I have written about Sonos in this space from time to time. Sonos is a wireless music system that can connect with the digital files on your computer and broadcasts them wherever you want in your home. You can play different tracks in different locations and effortlessly shift from your collection to Internet radio. The […]
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Mobile = Shift For Designers and Consumers
March 18, 2010 
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Humans have always been obsessed with what they need to “take along” whether it’s going to work or play. The advances of mobile phones and apps has led many of us to shift activities we once did exclusively on a desktop/laptop to our smartphone. This is naturally followed by an increase in the number of […]
Continue readingAdvancing the Useful, Usable, Desireable Framework
December 25, 2008 2 Comments
Forrester Research frequently advocates for their usability framework of useful, usable and ultimately desirable. The first two are table stakes and where designers spend most of their effort. When there is the luxury of time, which almost never happens, then one can strive for that elusive territory of desirability. If users find your design desirable […]
Continue readingForrester Consumer Forum 2008: Maslow is Dead – First in a Series
October 31, 2008 1 Comment
I attended the Forrester Consumer Forum in Dallas earlier this week. It was my 16th Forrester event which speaks volumes about how I respect the company, value their people and study their work. It’s a day and a half of data, insights and big thinking with a sprinkling of small track sessions scaled down to […]
Continue readingAgile Development in Training
August 18, 2008 0 Comments
Many firms are giving Agile Development a go, and it’s easy to understand the corporate motivation. Get to market faster with the highest value projects. In our company we’re in the 2009 planning cycle and struggling with the prioritization process and a crushing number of initiatives. All projects are scored for value to the firm […]
Continue readingPeople Read on the Web
June 13, 2008 0 Comments
Web designers and usability pundits have said for years that people don’t read on the web. At best they skim, and if you have copy that is not juxtaposed with some attractive image it won’t be read. In those days we were encouraged to put as much as possible above the fold and keep the […]
Continue readingNeuroMarketing – New Tools For Engaging Customers
April 20, 2008 1 Comment
Fast forward to some time in the future. The marketing game has completely changed, having evolved beyond test and control, research, etc. Imagine you can understand how your customers react to your products. By react I mean physical responses such as eye movements, heart rate, breathing pace, galvanic skin response and body language. You can […]
Continue readingHulu Raises the Bar on Social and Television
March 4, 2008 0 Comments
I have been having a lot of fun playing around with hulu.com for the past few weeks. It’s a joint venture between NBC and News Corp. It’s in private beta right now, so you have to make a request to gain access. Here is how Hulu describes what they are in an October 29, 2007 […]
Continue readingKindle Makes Electronic Books A Reality, Without the Web
January 27, 2008 3 Comments
A colleague of mine who is an avid reader of books (the analog paper kind) is very excited about her new Kindle from Amazon. She was kind enough to bring it in for me to play with over lunch last week; here are my observations. The Kindle is Amazon’s first foray into launching a big […]
Continue readingNetgear Fails to Connect on First Impression
January 19, 2008 0 Comments
In a previous post I wrote about a great out-of-the box customer experience I had with an Olympus E-510 SLR digital camera. Of course for every great experience there is likely to be one not so great. I think you know what’s coming. Very recently I opened up a new wireless router, the Netgear RangeMax […]
Continue readingApple’s Site Search Drives Brand Consideration Through Prospect Experience
November 26, 2007 0 Comments
Apple has always been one of my favorite brands as well as my first choice in computers. I have long admired their web site for how on brand it is, the clean look, crisp copy and easy navigation. My one criticism is that it doesn’t even try to remember me. They never present a home […]
Continue readingInternet Appliance for the Nuclear Family
November 25, 2007 0 Comments
As computing evolves, networks expand and technology converges, we are seeing an explosion of new appliances hit the marketplace designed to help consumers remain connected to their new webbed world. There are lots of them that do many things, but the designers who think about culture and society alongside technology will sell the most units. […]
Continue readingI’m a PC and I’m a Mac: Enough Said
November 13, 2007 0 Comments
They do a lot of things right in Cupertino. In Redmond, well let’s just say they do a lot of things. Size does matter, but design ultimately wins the day.
Continue readingA Simpler Plan
November 5, 2007 0 Comments
” Everything should be as simple as possible, but no simpler.” Albert Einstein Wednesday, November 8th is World Usability Day. No it’s not another Hallmark Holiday, you don’t need to rush out and buy a card at the last minute. It may seem somewhat contrived and perhaps even unimportant as you sort through the hundreds […]
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