designburn

Great Spaces

One trend over the last 10-15 years is the importance companies are placing on creating unique work environments that not only promote the company brand but enhance productivity among its employees. I worked with web development company WebSprockets to create the "Great Office Spaces" web site to allow companies to showcase their creative and engaging environments. Anyone can easily post an office that they feel is worthy of the site. All visitors can then vote on those environments that they like best. We kept the interface very clean and the functionality pretty simple so that the pictures can speak for themselves. We hope you enjoy this site. I also hope to be telling you about another social networking site that we plan to launch in January 2008.

Oh Tesla!

I have been following alternative energy sources for a number of years because I am invested in Valence Technology, a company that makes Lithium Phosphate batteries. While the company has some small wins such as being selected to power Segway Personal Transporters, it just hasn't caught any real traction in the market yet. One reason is that the automtive industry as a whole is fighting the change in my opinion because they do not want to abandon their gas-guzzling cash cows.

I think what Tesla Motors has created may be a game and industry changer. It is called the Tesla Roadster and can do what is noted on the above graphic. It does have a base price of $98,000, but for what you get it clearly beats all other high-end sports cars and is good for the environment. The overall design and attention to detail is awesome. I especially like the fact that there are no handles. It has a touchpad located in the shoulder intake duct that releases the latches. It's one powerful car that will change the industry.

Feature Rich?

I came across this post by Jason Fried on their blog "Signal vs. Noise" which I felt was extremely well said about number of features and its balance for software. Why would I post something about software on my blog. Because, designing for the online environment go hand and hand with software development. We as designers should constantly refine interfaces so that they make the site (or product) easy to navigate thus creating a more pleasing and rewarding user experience. Many times we are at the mercy of clients saying add this or add that after the requirements have been established and design interface approved. Well said Jason and some great comments that follow. (I should note that I met Jason at an AIGA event in Indianapolis and he is certainly one of the leading online development voices of our time.)

A Designer Exposed

Dan McElhattan III sent me this Ad that he created in response to us interviewing him for designerID. (Read the interview.) Those people familiar with our recent Ad campaign will appreciate Dan's ability to adhere to our brand look and feel. Dan is the Director of Business Development for CDI Studios in Las Vegas. Dan is a person that makes things happen and this Ad is the most recent example of leveraging the interview for some additional PR. He's also a good guy and one that absolutely loves all things Las Vegas.

Smirnoff - Viral Music Video Ads

Here are some very well produced and targeted music video ads by Smirnoff that appear to have launched on YouTube and is supported by banner advertising as well. Congrats to the agency that put this effort together - well done. Enjoy.

Good Viral Rugby Ads

The New Zealanders have come up with some very well written, animated and nicely produced spots to promote rugby  and upcoming events. The posted video is one of the clean ones. They have about 4 others that are a bit on the rude side - you can view those on the Alternative Rugby Commentary web site (click videos). Enjoy and "Get Your Black On."

Social Networking For Designers.

Daniel Schutzsmith recently asked if I would be interested in writing an article for his online publication "Graphic Define". I took him up on the offer and submitted an article on social networking for designers.

Here's his intro: "Brian Hock, co-founder of the design centered social network Designer ID provides a thorough list of why designers should embrace social networks, how you can use them to your full advantage, and provides a list of some of the most popular ones. Despite the assumptions you might already possess about social networking, the truth is that it has come a long way from the early days of Friendster and the more recently plagued MySpace. I personally agree wholeheartedly with Brian's suggestions and if you do some of your own research you'll notice that I am on many of the popular professional networks out there such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and LinkedIn."

Ironman. I Will Do This.

This is what is driving me now. Driving me to get up every morning and swim, bike and run. I will be in the best shape of my life come this time next year. More details will follow in the coming months as the plans are crystallized. For now it is train, train and train some more.