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Being upfront about (re)sources

Jaan — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 02:09:53 +0000

In all my different work roles I like using examples as much as possible: an image, or a site, a photo or a scribble. Anything goes as long as it helps get my message across.

I am also very upfront about where I find this stuff. Sometimes it’s a site I stumble up on, or an article in .net magazine, a photo from Hannes’ Flickr stream, a sticker on the back of a street sign, or the fabric pattern on the Arlanda Express train seats (below).

Why?

I want others to fully understand how I think, how I process information, where and how I find inspiration, how I learn, and what essentially makes me tick. Being upfront about sources is the easiest and most honest way to let people get to know you and share your way of thinking.

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Top 5 client misconceptions

Jaan — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:05:12 +0000

If you work in the interactive agency world, you’ll no doubt heard these a few times.

“My industry/company is different from all others, what works for everyone else won’t work for us. Ever.”
“Our users aren’t web/tech savvy enough to understand or use that.”
“People want our info, promoting it would be a waste of money. If we put the site up, they will come. “
“We don’t need user testing.”
“Everything on the site is equally important.”

(more…)

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Information design

Jaan — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 06:57:01 +0000

“Information design has been defined as the art and science of preparing information so that it can be used by human beings with efficiency and effectiveness.” (Wikipedia)

Information design is one of those work-related things that gets me very excited. I can talk about it for hours, even at home. (Luckily my other half, Tiff, is also in to this subject.)

With good information design you can:

Make complex information easy to understand
Visualize data patterns that could otherwise not be found
Show context
Save screen or page real estate
Entertain your audience

An often used example to illustrate information design is Charles Minard’s 1869 masterpiece. It shows, and I quote Wikipedia, “…the losses in men, their movements, and the temperature of Napoleon’s 1812 Russian campaign“.

(more…)

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Yes, I’m co-authoring a book

Jaan — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 06:50:47 +0000

The cat is now officially out of the bag and I can confirm that I am indeed co-authoring a book. Quite a few people have asked about this, thank you!

I’m guessing many of you found out via Andreas’ direct tweets or the Nofont-published tweets, and some have been asking me ever since my April post. In other words seeding the project in small steps via tools we like, such as Twitter, is working out nicely for us.

Stay tuned for more, much more, on the subject.

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Call it by its real name

Jaan — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 07:29:12 +0000

A fab example of calling something by its real name, and making people smile in the process. This building site is next door to London’s Tate Modern.

Photo © Tiff.

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The Gray White Black site is live

Jaan — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 06:57:35 +0000

The site for new San Francisco based agency Gray White Black is live. More about the company and my association with it at a later date. For now I want to extend a huge thanks to Johan Hedenblad who took a series of squiggly lines and notes and translated them in to a very “on brand” site for the company. Cheers.

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Sit back and enjoy the ride

Jaan — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:54:32 +0000

Andreas has some great visual examples in his post about design that allows visitors to lean back instead of leaning forward when visiting a site.

This is a subject close to my heart and one that, as Andreas notes, I find myself bringing up on a regular basis.

The reason for this is my passion for clarity. Focused copy and large visuals help get a message across faster, clearer and with more confidence. It forces the writing to be precise, the visuals relevant, and when combined with vertically longer pages, it saves the visitor clicks and frustration, as the relevant content is “all there”.

(more…)

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Great site, too bad about the web shop

Jaan — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 09:04:19 +0000

There are hardly any companies out there today that don’t know the importance of a solid, on-brand, frequently updated, easy to use site. At the same time the web is full of companies who treat their web shop or e-commerce properties as after thoughts.

Here are the six most common “oversights”.
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BBC Sport’s fantastic olympics promo by Hewlett and Albarn

Jaan — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 09:56:47 +0000

You are tasked with promoting the 2008 Summer Olympics for your network. You have two options: Either you create a standard, run of the mill promo with flags flying in the wind, athletes in slow motion and some over the top 3D graphics.

Or, if you’re BBC Sports you commission Jamie Hewlitt and Damon Albarn to create a stunning short film.

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Doane Paper is almost a dream come true

Jaan — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 07:59:21 +0000

I am always on the look out for the perfect notepad. In my world of building stuff on the web making quick draft notes and sketches is part and parcel of everyday work.

Regular ruled or grid notebooks are fine for notes and quick interface sketches respectively. But that means two notepads in my bag. And if you know me, you know I am obsessive about simple, bare-essentials travel. I pack lighter than a hummingbird for my flights and whenever else I step outside the door.

Enter Chad Doane and his Doane Paper pads where each sheet has both lines and grids. Simple, smart.
(more…)

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