This brings me to a problem that we've been noodling on for several years, and to my mind, it still a critical open question. So when you're trying to build these end-user extensible, digital document systems, there's a few desiderata that you want: You want to be very fast. You want to be safe, in the sense of, end users aren't going to be... See more
For the people who’ve figured out the right incantations to type and buttons-buried-in-submenus to click, computers can automate administrivia, surface information, and make them feel “more fully participant in the future”. But getting there is an arduous journey, and many people get in a place where computers just make things harder. The... See more
If we can add Feel to the humble checkbox, imagine what it could do for apps that aid in personal connections or creativity. Many of us make the mistake in thinking of the apps we design as public spaces—drawing inspiration from the rationality of airport signage or the deference of an art gallery. We completely forget that these experiences are... See more
This screen-centric visual experience has a lot going on: photographs and videos and vector graphics and overlapping chat windows pressed up together with spreadsheets and reminders that updates are ready to install if only I’d let them. It’s the everything-screen! And so I feel called to frame and claim and digest it all. I have limited control... See more
Why not just publish paper books? If we decided to publish paper books, we would have to: find money, set up logistics, and accept the loss of connection with the book.
For without trust in a technology or platform, how can we be expected to commit? When the stewards of our systems don’t feel fully invested, how can we be expected to fully back them?
Why put "expandable explanations" in your writing?1. The reader can get the background information they need – just-in-time, not just-in-case – all without: a) you re-explaining the basics for every article, or b) your reader breaking the flow of reading by clicking a link to yet another article.2. So your reader can tailor your article to their... See more