London Blog

Lo-Fi Grunge and More

2005-05-23T21:09:00.000-07:00

It's always interesting to see inventive approaches to communication. Miika Saksi's designs are daring and challenging. The question must always be asked, "Is this design effective?"

I believe in the case of Saksi the answer is yes. His asymmetrical ideas are no doubt disquieting, but he forces the viewer to think by catching him off guard. I imagine many users, upon first seeing a Saksi site, had to think, "is my browser working right?" He bleeds off the edge of the canvas and uses negative space to disturb the user.

Would these designs work for everyone? Of course not. I can't imagine hiring to do a site design for John Hancock Insurance. But it's good to know that someone like Miika Saksi has used the medium with such creativity while enjoying at least a modicum of success.

Sites that tell a good story:
www.benjerry.com
And who doesn't like ice cream? Check out the way the nav bar oozes into more links.
www.martinguitar.com
Martin guitars are expensive, beautiful, and timeless. This site makes you want to buy a dreadnought, sit on the couch, and strum big wide G chords.
www.australia.com
After the fun little streaming video, explore this fascinating land and its friendly people.

Sites that are busy/cluttered/noisy:
www.paws.org
Can you pack any more navigation into your front page? No, I didn't think so.
www.democrats.org
Aaargh! The Republicans actually have a better site than us! How can this be?
www.baseball-almanac.com
One big square of navigation. This is for people for whom baseball stats are more important than sex, because trust me--you wouldn't want to f*** anyone who has this page bookmarked.

Giving a DAM

2005-05-08T21:44:00.000-07:00

Terri Ross' Digital Asset Management: The Art of Archiving takes a worthy yet dated look at the needs of traditional industries moving into the digital age. She talks abut the need to plan and diagram a company's workflow before taking the plunge into a DAM system. She begins her paper with some interesting facts, such as:

"...an average of $8,200 per person per year is spent on file management activities which include searching, verification, organization, back-up and security."

But when she gets to the part about digital cameras, I had to go back up to the top and look at the date. Ah--1999. Unfortunately this colors the entire paper for me. With everything in the digital age changing by the hour, this kind of dated material always must be viewed through the lens of time.

In contrast, Alan Zeichick's piece, Building a DAM to Last: Archiving Digital Assets, carries with it the relevancy of current information. It's obvious Zeichick has done his research and has found DAM solutions executives who know what media companies are going through right now as they try to make the sea-change to digital media.

My main experience with this was when I was working for KIRO 7 in 2003. The station was going from tape to digital and facing challenges on several fronts, not the least of which was the reticence of many long-term employees.

A troubling aspect of digital media is the ephemeral quality of many files. As Andrew Olson puts it in Zeichick's article:
"They keep a one-year archive digitally of about 35 clips per day that we capture for them. Anything older than a year is dumpedthe value just isn't there to store it."
I have a good friend in Portland who is trying to keep the history of our old TV station (KPTV) alive. He's fighting both the station's current owner, Meredith, and the fact that a lot of program material has been unceremoniously dumped. Newspapers can be microfilmed, but what will happen to broadcasting? What will happen to digital media files? Will our generation not have a history?

Fixed or Fluid?

2005-05-01T12:47:00.000-07:00

David M. Levy fails to make a coherent case in his paper Fixed or Fluid? Document Stability and New Media.
I would like to hear Jay David Bolter's rebuttal to Levy, but lacking that, here's my defense for Mr. Bolter:

I believe Levy is a literalist who is looking for an angle upon which he can publish a scholarly paper. I don't think Bolter meant his original premise to be taken verbatim. Levy argues paper is not always fixed and digital is not always fluid. I tend to agree more with Bolter on the fixity of paper documents.

Levy uses the example of a memo writer whose writing is copied and distributed. Levy says the memo can be too easily changed by the receivers of the memo and distributed again. If this chain of events is to be followed exactly, the original would look the same with hand-written notes in the margins and lines crossed out. The original document remains fixed--even to the next to receive the doc. The changes would be perceived as ex post facto changes and the original writer's integrity would remain intact.

If the person making changes to the memo re-types the memo with his/her changes, it is a matter of plagiarism or forgery or whatever...different argument. If the person making changes receives the memo as a Word doc and makes changes, then the new author has used the fluidity of digital technology.

This could make for an interesting discussion in class.

Yellow Labs

2005-04-24T12:56:00.000-07:00

Donald A. Norman's paper, Attractive Things Work Better, is an interesting balance to the thought that in order to be effective, one needs to be edgy. While one may get through to a certain crowd with edge, the largest audience may well be lost.

