Earlier this month, Fast Company began publishing a series on user experience written by industry analyst Brian Solis. As soon as I read the first article, I reached out to Brian on Twitter to say that I thought it was crucial that he incorporate the perspectives of practicing user experience designers in order for his [Keep Reading…]
What I learned in 2011 and my predictions for 2012
It’s a funny thing — the more you share your opinions openly, the more people ask you for them. As the year is coming to a close, if you’re thinking about starting a blog next year or writing more frequently on the one you already have, don’t just make an empty resolution. STICK TO IT. [Keep Reading…]
The Neighborhood Business Experience
It was 7:19pm. There I was, standing outside of Tarzian Hardware, its gate down and locked, the lights turned off. The store hours sign read Monday – Friday 8:30am – 7pm. I knocked on the window. I rattled the gate. I called the store from my cell phone with 8% battery remaining and could hear [Keep Reading…]
A Proactive Apology from Plancast
I’m not a huge user of Plancast — the event-based social network (a sort of next generation Upcoming.org) — mostly because I’m too lazy to update my plans in multiple places, with RSVP functionality on Facebook, Meetup, Eventbrite and more. But an email that arrived in my inbox yesterday just might make me change my [Keep Reading…]
Nationwide Insurance demonstrates user research with NationPam
As an independent consultant, I pitch my services a lot. I consider myself fortunate that I get the opportunity to chat with so many great companies (okay, and some not-so-great ones) about what user experience is and what value it could provide to their businesses. Without a doubt, the most difficult service for me to [Keep Reading…]
Photo of the day: Brand Transparency
Headed back home from Heathrow Airport after a lovely vacation, I stopped at the Pret A Manger for a quick pre-flight bite. When I got to the cash register, I noticed this awesome sticker — concise, honest, and, best of all, empathetic. VAT NIGHTMARE We’re legally required to add on VAT when you eat in. [Keep Reading…]
Photo of the day: Back in 30 minutes
Time has always bothered me; I don’t really believe in it. It’s a human invention, a representation of reality. Now the passage of time, that’s something I can believe in. You can feel it. You can measure it. But it’s always, ALWAYS, relative to something else. Like when you’re in the train station waiting for [Keep Reading…]
Undercover Boss: Just How Badly is Your Company Screwing Itself
Undercover Boss is one of my favorite new shows. Why? Because we desperately need to encourage upper management to get in touch with what’s really going on inside their companies. The right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing, and it’s harming employees just as much as customers, if not more. I was [Keep Reading…]
The NEW Frappuccino: however-you-want-it
From middle school through college, I was obsessed with Starbucks. Five-times-a-week obsessed. Then five years ago I realized that I was spending $1,500 a year on coffee, quit cold turkey, and haven’t had a drop since. Part of me also hated the evil empire it has become. In middle school when the first Starbucks opened [Keep Reading…]
Photo of the day: Penn Station, Charging Station
I’ve found myself at Penn Station quite a lot lately. You see, I’m working on the project of a lifetime with Happy Cog Philadelphia, so I visit by train from time-to-time. A few weeks ago I observed some unusual behavior: I’ve passed by this column dozens of times when I walk into the Amtrak area [Keep Reading…]
