Focus + Context

This is a remote control for the climate control system in a conference room:

I was intrigued by the the “Too Warm” and “Too Cool” buttons. I kept on pressing the “Too Cool” button but alas, I didn’t get any less cool. Cuz I’m so freakin cool. See how that works?
On first read, I was a [...]

I came across this thermostat today at a testing facility, and thought there was something simultaneously tacky and charming about it.

First of all, I couldn’t think of any better names than ‘Linda’ and ‘Sue’ to appear on a sign like this.
Secondly, something struck me about the permanence of the sign (one of those engraved signs [...]

Violet, the maker of the Nabaztag internet bunny, will soon be releasing a new product, dubbed “Mir:ror”

The premise behind it is brilliantly simple: There is a tray-like RFID reader which you attach to your computer via USB port. And included with the reader are a couple of RFID tags, which you [...]

In the past couple of years, it seems that ATMs have made huge strides in usability. The monster ATM of today, with all its blinking lights, dedicated slots, OCR of check amounts, etc. is a far cry from the screen with eight soft keys that was the norm a couple years back, and can still [...]

I had an eye-opening experience on the way in to work this morning.
As I was exiting the building throughout the revolving door, there was someone else coming in at the same time; she had a suitcase and was awkwardly trying to simultaneously push the door, while still moving herself forward and making sure that her [...]

Here’s a photo of the watercooler we have at work:

Seems simple and harmless enough. Each chute is clearly labeled. There are good affordances for where to place your cup.
But the first couple times I used this machine, I had a really hard time figuring out how the heck it worked. I’d put my cup in [...]

Project 10 to the 100 is an initiative by Google to help save the world. And not to go all Chicken Little, but it’s becoming painfully clear that the world does need saving
 
As part of their ten year birthday celebration They’ve earmarked $10,000,000 to fund up to five projects with the potential to have [...]

I recently read the book “The World Without Us” by Alan Weisman. I found it to be simultaneously inspiring, depressing, heart-wrenching and wondrous. I highly recommend reading it. It really will change the way you look at the world.
Since reading it, I experience little pangs of sadness every time I see a squirrel scampering around [...]

My girlfriend and I were coming back from the grocery store yesterday at around 10 pm and saw quite a frenzy of cop cars and people on where Clinton, Milwaukee and Fulton streets intersect (we live about a quarter block form there). We asked someone what was going on and she said that Barack Obama [...]

Want to asplode neurons you didn’t know you even had? Then play this awesome little game called Z-Rox. It is super-challenging and will make you think really hard.  When’s the last time you had to do that? It will make you cock your head and squint your eyes and scrunch up your face and bite your lip [...]