Norman bases his writing on the theory that "attractive things make people feel good, which in turn makes them think more creatively." His findings indeed make a lot of sense, especially in the case when the opposite of attraction is present. People tend to think of ways to get out of the situation and end up repeating the same action to try to solve the problem.

I suppose the easiest thing to do, design-wise, would be to put a yellow Labrador retriever in everything. Who doesn't love yellow labs? They have friendly faces and wonderful vanilla colored fur. The challenge is to not become so "vanilla" that the user is unaffected by the message.

The Price is Almost Right

2005-04-17T20:10:00.000-07:00

Jonathan Price's "A Rhetoric of Objects" takes a friendly poke at Aristotle by re-channelling the philosopher's thoughts through modern times. To his credit, Price concedes that "I may tilt toward caricature when I quote him."

For the most part, Price is correct when he more or less contradicts Aristotle on points of rhetoric. We certainly exist in a new paradigm where communication is no longer a one way oratory to a rapt and respectful audience.

But there are places in Price's piece that misrepresesnt the spirit of what Aristotle was trying to convey. Point 6--Aristotle "...of speaking loudly, softly, or between the two...the various rhythms that suit various subjects."
And Price's comeback misses the point. "We upgrade our infrastructure, tweak software, publish objects..." What Aristotle was trying to get across is to avoid a monotone approach to your presentation--whatever the medium may be. This is always good advice.

I know it may be blasphemy, but sometimes I think writers like Price have a way too rosy picture of how important the new media is. We all think this stuff is so great because people can participate and can be politicians and journalists, and let their voices be heard. I still believe the majority of people really don't want to participate. They want to be entertained and pandered to. They want to drink their bad beer, be reinforced for their own values, masturbate, and go to bed. Utopia, Schmootopia.

Storytelling and Website Personality

2005-04-10T11:40:00.000-07:00

I would say both articles fall under the category of information that would on one hand be obvious. But on the other hand these articles punctuate the mechanics of storytelling and how to give one's website some personality.

I particularly like what the one author said about website personality. "Even if you deliberately don't think about your site's personality during the design prcess, you will end up with one anyway." Like it or not, the lack of personality actually screams quite loud about who you or your product are.

Also on appropriateness: "Visitors to the site have very fixed notions of what is appropriate and are unikely to react favorably to anything out of place." Not that they won't react favorably, but it's highly unlikely. As website designers, we must always keep in mind that we are providing an experience for the user. The personality of the website dictates what that initial experience is and tells them what to expect in the future.

It's nice to see the elements of storytelling broken out as Kimberly Appelcline does in her article. I described these to my partner (setting, character, plot, backstory, and detail) and she reminded me of a story I told some friends when we had dinner with them last night. The story I told was successful, if laughs are evidence of success, and Masako pointed out how I used all the elements in my four-minute story.

I like Appelcline's definition of character when she says, "create a character whose personality includes some contradictions." This makes your character as interesting and complex as all humans are already. Another I know I will take to heart is when she says another thing that makes characters interesting is their "Potential for change." This lets characters grow (develop).

This is all very useful stuff.

Ah-Ha Moments of the Inverted Pyramid

2005-03-31T18:20:00.000-08:00

I did my undergraduate work in print journalism, so the inverted pyramid no stranger to me. It remains the perfect model for news that's imparted by the written word.
I would hope that most of the students also read the side bar of the first story--the blurb that gives another reason why the IP is so good for print. For editors who are dealing with column inches, the IP lets them cut off the bottom of the story without losing the most important facts.

I also really liked the article about getting one's point across with as few words as possible. Terseness equals talent. Brevity is boss. I've always admired writers who can cast the perfect image with a few words.
One of my favorite songwriters has always been Elvis Costello. A line in his Watching the Detectives is "She's filing her nails while they're dragging the lake." Nine words paint an amazing picture.

Three Stories

2005-03-31T17:33:00.000-08:00

For my first story, the "how-to" story, I'd like to demonstrate how to make an E chord on a guitar. Of all the chords, the E is the most rock n' roll. If you want to rock, you need to learn how to play an E with A (attitude).
My second story will be a short story told to me by my mother. It involves her first experience with rush week as a freshman at Cal Berkeley.

Hmmm...Okay, you don't especially want to know what we're going to be doing for our three writing assignments, you just want to know what interests us as content creators. Well the two above are still pretty good.

