dCamp Bangalore

dCamp Bangalore just got over and it was great to see 75 participants take part in the first ever design un-conference in this parts of the world. I gave a short presentation which is up on slideshare, here:

What is the answer to life, the universe and everything?

Believe it or not, Google Calculator one box knows the answer. As also it does for mundane answers like what is the current exchange rate for the dollar in India

Official Google Blog: Google Labs India

Google Labs India has launched two products, namely the Indic On-screen Keyboard and Indic Transliteration. Google would like to know what you think of this early stage products, so drop a note here. Personally I would also like to know what you think, do leave a comment with your thoughts :)

Orkut celebrates India Independence day

http://en.blog.orkut.com/2007/08/happy-independence-day-india.html

16 data visualization tools

From navigating the Web in entirely new ways to seeing where in the world twitters are coming from, data visualization tools are changing the way we view content. Mashable found the following 16 apps both visually stunning and delightfully useful.

Bloomberg Re-design

What if the sacred Bloomberg Terminals underwent a re-design? This portfolio.com article explores the possibility, along with three re-design exercises by some top design companies.

NY Times class us 'Technology's Untanglers'

According to this article (requires signup):

"Sometimes there is a huge disconnect between the people who make a product and the people who use it. The creator of a Web site may assume too much knowledge on the part of users, leading to confusion. Software designers may not anticipate user behavior that can unintentionally destroy an entire database. Manufacturers can make equipment that inadvertently increases the likelihood of repetitive stress injuries. Enter the usability professional, whose work has recently developed into a solid career track, driven mostly by advancements in technology."

Evolution of apple product design

A chart showing all of Apple products right from Apple 1 to the iPhone...

http://tofslie.com/work/apple_evolution.jpg

Tufte on Jaegerman

Here's what Tufte has to say:

Megan Jaegerman produced some of the best news graphics ever while working at The New York Times from 1990 to 1998. Her work is smart, finely detailed, elegant, witty, inventive, informative. A fierce researcher and reporter, she writes gracefully and precisely. Megan has the soul of a news reporter, who happens to use graphs, tables, and illustrations--as well as words--to explain the news. Her best work is the best work in news graphics.

Tog on iPhone

Tog seems to like the iPhone going by this review...

Pioneering a User Experience Process

A good post by Amy Hillman on B&A:

"Creating a User Experience (UX) process can be a very rewarding journey; it can also be a nightmare if approached from the wrong angle. Initiating a culture-shift, overhauling existing processes, evangelizing, strategizing, and educating is an enormous undertaking. Often it’s a lonely path the UX advocate walks, especially if you are the only one who is driving that change from within the company. But that path is ripe with opportunities to improve your company’s product creation process, as well as the product itself."

Human-to-Human design

Help your audience fall in love with you by moving beyond human-to-computer interfaces and embracing human-to-human design says Sharon Lee at A List Apart...