Random thoughts and incomplete analysis

Posted: October 14th, 2010 | Author: | Tags: , , | No Comments »

So, now that I’ve started posting my writing here more often, I think it’s a good time to say a little about my “process,” such as it is.

I read A LOT. Much of what I’m reading (at least the portion of it that I liked) will turn up in the Odds & Ends module in the right column. There’s an RSS feed hooked up to that if you’re really interested in getting the full firehose effect.

I write less often. This site will never break news. This lack of timeliness kind of takes me out of contention for “web hits” and “traffic,” but I prefer not to think of the people who actually take the time to read something I wrote using those metaphors. If something here inspires you to respond, please feel free to comment. Nothing survives in a vacuum, least of all ideas.

My writing typically comes from a reflective place, but I don’t view it as finished or precious. I prefer to think of it as “idea prototyping.” I’m using this site as a way to work out my thoughts on topics that interest me–things that I’ve been mulling over. Check the about page to see what kinds of things I’m currently interested in. The entries here are typically triggered by one of three things.

  • a recurring topic, meme, or thread: some conversation I’ve noticed that has piqued my interest and gotten me thinking
  • a random connection: sometimes my brain works in strange ways. I occasionally see similarities or patterns in disparate topics that I feel are worth exploring and thinking more about (on a few rare occasions, this has been a worthwhile activity)
  • an inspiring event, piece of writing, video or other encounter with someone who has something interesting to say

Finally, I’ll simply thank you for your attention. Glad to have you here.

Staying in touch

Posted: September 20th, 2010 | Author: | Tags: , , , , | 2 Comments »

So, why have I renewed my interest in writing under this Observations & Insights banner? Well, as usual with me… there’s a story.

I’m recently back from my first trip to Tokyo, and in a way, that trip represented a professional bookend of sorts… or more optimistically, I’ll call it a bookmark–an opportunity to pause and reflect on what has come before.

For those who don’t know me, it’s worth noting that the reason I was in Tokyo was for the EPIC 2010 conference (which I’ll write about at length in a later entry). At the conference, I had the opportunity to see and catch up with many old friends and former colleagues whom I haven’t seen or corresponded with very much in the past few years. Upon returning, I find myself at a moment where a few of my closest colleagues are now moving on to new challenges and new surroundings.

My hope is that writing here may provide this as a venue for:

  • continuing the conversations with people who I have (and wish I had) spent a significant amount of time with over the past few years, and
  • engaging in conversation a bit more often with the larger design and research community I’m happy to be a part of.

So, there it is… Welcome to the refresh. Whether I know you or not, I hope to talk to you soon… 😉