Viaspire - Define.Innovate.Maximize.

FLF 10.30.2009 - Procrastination

I guess it wouldn't be hard to imagine that I actually came across this great video short story while procrastinating on a Thursday afternoon. While I am surprised that a creative would describe Procrastination as finding the perfect pen, making a cup of tea, or looking out the window, the message itself is - if you are doing anything outside of getting at the heart of the task, well, um, you are procrastinating.

Now, I feel this may fly in the face of the creative process, because many "bird walks" can lead to a perfect and innovative solution, it's just that these bird walks are a detour to the direct, bee-line approach.

What's your thoughts? I know we've posted on how to be more productive, but does this video "tell it like it is" or give the creative process, a little bit of a bad name.

Is procrastination part of your process? Do you get to get to your expected outcomes regardless of these diversions or not? Do they help you explore or avoid? Are you sabotaging your success or a deadline because of that cup of tea? How can procrastination work for you and against you?

Watch this video and see what you think!

Video by John Kelly

Lessons Learned from Project Managers - "Focus on the User"

BNET talks to project heads from GM, Nokia, Mehtod and Facebook to find out what they consider "lessons learned" from working on high-stakes projects.

What I loved about each response was that the "user" was an influential factor in each take-away.

The perfect enemy is the enemy of the deadline.
"When you’re late, nothing happens ...and you’re not learning anything [from your customers]."
— Bill Wallace, engineering group manager for GM’s Volt battery

Always know whose problem you’re solving.
"Never forget who your customer is. Make that person real — it’s the key to getting the best product and keeping the team motivated... Bring in actual users so they can tell you early on, “I don’t know what this button does.”
— Lisa Waits, Nokia’s director of corporate business development

Make sure you’re talking to the right people.
"The right people weren’t talking together enough [to look at a customer / product challenge holistically]. People often get into silos in their heads..."
— Josh Handy, head of industrial design at Method

Ask yourself, “Is this necessary?”
"We have ideas on how we can help users communicate better, but we’re not always sure how well they will work. We do tons of testing for every little change to the page. One thing I know now, which I wish I had learned earlier in my career, is how to prevent “feature creep.” You have to be able to recognize when you’re inventing a feature that duplicates another or only adds unnecessary complexity."
— Peter Deng, product manager at Facebook

View full article: Lessons from the Worlds Best Project Managers >>

Following Web Design Lifecycle - Wireframes before Visual Design

This is a quick post on a great article addressing why wire frames need to come before the visual design phase. Check out Pathfinder's article, Developing Good Wireframes Ahead of Visual Design. It addresses why preparing wire frames first, before expressing the ideas visually in design comps is critical to the success of your Web project:

Wireframes...

• Focus the [scope and] conversation
• Create a path toward better design
• Allow for choices to be driven by users' needs
• Save time
• Save money

Read more >>

Now for a great time lapse of the process from wire frame to website - an awesome video.

Creativity is not a luxury, but a necessity

The exploration of new ideas, the expression of different ways to present those ideas, and most of all the unique nature of communicating complex ideas simply or provocatively -- all require time and an open opportunity to explore, test, and try again. Creativity is not a luxury, but a necessity.

Reading through my feeds, I came across this great "tongue-in-cheek" article by Paul Sloane, author and speaker on leadership, innovation and lateral thinking, entitled - Ten Great Ways to Crush Creativity. 

Sloane says, "Leaders have more power than they realize. They can patiently create a climate of creativity or they can crush it in a series of subtle comments and gestures. Their actions send powerful signals. Their responses to suggestions and ideas are deciphered by staff as encouragement or rejection."

Here's how Sloane sees a top 10 list to "crush creativity" in an organization:

1. Criticize new ideas
2. Discourage brainstorming or collaboration to explore new ideas or creative solutions
3. Hoard problems - don't seek ideas to create innovative solutions
4. Focus on efficiencies not innovation
5. Overwork - "hard work alone will solve the problem"
6. Adhere to the plan at all costs
7. Punish for mistakes, reduce taking any risk
8. Don't look outside (the organization, the processes used, the existing solution in place)
9. Promote only those who think and manage like you
10. Don't waste money on training - just learn as you go

For the full article, read on >>

See Paul Sloane's latest book, The Innovative Leader: How to Inspire Your Team and Drive Creativity.

Good visual design leads to more meaningful interactions

Luke Wroblewski of User Interface Engineering published a great article this week on the importance of First Impressions Through Visual Web Design.

Wroblewski's notes that visual design ("when done right") helps Web users clearly understand:

- What am I looking at?
- How do I use this?
- Why would I want to use this Web site?
and I would like to add...
- Where do I start or take action next?

Wroblewski outlines how visual design helps to communicate quickly, form (and move beyond) first impressions, as well as allow Web users to find information and next steps through scannability - all leading to a more meaningful interaction online.

Read more >>

AIGA Initiative - Get Out the Vote 2008

AIGA, the professional association for design has taken the charge to "Get Out the Vote," by creating an outlet for AIGA members (to participate, you gotta join) to design around the simple message to vote on election day 2008.Through print posters and YouTube submissions, AIGA has welcomed designers to "create" around this important call to action.

Since 2000, the AIGA initiative has welcomed the design and distribution of videos, motion graphic pieces as well as print materials like Get out the Vote posters.

