“Yet we are terrified that in the digital age, people are constantly distracted. That they’re shallower, lazier, more dazzled. If they are, then the text is not speaking clearly enough. We are not speaking clearly enough. Like over-stuffed attendees at a dull banquet, the mind wanders. We are terrified that people are dumbing down, and so we provide them with ever dumber entertainment. We sell them ever greater distractions, hoping to dazzle them further.”

October 5, 2011

design / writing

“Just as your office building needs a fire drill, your communications strategy needs an emergency plan. Every site or service will fail eventually; it’s only a matter of when or how. An emergency communications strategy ensures you know where the exits are, when and how to take them, and where it’s safe to assemble while the fire rages, so that you can act quickly and confidently—even under pressure.”

October 4, 2011

a list apart / business / writing

“Here’s a few case studies that illustrate how the removal, clarity, and even indication of requirements can have a real impact on form conversion.”

October 4, 2011

design / forms / usability

Julie Clawson reflects on the lack of truth and reconciliation that has occurred in the United States, compared to Canada’s recent endeavors and South Africa’s famous post-apartheid commission.

September 30, 2011

activism / julie clawson / politics

“We keep the Agnus Dei firmly in view. And we allow God to rage.”

September 30, 2011

bible / eschatology / new testament / revelation / richard-beck / theology

“There is a price to asking the wrong questions. When conducting user research, the most valuable moments are limited times that the team spends with each participant. It’s important to make every second count.”

September 29, 2011

design / usability / user experience

“SMACSS is a way to examine your design process and as a way to fit those rigid frameworks into a flexible thought process. It’s an attempt to document a consistent approach to site development when using CSS.”

September 27, 2011

css / design

Experimental Theology: Love Wins: Part 6, Winning, But Not Like Charlie Sheen

September 23, 2011

eschatology / psychology / richard-beck / rob bell / theology / universalism

Richard Beck explains where he disagrees with Rob Bell’s Love Wins, and the conditionalism that Bell, C.S. Lewis, and countless others have espoused. As I’ve said before, he makes a compelling argument and it needs to be properly understood if universalism is going to be a real discussion, regardless of agreement or disagreement with it.

Editing tips for designers : Cennydd Bowles

September 20, 2011

design / writing

Designers know well that we often miss problems until we review our intended solutions. Similarly, we may think we have a clear argument until the blank page forces us to find the right language to describe it. Therefore, just as we appreciate the power of iteration in design, we should embrace the power of editing.

A List Apart: Articles: Banishing Your Inner Critic

September 20, 2011

a list apart / creativity / design

The inner critic is an unconscious deterrent that stands between the seeds of great ideas and the fruits of achievement, making you hate your designs, giving you “writer’s block” as your deadline looms, keeping you stuck in a project’s initial thinking stage because something isn’t quite right.