Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is more people who have come alive.
— Howard Thurman
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
Show & Tell: 2020, The Future & Your Ass
Last night I had the pleasure of presenting my thoughts on what I think 2020 will be like to a crowd of 50 peers, friends, and colleagues. My fellow presenters were awesome, diverse, and inspirational. A huge thank you to Substance for continuing to put this event series on!
Daniel Wood captured the audio above. If you’re crafty, you can synchronize it with the slideshow below and reenact the whole experience of my presentation.
SXSW in Review: Photo Journal Edition
I took a few photos while wandering around Austin during SXSW. Staying a mile out of downtown on Lady Bird lake meant I saw a lot of birds, and walking nearly everywhere provided some great sign and poster photo opportunities. I highly recommend walking and biking over cabbing all over town!
SXSW in Review: Shout-Outs Edition
Tyesha Snow — my most excellent roommate — who entertained my crazy ideas and frequent identification of birds and plants, provided insightful and intelligent conversation and humor, and lead the way to some pretty great parties. If 5 minutes of brainstorming can elicit a good idea for a mobile application to help drunk people get home safely, I can only imagine what we can dream up given a little more time and a bit of research and know-how.
Stephen Landau and Erin Kurtz — friends of Substance indeed — who were a great touchstone throughout the conference. It was wonderful to spend more time with two people I enjoy and admire, and get to know them better over beers, BBQ, and some fantastic panels. Keep bringing the enthusiasm and ideas!
Katherine Gray and Aaron Gray — old friends in far away places — whose company is as comfortable now as it was a decade ago, despite how different our individual careers are today. It’s awesome to spend time with people I’ve truly grown up with as a professional.
David Evans — from Saatchi & Saatchi LA — who kept me company in a rather long beer line and quenched my thirst for both a cold one and conversation with new people. Proof that good people do work for huge, famous agencies. I look forward to catching up in LA some time!
Inge & Øyvind — new pals from Norway — who shared a table with us at TypeKit’s party and offered overseas insights into user experience design and how to build a kick-ass design team. Not only were they friendly, but I’ve got two new bad soccer-themed movies to add to my “must see” list: “Shaolin Soccer” and “Victory.” Sweet!
Michael Salamon — the host with the most from Effective UI — who not only picked my and Tyesha’s mobile app concept as a winner, but also welcomed open, wide-ranging conversation at the Austin airport about interaction design, conferences, teaching, and even kinetic sculpture. That’s what I came to SXSW to find, so thank you for being there!
Ross Nover — comic artist, designer at Free Range Studios, and frequent panel twin — whom I met through Stephen and Erin. Meeting designers so driven by an ethical compass, yet with a sense of humor, gives me hope that interactive designers can and will take up the mantle of sustainability and responsibility. I’ll wear my “bike assassin” pin with pride!
SXSW Volunteers, who kept things running pretty darn smoothly considering all the chaos the event must bring. Wow!
On a steel horse I ride.
Yep, now you have Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive” stuck in your head, too. In a couple of hours, I’ll be getting on the steel horse and flying to cowboy country for five days. Sweet!
I’m heading to Austin for the SXSW interactive conference and looking forward to meeting lots of people, learning new things, having great conversations, and trying the local cuisine. Want to meet up? Here’s my schedule.
I won’t be live-tweeting the event, so any wisdom I glean from panels I attend will be posted to #sxswlesson.
Worst Day of the Year Ride – not so bad, really
My first foray into distance cycling wasn’t as scary as I’d feared. Sure, the hill up to the zoo was steep, and the hill up Germantown Road was even steeper (though the descent was the worst part for me). I learned that I can ride 40 miles, have tons of fun, and finish the challenge wanting more.
Plus it was such a supportive and encouraging group; even as I passed other cyclists up some of the hills, they’d cheer me on or crack jokes about how slow they were going. And riders resting after a tough climb yelled encouragement to those still making their way. It all left me feeling warm and fuzzy, and I don’t think that was just adrenaline euphoria or the celebratory beer talking.
Up next: lots of long rides to train for Seattle to Portland in July. Saying yes to a new challenge never felt so good!
There’s nothing quite like enjoying a gorgeous, quiet beach in a UNESCO biosphere reserve on a clear and sunny Mexican morning. Good thing I love Portland or I might not have come back!
He was my albatross, both good luck and bad omen. The lazy mouser, crabby old man, constant friend.
Good bye, Icarus. Wind to your wings.
First Things First, Design & Sustainability
In 1964, Ken Garland wrote the First Things First Manifesto. He and the undersigned designers questioned the priorities of their work and the role of design as a gimmick to sell more products. In 2000, Emigre Magazine published a revised version of the manifesto that focused more on the psychological and social effects of design communication.
That’s 46 years of advocating for a more sustainable model in the design industry. In 2010, how can we move on from manifestos and conversations to create meaningful change in the industry?
I’m sure your heart is in the right place…
I won’t be popular for saying this, but the wave of Portland businesses donating a portion of their sales/tips/proceeds to Haiti relief efforts has left a bad taste in my mouth. I absolutely appreciate anyone giving anything they can to help provide aid to Haiti. Don’t get me wrong on that.
It seems wrong that businesses are encouraging people to shop in order to help send donations to Haiti. Perhaps their hearts are in the right place and they mean no harm, but I fail to see how me getting a massage and enjoying chocolates does much to help Haiti, when instead I could just donate that $30-$60 directly to a relief organization.*
Shouldn’t local businesses encourage people not to shop and make a donation instead of a purchase? And shouldn’t businesses just make a donation on their own, regardless of the day’s sales? New Seasons is matching up to $10,000 in donations, which is not tied to sales or profits, and I think that’s the right way to approach things.
Have I just lost my grip on reality and the concept of philanthropy? I really want to give these businesses the benefit of the doubt and believe that they aren’t using the tragedy in Haiti to sell their products and services.
Is the real issue that we can’t count on individuals to make a donation to a worthy cause but we can count on them to buy something for themselves? So if we sweeten the deal by donating part of that purchase to charity we allow shoppers to feel smug and righteous, and at least some money goes toward a donation. I’d rather not be so cynical, but…
Here’s an idea: bring your lunch to work for a week and donate the money you saved by not eating out to Mercy Corps or the Red Cross or UNICEF. Hold off on the cute handbag you wanted and send that $50 to someone who needs it.
* Yes, I’ve already made donations and encouraged others to do the same.
