nike
The blogosphere et al. has been buzzing in the past couple days about a new Nike spot for Tiger Woods, by Portland based ad agency Wieden + Kennedy. In case you haven’t seen it already:
Predictably, the extreme simplicity appeals to me here. Personal opinions about the man aside, I think the commercial is pitch perfect, which is quite a feat considering the circumstances. I seem to be...
5 tags
The iPad User Manual
How you know a product is easy to use: when the ‘user manual’ is a single index card.
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Bloodbuzz Ohio
A track off the forthcoming album from The National is available as a free download from their website. I really like the way they’ve presented the download options, being as blunt and transparent as possible. Want the 192 kbps version? Download here. Want a bit higher quality plus some artwork? Well, we’re gonna need your email first. Simple and straightforward.
Granted, there...
March 2010
2 posts
7 tags
37signals
I’ve been meaning to make this post for some time, and their new book, Rework, has eliminated any excuse not to. 37signals is, according to Wikipedia, “a web design company with a self-described focus on usability, simplicity, and clarity in design and writing.”
Both of their books, Getting Real (available for free online) and Rework are essential reads if you are looking for a...