The Power of Observation
I had a high school art teacher, Mr. Temesy, whose highest praise during drawing exercises was to say that your drawing was "well observed." I'll admit that at the time…
Going Postal
I recently had one of the worst user experiences I think I've ever had online, courtesy of Canada Post. It was a simple change of address, but used the services…
Simple is Hard
Simple is hard because complex is easy. Complex and disorganized is the default mode for just about everything in life, and it seems to be the thing we struggle against…
8 Great Tools for Design & Productivity
For a bit of a change of pace, I thought I'd share some web-based design and productivity tools that I've found handy recently. The first three could be helpful to…
Lessons from the Library
When I was a kid, there was a Saturday ritual that happened pretty much every weekend. After the requisite and mindless Saturday morning cartoons had been watched, it was time…
Disarming the Seven Enemies of Innovation
As a designer you encounter your fair share of criticism, both constructive and otherwise. Constructive criticism should be welcomed and accepted, it makes designs better. Un-constructive criticism also goes with…
No Right Path
Former NYTimes.com Director of Design and influential designer/blogger Khoi Vinh wrote a post a while back titled "The End of Client Services" wherein he described why he felt that the…
Keep the Essence
A lot of my work involves working with existing built spaces, many of them heritage environments. A recurring challenge is to create recognizable links to existing historic detailing while clearly…