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Products I can’t Live Without

March 22nd, 2010 · 2:39 pm → Blog

Inspired by this article: Products I Can’t Live Without I wondered myself what products I can’t live without… And so here is my own personal list:

1) iPhone

2) Twitter

3) Facebook

4) Yahoo! Instant Messenger

5) Yahoo! Mail

6) YouTube

7) FourSquare/Gowalla (though I’m still a bit afraid of it)

Amazon

9) Google Reader

10) Pandora

11) Wordpress

12) Wii

13) Expedia/SPG.com

14) Macbook Pro

15) Netflix

An Inside Look at Facebook Design

October 9th, 2009 · 8:00 pm → Blog

I attended a presentation given by Ben Blumenfeld, the communication design manager for Facebook, at the AIGA Conference today. As a Facebook addict myself, getting an inside perspective on how the Facebook design team approaches problems and ideas, was very insightful to me.

Blumenfeld talked about 3 main points when approaching design:

1. Ship and Iterate

When Blumenfeld’s design team is given a design problem to solve, their approach is to come up with an idea and execute it right away as opposed to drafting it over and over to perfection before launching it. He says that if it fails, they will fix it and try again. But if they don’t ship, then they will never know if it will be a failure or a success. They don’t discuss it until they are blue in the face. They go right to work on it.

My key takeaway here is that they don’t waste time talking about it. You can talk about something until you’re blue in the face. But until you build it and ship it so others can use it, you won’t know if your theory will really work. So what would the point of the theory be if it’s not implemented? It’s just theory.

That explains why I log into Facebook one day and see some new features, then the next day, the features are gone.

2. Leverage by using existing tools for greater reach

The newsfeed, groups, fan pages, and the translation tool are a few examples that are being leveraged.

Blumenfeld gives the example of a guy (who’s name escapes me) who was completely against FARC (the revolutionary forces of Columbia) and what they stood for. So, one night, he went online and created a Facebook group which represented his feelings towards FARC.

By morning, 150,000 people had joined that group, and the numbers continued to grow. Eventually, the group members asked him what they should all do now? This guy had unexpectedly and single handedly gathered hundreds of thousands of like minded people from all over the world in a short period of time, just by creating a Facebook group one night online, and which probably took him no longer than a few minutes to create. How amazing is that?

He since organized protests against FARC in different parts of the world to which hundreds of thousands of people showed up for.

It’s incredible that one Facebook group could draw in so many people globally. Talk about leveraging a tool to success!

3. Be data informed

Blumenfeld’s team approaches design in many ways, including that of their own gut feelings. When their gut tells them that an idea will work, they go for it, build it, then take the risk and put it out there for the public to use. Then the observe the numbers, the clicks, the results, and modify it from that data. Again, if they talked about it and didn’t execute, they wouldn’t move forward.

This guy’s presentation rocked. He was down to earth, no arrogance, no ego… just completely himself, and the love for his work and the company shined through.

Design Management Best Practices

October 9th, 2009 · 12:12 am → Blog

I attended Emily Carr’s Management By Design workshop today at the AIGA Make/Think Conference in Memphis – Though some of her points seemed like no-brainer solutions, she did have some useful tips on better practices in design & project management:

1. Most people don’t like being told what to do, especially designers

“So much of project management is how to interact with people” she says, so supporting people, making them feel like you’ve got their back is important.
Find out what the designer/team member wants to do first and work with that desire to get the task done. “If I have to tell people what to do, I have failed in my communication,” Carr says.
If a team member wants to do something, he/she will do it willingly, but it takes a delicate form of communication to get there.

2. Make sure you understand the personal strengths & weaknesses of your team & clients

“You can’t change anyone” and “People will never be the way you expect them to be” are 2 assumptions that must be embraced
Having said the above, YOU must be the most flexible person on your team.
People who like each other tend to be more productive and do a better job.
Getting to know clients/team members on a more personal basis is a good way to learn of their personal strengths/weaknesses. Then you can match clients with the team members who are compatible.

3. Make the client part of your project team

Work with clients and not against them. Choose your own battles, and build a positive relationship with them. Positive equals productive.
Difficult clients really just want to be heard. Listen to them, hear them out & understand them. Through this, you will build a solid relationship which makes for a successful project outcome.

4. Resolve conflicts quickly

Conflict is not necessarily a bad thing, but unresolved conflict is.
Be intuitive about passive conflicts as well. Carr describes using your gut to determine if there’s something sour going on between you and your client. And if you feel that there is, then approach the conflict delicately but definitely resolve it.

5. Make meetings valuable

So many people hate meetings because so many meetings are a waste of time.
“Meetings are useless if they’re not valuable” says Carr, so be sure that if you’re going to call a meeting, be sure that everyone who you invite to the meeting knows exactly why they are there.
Focusing on only one kind of meeting at a time is the best approach. For example, if you’re calling a brainstorming meeting, don’t digress and start discussing schedule or budget.
Always have one person run the meeting and be mindful of the time when there is sharing involved. You want everyone to get a chance to speak and not have the meeting run overtime.

6. Use project management tools that are easy

Carr mentions Basecamp and Function Fox and Google Calendar are a few project management tools that seem fairly easy to use.
Be sure to use a tool that everyone can access without much effort.
Carr believes that emails are a good tool for documenting, but not that effective for showing designs. (I actually disagree with that as most of my client interface has been through email alone and has worked out much more productively than meeting in person and wasting commute time – that being said, kick off meetings and brainstorms are best done in person, but check-in meetings are just as effective remotely in my opinion)

7. When juggling a variety of projects, understand which projects are going to be profitable from the start

For projects that are profitable, budget in for extras such as when a client feels the need to have a personal phone conversations
If the client is happy with you, they will give you more work.

8. Don’t accept black holes

Black hole definition: when no one is sure what you’re supposed to be doing
The biggest mistake at the start of a project is when you assume you can figure it out along the way.
Be upfront about scope. A proposal must be clear and concise.
Don’t be afraid to say no.
If you give anything away to the client for free, be sure that the client knows what you are giving him.

9. Know what the plan is for the team and the client

Set limits – have parameters around design and time
Client needs to know that a project is work for them too – they must gather information and give feedback.

10. Always evaluate progress against the big idea

Always be clear of your concept and goal so you can build a case for your designs
To learn more about a client’s goals, have them complete a creative brief questionnaire
When presenting your designs to a client, always restate the problem and goal first before revealing designs

A Compilation of Inspiring Music Posters

October 8th, 2009 · 10:59 pm → Blog Inspiration

Here are a bunch of really inspiring music posters made throughout the years by some very talented designers and agencies displayed at the Make/Think AIGA Conference exhibit hall in Memphis.

Reflections of Greece & Turkey

September 22nd, 2009 · 11:07 pm → Blog Inspiration

It’s always fascinating setting foot in a new environment and taking in the unique colors, patterns and style that a culture has to offer. I took a trip to Greece and Turkey last year and captured my perspective of the flavors of each country: