A framework for designers

Jeff Croft write at ALA:

These days, “framework” is quite a buzzword in web development. With JavaScript frameworks like the Yahoo User Interface library, jQuery, and Prototype getting a lot of attention and web application frameworks like Rails and Django getting even more, it seems like everyone is using some kind of framework to build their sites. But what exactly is a framework? And are they only useful to programmers, or can we web designers benefit from the concept, as well?

Microsoft introduces Surface.

With Bill Buxton at Microsoft, you had to expect a Multi-touch computing platform to be announced soon. Well, here it is MS Milan, AKA Surface. Here are some press around the release:

Larry Larsen has a first look
USA Today article
USA Today Flash Presentation

IXDA.Beta

The Interaction Design Association has launched a beta version of its new site and it does look quite nice. The new site will allow a significantly better experience for the community, including tagging of content, customized RSS feeds, browsing by topics and the ability to share information about yourself with the community...

EyePoint

Now that was a a rather long absence from blogging and after my trip I got a bit caught up in work...

Now, this is something interesting that caught my eye, rather literally. EyePoint is a project by Manu Kumar, Andreas Paepcke and Terry Winograd at Stanford which uses the user's gaze to augment mouse based interactions. This is something I have found wanting especially when working with design tools on a multi-monitor setup. I usually have the screen set on one screen and the tools on the other and having to move from screen to other does take a long time, if the system were to use my gaze to make predictive cursor movement.

You can check out the website which has a YouTube video on it, and also read the paper on it...

What does it take to be a design manager?

Erin Malone has a great post on design management and what it takes to be one. These are more practical points that she brings to the fore, and gives pointers to people aspiring to be one, maybe a follow up on some of the nuances of design management would be nice...

PS: You should also read Christina Wodtke on the possible choices you have...

Book Review: The design of sites

The design of sites: Patterns, principles and process for crafting customer-centered web experience is a great book on web site design patterns. It starts of with some of the basics of user-centered design (customer-centered as the authors prefer to call it) and goes on to describe some of the common web patterns. Since this is pre-Web 2.0 book there is nothing describing AJAX interaction patterns, however the core set of patterns ranging from navigational patterns to layout and error handling patterns hold good even in the web 2.0 era. It may have less of a value for experienced professionals but it is an invaluable asset to people starting out in web based interaction design. Also for people not familiar with design, can get a good primer into good design practices. Also, if you are designer, working for a manager who does not understand design, this book makes a great gift...