The Art of the Possible : Books

Making a product that matters

dsumner — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 23:46:58 GMT

I’ve been reading “Design Matters: How great designs will make people love your company” by Robert Brunner and Stewart Emery.

Its an interesting text, though it does come over a little strong in the Apple/Jobs fan boy department.

Perhaps the observation that struck a cord with me the most was the concept of “mattering”.Does your product matter to someone?

There is a reference to Microsoft in the text, in terms that Microsoft software is used by millions of people everyday, only a small percentage would see that software as mattering to them. Its seen more as a utility.

Software can matter to people – Facebook matters, Twitter matters, Instant Messenger matters etc. People genuinely care about what such software does, it becomes intrinsic in their lives.

So how do you make your software matter?

Well that clearly comes from the experience your software enables not the software itself. I’m no experience designer but if you find this area interesting looking into the work of our Principle Researcher for Design at Microsoft, Bill Buxton might be a starting point.

Weekend: Books

dsumner — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:05:52 GMT

I have to admit to being a bit of book fiend. I just can’t walk past a bookshop without going in. I always seem to have a want list, and Christmas always gives me the excuse to go, sometimes literally, for larger volumes.

The first one is certainly the largest book I now own. It is certainly not bedtime reading material, and commands an entire desk for its reading.

The Le Corbusier book Le Grand is a massive volume in every sense of the word. It also presents a fantastic level of detail into the workings of one of the greatest design visionaries of the 20th Century. I am no book reviewer, but if you have any interest in Architecture or design, it really is worth a look.

I was also very lucky to pick up in LA a copy of Guy Bourdin beautiful two volume set – A Message For You. I love the photographic work of Guy Bourdin, he has never achieved the notoriety of many other famous photographers.

His work is so colorful and imaginative, full of narrative and intrigue. Its astonishing that the majority of the work was done in the 70s, without a hint of Photoshop.

The two other physically lighter volumes I picked up were:

Truman Capote- In Cold Blood

and the mind bending:

Michio Kaku – Physics of the Impossible.

Well you can’t say I don’t have diverse interests!, happy reading!

The Neglected Blog

dsumner — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 02:45:52 GMT

Well I have to admit to some failure in my ability to update and maintain this blog. The biggest sin in blogging appears to be failing to blog regularly. Really , I have tried! But I don't have a job with any real regular pattern to it, and I can easily find myself in different part of the country every day of the week.

I am also conscious about what I write. It just seems too easy to cut and paste a few links and say 'what do you think about that?' I don't think that adds value at all and devalues the purpose. surely one should be adding some thought or commentary.

I am also being more fastidious as I have been reading

What I talk about when I talk about running- Haruki Murakami

Murakami is one of my favourite authors.His style is very hard to explain. It always a first person narrative, and its deceptively simple. Its like sliding on very polished marble. Its beautifully smooth, it feels effortless but you know an awful lot of effort went into producing it.

His latest book, is even more humbling for me, as he writes about his running. He s very modest about his running, but the man can run! a marathon every year! 62 miles in day ! triathlons! It really is a demonstration of will. As he did with writing where he simply just started writing one day, the same is with running, he simply started running one day.

What impresses me the most is how he finds time to do this, plus all is other works. How he is so self disciplined and meticulous in what he does. Apart from the obvious benefits of exercise it also does help focus the mind , particularly as you grow older. The challenge of simply having the same drive you has when you were younger needs a degree of discipline and focus and somehow that can be be archived through physical effort.

Somehow i need to create a pattern in my own life that allows this physical effort and drive the production of better more steady work.

So how does this make me a better blogger? I am not really sure, I will have to work on it, you will be my judge.