A third story I'd like to tell is what's going on right now between Planned Parenthood of Western Washington and the Union Pacific Railroad. Our legal team has just won a significant ruling gainst UP, setting up a class action suit that could result in greater access to family planning for the women who work for UP.

Web Production and Quality Assurance

2005-03-06T15:57:00.000-08:00

This is a very good read for anyone embarking on website project management. I especially appreciated Jeffrey Zeldman's thoughts on separating design from data. This makes things so much easier when going into a re-design, plus people using non-traditional browsers will no longer be barred from your site. Never thought of that.

The author seems adamant about freezing content deadlines at some point in the process. It would be a good idea though, so that content doesn't contiue to trickle in (which it will unless there is a freeze).

I found out what ALT tags were by reading this.

All of the authors advice about quality assurance are good. I like her three levels of QA--formal, semiformal, and guerilla. I have a feeling WhoOwnsWhat/biz will be very guerilla (or gorilla if I have anything to say about it).

RSS (Real Sexy Stilettos)

2005-02-20T12:44:00.000-08:00

How does RSS (text or audio) change digital communication?

Every once in a while a new idea or technology comes along that changes everything. Thus it appears to be with RSS. I'm sure right now pundits are calling this everything from the latest geek hobby to the end of broadcasting as we know it.

I can certainly see how some people will take this idea and run...no DRIVE with it. With ClearChannel determined to be nothing more than an advertisement provider, true music fans are turning to other ways of getting new music or listening to their favorite genre. I can imagine Mark in our cohort, an inveterate 50s jazz fan, getting podcasts of music-and-commentary shows featuring Dizzy Gillespie, Miles, Mingus, Monk, etc. complete with discussion and analysis. Why should he tune in to a broadcast radio show?

If I were a traditional "big stick" broadcaster, I'd have one eye quite transfixed on podcasting. Apparently most broadcasters already do.

On the other side, I can see how podcasting might be much ado about eventually nothing. Yes, podcasting lets everyone be a broadcaster. But to paraphrase The Incredibles, "When everyone's a broadcaster, NOBODY will be a broadcaster." In other words, podcasting's potential kajillion voices could diffuse traditional broadcasting initially, but will certainly diffuse itself over time.

Gestalt Theory

2005-02-13T14:02:00.000-08:00

Examples of Gestalt Theory in Websites

1. A good example of Figure and Ground can be found on the website for the Seattle Supersonics.
www.nba.com/sonics/
The hardwood is the ground and the objects on top are figures.

2. An example of Similarity, Proximity, and Contiguity is in the website for Skills Factory
http://www.cwd.dk/inspiration.asp?mode=0&shownew
The circles bored in "concrete" presents both similarity and contiguity.

3. To find Closure and Symmetry, go to Allmusic.com
www.allmusic.com
The logo shows concentric circles that seem to suggest a round recording medium, either a CD or an LP. The circles are not completed, but the design lets you both complete the circles in your mind as well as perceive a turning motion.

Three Key Learning Points

2005-02-06T13:39:00.000-08:00

Identify three key learning points or best practices from your reading. How might these be applied, either in this project or in something your are doing at work?

1. I certainly appreciate the way this research team "walked a mile" in the shoes of the library's customers. I don't think enough consultant groups do this, or at least do this well. It felt like this research group sincerely put forth the effort to undestand the frustrations of the customers as they tried to access different aspects of the library.

2. This research group's approach was very "organic", for lack of a better term. Instead of artist or computer-generated storyboards, they used regular photographs and drew lines and notes on plastic overlays. This gives the project a very gritty feel and makes the goals seem achievable.

3. Because of privacy concerns, this team could not talk with the library's customers. But they managed very well to glean a lot of what they were looking for simply by observing the customers' actions and writing them down. In my business, Planned Parenthood, we have very stringent safeguards for our customers' privacy. I believe this is an excellent way to begin understanding the interactive experience our customers face each day.