"AIGA invites its members to create nonpartisan videos and motion graphics pieces that inspire the American public to participate in the electoral process and vote for a presidential candidate in the 2008 general election."

This year, the Get Out the Vote 2008 posters reflect a wide variety of styles and treatments, including many familiar iconic pop culture influences.

As AIGA notes, "good design makes choices clear."

Be sure to view the rest at AIGA Get Out the Vote 2008 posters, including the set of 24 posters chosen for professional printing and national distribution.  You can also download any of them available on the AIGA Web site as PDFs to save and print, like this one!

Also, be sure to view and share the video of 50 selected posters as well as the AIGA YouTube channel for more info.

A Historical Speech Captured in a Tag Cloud

Tonight's historical acceptance speech by Barack Obama for Democratic nomination for president has been captured in a word cloud by GraphicDesignr. It strikes me because of the meetings we had today covered everything from keyword optimization for search, the art and science of tagging, and then watching this evening's speech with iPhone in hand refreshing Twitteriffic to the max. I was able to experience a historical speech, and monitor as well as participate in the discussion on the back channel for #DNC08.

Experiencing the 2008 Summer Olympics and now this election in the era of Web 2.0, it's clear that we have more access, more organization, more ways to track, convey, collaborate and develop meaning for any given message, event, and opportunity.

I thought instantly, a historical speech captured in a tag cloud, the perfect conveyance of form and function!

Monday Morning QuarterBacking the Super Bowl Ads

Having a group of friends over to watch the big game yesterday, half the revelers were fans of the game, the other half was there to watch the Super Bowl commercials. Overwhelming, the group joined in unison to enjoy the excitement of the fourth quarter of the game, and in unison, everyone agreed this year's Super Bowl ads were the "big upset" of the game.

Here's some of the predominant words used to describe the commercials shown on Super Bowl Sunday:

• Lackluster
• Unimaginative
• Boring, Ho Hum
• Un-memorable
• Nothing really buzzworthy
• Smile worthy, but nothing knee slapping
• Who were they again?

The commericals that seemed to stay in everyone's mind after the game were:

Pre-Game

• PepsiCo's EnAble

First Quarter

• Audi
• Bridgestone

Second Quarter

• Budweiser
• Planter's Nuts
• Tide To Go

Third Quarter

• Vitamin Water

Fourth Quarter

• Victoria Secret
• AMP Energy

So, What Did You Think?

MySpace lists all Fox's commercials run on Super Bowl Sunday 2008. Be the Monday Morning Quarterback and see what you liked or disliked about this year's "creative." I'm sorry to say, I wasn't a big fan...

Speaking of Design...

There's been some really good articles noting the current and progressive thinking about Web design.

Today, PSFK did a post on the Top 10 Pantone Colors Used by Designers This Season, showing 18-3843 Blue Iris being Pantone's 2008 Color of the Year.

Smashing Magazine also did a comprehensive article on new treatments in visual design, coined the Grunge Style in Modern Web Design.

Logo exploration for Extraordinique, created Fall, 2007

Another awesome post from Smashing Magazine outlines the 10 Principles of Effective Web Design. They are the core principles, but show great and current examples of what "effective" truly means today on the Web.

A site worth mentioning for their dedication to typography is "i love typography," which really specializes in shedding light on new font designs. In following this site, you get a great sense of where typographic style is going.

Overall, Computer Arts also put a great post together in Trends 2008 for what top designers predict and why most feel the industry desperately needs a shake-up.

The design community is going all out, completely spilling "out of the box," like WebDesigerWall, for example, a nominee for the 2008 Bloggies. These desigers and their creative are forging new trends, leading to more stimulating opportunities in design. What I like to see is that we are carrying forward the best elements of the Apple-esque style of Web 2.0 design with a whole new twist for 2008.  It's an awesome treat.

Green Thing - Do it!

Since Blog Action Day, we have been finding more and more great resources who are taking a stand and building community around saving the environment. Today, I came across this great community site Green Thing -- where everything is about taking action today.

Green Thing was started by two experts in online communications who saw an opporuntity and had the desire to make a difference worldwide environmentally. Green Thing's bottom line is:

"It will react and respond to the community. Green Thing is everybody's thing."

Green Thing Manifesto

• Green Thing is an easy thing. Because lots of small things can add up to more than a few big things, Green Thing suggests one easy thing a month to tempt as many people as possible to do it. Green Thing is also free which makes it easier to be part of.
• Green Thing is a creative thing. Because entertainment is very inspiring and lectures a bit less so, the monthly Green Things are suggested with brilliant content from brilliant writers, musicians, designers, directors and artists - pro and am, young and old.
• Green Thing is a not-for-profit thing. Because people are cynical about commercial or political agendas, Green Thing is an independent, not-for-profit thing powered by grants from foundations and individual contributions.
• Green Thing is a credible thing. Because people want to know that their action is making a difference, Green Thing is endorsed by some of the planet's leading environmental thinkers and reports back every month on the collective difference the whole community is making.
• Green Thing is a principled thing. There are certain things Green Thing will and won't do.

View It. Do It.
This month, the green thing is about walking. View the Green Thing video, explore their Wiki and sign up to get monthly updates on the next Green Thing to do.

Enjoy this lovely Autumn weekend... walking.