November 2011
35 posts
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There are few things so satisfying as crossing out something obnoxious on your to-do list. Leaning hard on the pen, forcing more ink onto the page than would normally go, putting a deep dent into the paper. Scratching the ballpoint back and forth.
It’s cathartic.
There’s no app for that.
October 2011
54 posts
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Thesis Pitches from Jojo
A few weeks ago, I took part in Liz’s thesis workshop. One of our exercises was to ask a classmate to define something about your thesis for you. Jojo and I worked together, and I had her define what my pitch statement could be. She came up with a few ideas.
Cursive is disappearing from classrooms and is becoming more of a ghost due to our devices. How can we retain that somehow?
For...
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A Sister's Eulogy for Steve Jobs →
OH WOW. OH WOW. OH WOW.
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"Choice riders" will put up with all kinds of shit →
n8han:
Second, there are also “carfree by choice” households that chose not to make Investments in cars, and thus are “captive riders” from a practical point of view. We are able-bodied, of sound mind, with driver’s licenses, and could theoretically afford to buy and maintain a car, but we choose instead to go on European vacations, or pay off our debts, or do any number of other things with...
“The future is already here — it’s just not very evenly distributed.”
– William Gibson (via Feltron via ninedaysoff)
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Transit Maps are Awesome →
A blog made with me in mind: chronicling transit maps of the world.
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Lack of Technology in Education →
You can look back and see how sloppy your handwriting was in first grade. You can’t do that with computers ’cause all the letters are the same. Besides, if you learn to write on paper, you can still write if water spills on the computer or the power goes out.
Finn Heilig, 10, whose father works at Google, says he liked learning with pen and paper — rather than on a computer — because he could...
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“Handwriting is for idea exploration; typing is for capturing ideas already...”
– Summarizing Tina Ye
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QWERTY: The Urban Legend →
Turns out, I was wrong about the genesis of the QWERTY keyboard. I, like so many others, fell for the urban legend that the QWERTY was developed to slow down input into the first computers, which couldn’t keep up with fast typists.
The story is kind of true. Sort of. The reality is that the QWERTY was developed to prevent jams on typewriters that resulted from rapidly typing letters that...
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Handwriting: This I Believe
First and foremost, I know that if I’d written this first on paper and not on Tumblr, I would have had a successful blog post last week.
I believe handwriting is one of the keys to creativity. What’s drilled into every student’s head during their foundation level design classes? Sketch. Sketch. Sketch more. Ignore the computer, it’s just a tool—tools don’t design. You design, your brain...
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On having darlings you don’t want to kill [or, why...
A couple people have mentioned to me that they think I should pretty obviously be doing a project on biking for my thesis. Biking, because I love it so much; biking, because I already know so much about it; biking, because I bring such great passion to the subject; biking, because it would make such a difference.
I’ve thought long and hard about it. It’s true: I love biking. I know a lot about...
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Everything is a Remix →
Seriously: don’t get hung up on being original. Be inspired by those around you. It’s ok.
Also, watch the videos.
Make the Dangerous Choice to Dissent →
The first challenge is seeing through the empty promise of opulence. But the second, tougher challenge is refuting it. To do that, we’re going to have start living heretically. We’re going to have not just disbelieve the conventional wisdom — we’re going to have to defy it.
This was among many gems in this article. Read it. It speaks to the difference between labor and work...
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“Shorter distances mean that you’re more likely to walk or bike; they also make...”
– Counting intersections | Felix Salmon (via judsondunn)
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Coffee in NYC →
In our Strategy class last year with John Zapolski, we learned that we’re currently experiencing the 3rd wave of coffee (the rise of excellent, boutique coffee in the wake of Giants like Starbucks), which is what this article is about. Bonus: blending rock climbing (Ivan Greene / Pudge Knuckles) with coffee.
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Participatory Design and Iterative Processes
I initially wrote this back on October 11, the night I met with Sara. Not sure how it didn’t make it up onto the blog…
Just met with Sara Dierck, Dave Bellona’s cousin. Dave put us in contact because Sara did her thesis on customization of objects while she was at Pratt, and she grappled with some of the same issues that I’m beginning to deal with now (in a world filled to the brim...
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Kerning Game →
You should probably go play this. It’s wicked fun. I got a 92, yes I did. Plus, two 100 point rounds. NERDS!
Although, it’s not really a kerning game so much as it’s a fitting game. Still. Fun.
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WatchThis bicycle cap project feels similar to two separate projects. First, the amorous love between the bike and the sewing machine is very similar to what Benjamin and Kristen generated in the video we did for our living, grumpy/dirty old man chair. Second, the idea of building something to go with the bike is similar, but not the same to the original ideas that Michael and I were throwing around...
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Week 3: Back Down the Rabbit Hole
I went down two very different tracks this week. I am feeling a bit more adrift than I was last week, feeling like I don’t know exactly where I am or where I need to go. Over the next few days, I’m going to be doing some more delving into that whole area, but for now, here’s the weekly update.
Research
First, I conducted a little experiment with Legos, the goal of which was...
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Nobody Cares // ben's blog →
All the mental energy that you use to elaborate your misery would be far better used trying to find the one, seemingly impossible way out of your current mess. It’s best to spend zero time on what you could have done and all of your time on what you might do.
Worth remembering.
(via Instapaper)
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What I learned from Steve Jobs | Apple - CNET News →
An article from Guy Kawasaki. My three favorites:
The biggest challenges beget best work Changing your mind is a sign of intelligence Real CEOs ship
Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-20117575-37/what-i-learned-from-steve-jobs/#ixzz1aIWkfavy
(via Instapaper)
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DHS Launches ‘Minority Report’ Pre-Crime Detection... →
Wired is reporting that DHS is trying to find a way to determine criminal intent by analyzing body metrics. Seems quite sci-fi, 1984, doesn’t it?
I’m not particularly worried though. If there’s anything I’ve learned in my program, it’s that determining mood or intent simply through body metrics (even more sophisticated ones like the rapid eye movements referenced in...
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What if handwriting is all you need to personalize something?
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“In most people’s vocabularies, design means veneer. It’s interior decorating....”
– Steve Jobs
Via Rick Landers
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Think different. Your friends will help.
I never met him. But I saw him, once. My good friend works for Apple, and we went to 1 Infinite Loop. I just wanted to visit the Mecca. You’re not allowed to go basically anywhere on campus, but we could go to Cafe Macs. We got our Apple-subsized food (I remember thinking, I kinda helped pay for this already), and as we went walked to the outdoor portion to find a table, Mike sidled up...
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Learning to type with Z-Type →
This is way too fun, even (espeically?) for an expert touch typist like myself. Way too fun. Via Cooper.
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Stock and Flow →
This must have something to do with thesis. What?
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Watch60 Minutes Report on Alex Honnold, as he free solos the Northwest face of the Sentinel. I have a lot of things to say about free soloing, but you can’t argue with his focus and humility.
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