I'll admit it – I'm a recovering design process deliverables junkie. Historically, the generation of process maps, usability audits, wireframes, site diagrams, application flows, mental models, task-level scenarios, user stories, standards documentation, conceptual frameworks, content audits, navigation maps, and countless other examples of design ephemera, were so central to the work that we created for clients that we began to view them as the work we were creating for our clients. In reality, as important as many of those deliverables may be, they are just means to an end. The end – is a finished product that customers want to purchase and use and a solution that meets or exceeds…
Todd Henry, the founder of Accidental Creative, interviewed Kristian for his regular podcast. The interview covered everything from staying inspired and dealing with clients to getting moving on what’s important. You can listen to it here
One of the most frequent questions I'm asked is "What have you been reading lately." With increasing frequency, folks are beginning to inquire about what Podcasts I listen to as well. So I thought I'd share a list of my favorite podcasts with our readers. These picks run the gamut from design, to technology, to entrepreneurialism. Some of them are not updated as regularly as I'd like, but they are all thought provoking, interesting, and inspiring. You can find them all on iTunes.
The Accidental CreativeThe Accidental Creative podcast addresses how to thrive in the create-on-demand world by instilling practical, everyday practices that help you stay prolific, brilliant and healthy in your life
Whether a client or a designer, many of us have been through a not so ideal web site design situation, resulting in a frankenstein web site no one likes, and an uncomfortable void of silence. We know how it got that way - but how we can we prevent it from happening again?
Paul Boag of Headscape presented some best practices that keeps his team moving through these projects, and ultimately achieving satisfaction for both the client and the designers.
What's his secret? Collaboration not confrontation.
1. Ensure everyone understands their role in the project. The client's job is to find the problems and the designer's job is to find the solutions. If this breaks down, because the client is presenting solutions (i.e. make the logo bigger), then ask them "why"…
A curated collection of blog posts and web links that address branding, user experience, and interface design.
William Poundstone has written a great book on pricing practices called – Priceless: The Myth of Fair Value. For anyone interested in crafting brand experiences pricing strategies should be an area of deep study and reflection.
Below is a presentation on Personal Branding that I presented at the Notre Dame Campus Communicators Summit on January 7, 2010, in South Bend, Indiana.
Let me come right out and say that I think the term "personal branding" is pretty lame, but there does seem to be some common understanding as to what the term means. So in the interest of fostering continuity and establishing a shared vocabulary, that's what I'm running with. I hope that in 10 years, I will still be using…
Lately we've been talking a lot about the elements of a successful design project. We thought it would be interesting, and helpful to other readers, to hear a bit more about other folk's successes and how they were achieved. Tell us about the client, the challenge, and the solution.
Trendwatching.com, one of the world's leading consumer trends firms, released their report on NOWISM this month.
As a consumer, I can certainly understand the urge to have everything right now. But as a provider of a service, I’ve learned that there are benefits to those who wait. Here at KA+A, we serve a bevy of clients whose jobs are to fulfill customers who need their product or service on-demand: they need the latest data on their customers right now; they needed a new feature of the product yesterday; and they need to get the software rolled out in their company with little or no training. Satisfying these needs are no problem – their businesses are founded on…
I recently listened to a lecture given by Architect Bjarke Ingels on TED.com, in which he talks about stories behind three projects that sought to act as physical and interactive environments.
I like his approach in storytelling, because it communicates that his work is more than just aesthetically compelling structures. In addition to being beautiful works of art, the buildings shown in his presentation are functionally conscious of space, resources, and culture. The last project he spoke of is, in my opinion, the most amazing. He and his team are focusing on the Island of Zira, using the seven neighboring mountain peaks of Azerbaijan as inspiration. They designed the land into an inhabitable urban eco-system, completely transforming it from…
"Of the world’s total population of 6.5 billion, 5.8 billion people, or 90%, have little or no access to most of the products and services many of us take for granted; in fact, nearly half do not have regular access to food, clean water, or shelter.” – Design for the other 90%
These are startling statistics, despite the more socially aware we become each day. How then, can design become a dynamic force in saving and transforming lives, at home and around the world?
Recently I went to see my family in Ecuador. Even though I was excited and eager to get back to my country, I was already beginning to contemplate the design challenges that I would face when I…
