Thermostats ask us what temperature we would like. Maybe that's the wrong question and they should simply ask us if we are warm, cold, or comfortable.
I love my Kindle. When I got it years back it was a revelation. It is a nearly invisible piece of technology, in part because the battery lasts for weeks. But the timing of the low battery warning leaves something to be desired.
At long last the nutrition label is getting a makeover. The new information will be an asset, but the numbers-first design is still uninformative to people who can't visualize what 10 grams looks like. Here is a visual approach to helping people understand what they're eating.
I've been thinking lately that government could use a dose of design, namely two concepts: empathy, and prototyping.
Thermostats ask us what temperature we would like. Maybe that's the wrong question and they should simply ask us if we are warm, cold, or comfortable.
I love my Kindle. When I got it years back it was a revelation. It is a nearly invisible piece of technology, in part because the battery lasts for weeks. But the timing of the low battery warning leaves something to be desired.
I've always loved graphs, as they are so effective at taking complex ideas and conveying them simply. As I was thinking recently about the relationship between the effort I put into something and the output I get as a result, a few different graphs came to mind. the "80/20" rule has been talked about a lot--the idea that there are diminishing returns to your extra efforts. But are all activities like this? I don't think so.
Warning signs and labels are everywhere these days, protecting us from ourselves in ways most probably never thought would be necessary. "Careful, the beverage you're about to enjoy is extremely hot" is one of my favorites. Thanks for the heads-up, Starbucks! Because of their ubiquity it's easy to become desensitized and not take them as seriously as perhaps we should.
While on vacation several years ago in Kauai I discovered a few signs that were hard to ignore.
At long last the nutrition label is getting a makeover. The new information will be an asset, but the numbers-first design is still uninformative to people who can't visualize what 10 grams looks like. Here is a visual approach to helping people understand what they're eating.
I've been thinking lately that government could use a dose of design, namely two concepts: empathy, and prototyping.
Appreciating the finer design details in life, like the orientation of a dress shirt's bottom button hole
The word "diet" has come to describe what we don't eat, more than what we do eat. Let's flip that around and pay more attention to what we do eat than what we don’t.