Groupthink

2005-01-29T16:25:00.000-08:00

How might your team implement processes to avoid this pitfall?
I believe groupthink is a danger only when it leads to the detriment of the team or the team's goals. The truth is I prefer groupthink to "the pro from Dover" attitude where nothing can be done within the organization and anything tenable has to come from a consultant or a focus group.
Ahem.
Get off the soap box, Brian.
My dad gave me some great advice one day. I was waxing his car for some spending money. Upon completing the job, I went to my dad for the payoff but he insisted on seeing how it turned out. He pointed out several areas where I had not thoroughly cleaned the car before applying the wax. He also pointed out some white streaks where the wax had accumulated on the weather stripping around the window. The old man then let go with one of the best jewels of fatherly advice any dad could give.
"Always do a job like your worst critic will judge you."
I believe I said something intelligent like, "Hu-whu?"
"No really, Brian, is there someone you really don't like at school? Some guy that doesn't think much of you, either?"
"Yup. Richard Reeder."
"Well if Richard, whom you hate and he in turn hates you, were here telling me whether or not I should give you the ten bucks, what would he say?"

I think you see where this is going without any further narrative. I believe it is incumbent upon each member of the team to be as objective as possible throughout the creative and implementing process. It is required that everyone individually and collectively gauge what they do and what WE do for gaps in judgment that could impair the progress of the team or project.
As in any good democracy, respectful dissent should be encouraged and ideas nurtured. When people are empowered (I've come to hate that word) to contribute to the overall success of the project, and are included in the rewards, then groupthink ceases to be a problem.

Standards Discussion

2005-01-29T16:11:00.000-08:00

How do standards impact our ability as communicators to reach our target audiences? When (why) might we chose to deliver information that does not conform with standards?
Our impact as communicators is impacted by standards in that the trust in security measures and methods is essential in carrying out commerce and other classified documents. These classifications are constantly being split and split again as the technology leaps forward. I think one of the best things about new media is the seeming congeniality of world entities willing to comply with standards--far more than what we've witnessed in other areas (i.e. video formats, electricity standards, etc.)
As for the second question, is it even possible to deliver information that does not conform to a standard? I may be confused here, but when a communicator decides to "go it alone" outside a standardized format, can it even be transmitted? Perhaps I don't understand the question. It sounds like trying to make a phone call without a phone.

Most Appealing/Least Appealing

2005-01-23T14:07:00.000-08:00

The most appealing position for me is either the managing editor or the editor. I enjoy leadership roles, but also roles that include some creativity as well. The managing editor and the editor have very "hands on" responsibilities while also having a huge influence on the direction of the website. I pride myself on my people skills, so dealing with personalities (or the lack thereof) is not a big deal to me.
And although I tend to gravitate to leadership roles, the least appealing position for me is that of the publisher. This job sounds as if it requires too much politics and work that is unrelated to content. I really don't wish to spend my time placating the board of directors or salespeople while still feeling the need to be active in the daily pressure of producing content. Some people are born for such roles, but I'd rather be influencing the creative work of others and have the tangible fruit of my labor be the stuff that appears on the site.

Question 2

2005-01-17T13:16:00.000-08:00

The question is: How do you prefer to communicate with team members and why?
I find that in my team of eight members at Planned Parenthood, the preferred communication style depends on the team member. Laura prefers email even though she is only a shout away in another cubicle. She'd rather not draw attention to herself, or bring our conversation into the public forum, so she'll email me.
Elizabeth and Heather are face-to-face people. They would both rather come stand in my cubicle to talk (either about work or casual conversation). Anna is in the cubicle next to mine and we often just talk over the cublicle wall without seeing each other.
Lyrr is a grantwriter and prefers to send a word file attachment that is long and explanatory. Our supervisor, Lu, has an office out of our area and often calls using her speaker phone.

Myself, I adjust to whatever people prefer, as long as it's not a meeting. There is probably nothing that induces torpor quite as easily as the word "meeting" for me. The scary word pairing "morning meeting" has an effect on me like the onset of hibernation. I know meetings are necessary, but I find them deadly dull.

Question 1

2005-01-15T16:18:00.000-08:00

One of the most interesting teams I've ever been part of was a bluegrass band I joined in California. I was in the band for 7 1/2 years. We made three albums and toured most of the western states and even made one trip to Europe.
We were a team because we believed in what we did, and in the sense of the first author in this week's readings (Becker), we believed in each other's unique abilities. We each had a role (instruments and/or singing) and there was a lot of respect for the work the other guy did.
Also stated by Becker, "effective teams need the commitment and leadership of the person in the team who holds the most power in relation to the external environment," and this is where we eventually broke down as a team. Our "leader" was not up to what was going on in the external environment, and after a while we began to see his decisions as either arbitrary or ill-informed. But for a good many years we were an amazing team that accomplished a lot.

Neanderthal can blog

2005-01-12T18:41:00.000-08:00

Hey...looka me!
Me blog (ha ha) me blog (drool)
Me go kill mastodon.