Massive Attack video 2 years ago
Massive Attack – Splitting the Atom
Great song, amazing video. I’m not even going to let you watch it here — go to vimeo for HD and full screen. You’ll be happy you did.
Opening MHT files on Mac 2 years ago
Easiest way to open MHT files on Mac OS X? Download Opera, it opens them perfectly!
Duplicate, again 2 years ago
I posted the other day about a multi-touch gesture for duplicating an object, and Debra linked me to this Gesture Reference Guide. There’s a duplicate gesture described in the PDF but I’m not sure I understand or agree with the way it would work. Here it is:
My issues with this idea are that a) it doesn’t seem natural and b) it sounds like it would interfere with other gestures, like selecting more than one object, or even tapping two things sequentially — the tapper shouldn’t have to worry about releasing her first finger before tapping something else. I don’t see it listed as being implemented on any of the devices, so I guess it’s just Luke’s idea for the gesture.
Background patterns 2 years ago
I’ve noticed that some well-designed sites (Exhibit A, B (above)) are using speckled/textured backgrounds (A, B) which subtly add some character and originality.
My question is: what’s the best way of making a background like this?
Multi-touch "duplicate" 2 years ago
Are there any standards out there for creating a copy (eg. duplicating) of an object using multi-touch? I couldn’t find any with a quick search, so I mocked up a possibility.
The first one is for when you simply want to create a copy of an object. This is analogous to right clicking and choosing “Duplicate” (in OS X).
The second is the same as dragging and object and holding the option key, which creates a duplicate in the drag location (either elsewhere on the desktop, or into a new folder). The first steps are the same (press for a second to get the plus circle), but then instead of tapping the circle, the user drags it and it morphs into a shadow of the object.
Is this natural? Discoverable? Unobtrusive? Does it conflict with other gestures?
Six month exposure 2 years ago
The above photo, taken with a pinhole camera attached to a pole for six months, shows the sun’s path for an entire summer. Fascinating. You can learn how to do it yourself here.
Here’s another one of a bridge in Bristol:
Social interaction 2 years ago
Some thoughts about designing for social interaction from Boxes and Arrows. Includes some interesting facts about “strong ties,” “weak ties,” and “temporary ties.”
Infinite scrolling 2 years ago
I just added infinite scrolling with the help of the Infinite Scroll plugin for jQuery. No backend code needed at all. Scroll to the bottom to load more posts automatically!
Alice 2 years ago
Alice for the iPad. Exciting!
Natural user interfaces 2 years ago
Don Norman’s “Natural User Interfaces Are Not Natural” is insightful.
Control of our systems through interactions that bypass the conventional mechanical switches, keyboards, and mice is a welcome addition to our arsenal. Whether it is speech, gesture, or the tapping of the body’s electrical signals for “thought control,” all have great potential for enhancing our interactions, especially where the traditional methods are inappropriate or inconvenient. But they are not a panacea. They come with new problems, new challenges, and the potential for massive mistakes and confusion even as they also come with great virtue and potential.
Gets me brainstorming what the gestures for copy and undo should be, the right ways to show users what gestures are available (and what they do), and conventions for feedback when a gesture doesn’t elicit a response.
