Self_Titled

Saw this site called Self_Titled today and thought it was really interesting. It has been a while since I have seen a unique interface and this definitely qualifies.

A different take on stock image search

One of the designers I work with sent me a link to this new Japanese stock photo site. It is an interesting new take on this old genre that is a grind for anyone in advertising. You view the images in a mosaic format where they slowly scroll up the screen or you can switch to more traditional thumbnail layout. This is the kind of thinking and innovation I wish we would see out of Corbis or GettyOne. Maybe it's like cell phones where the Japanese get the cool stuff first and we will see it in three years.

Gucci thinks Flash is out of style

I saw where Gucci recently re-launch their website. At first glance, the site has a slick scrolling interface but if you look closer you will see that the site does not contain one piece of Flash. I have been wrestling with how to create Flash like sites without Flash myself for the past few months. For all of the advances Flash has made over the years the fact remains that it is still invisible to search engine spiders. There are solutions but they always involve creating a Flash site and then do other things to make it visible to search engines.

So I find the Gucci site so impressive not because of the design but because the transitions and movement are all done with JavaScript and a little CSS. The fact that all the elements on the page are standard HTML drastically decreases the load time and increases usability since no third party player is required to view the content.

We Laid Them Off in 2000, Now We Can't Afford Them

In light of my recent switch in employment and many of my friends doing the same I found this article entitled "Digital-Talent Dearth Breeds Crisis" in Advertising Age very interesting.

Yang Rutherford

I had an extraordinary experience in December 2004 when I traveled to Hong Kong for business. I was there to pitch a site re-design for a very large Hong Kong based airline and the experience changed my design work forever. It was extremely eye opening to see that my design work for the "World Wide" web has really been based in a narrow North American centric point of view. It was also amazing to see just how much incredible design work was being done in Hong Kong in advertising, graphic design, architecture, product design and so much more. I found another great example today in Yang Rutherford. The site uses photos as well as any site I have seen and their clean and beautiful branding and design work stands out from a crowd. Take the time to check it out.

IKEA Elevator

Saw this site from IKEA in Sweden today. I have no idea what it says but the use of video and the elevator concept is pretty cool.

Diesel Heaven - successful afterliving

A friend of mine sent me a link to the new Deisel site called Diesel Heaven. The site is kind of a paradox since some elements are very well done but others just seems clumbsy. The site is hosted by a woman named Delia who guides you through the site experience. She created with full motion video and is created is one of the best examples of integrating video into Flash outside of the Vodafone sites. Unfortunately even this great work can not save the site from some big usability problems.

The first problem is that is seems that the designers only thought that people would visit this site once so quickly getting to site content is impossible. There was a content section I really liked and wanted to show to one of my co-designers so I pulled up the site and had to wait through the opening video and menu intro before I could even get the main menu to choose the content area I wanted to show him.

This leads me to the next problem which is that the main menu. The opening of the site uses technology so well but the main menu lets the production technique get in the way of the usability. I have seen menus that have used 'previous' and 'next' buttons effectively but they usually provide the user with several key things - context, alternatives and labels. When you put your current position in menu in context then you have some idea of how many options there are and you know when you have seen everything. Give the user the option of seeing a full menu so if they want to jump to a specific position they do have to hunt and scroll through the menu to get what they want. Finally, let the user see what the other item are when they are on the screen and not force them to move each item to the middle of the screen before they can see what it is.

In the end it is frustrating to see a site that has such potential get tripped up the over use of production techniques. This problem keeps the site from becoming one of the great examples of immersive web experiences like what you have seen in the Vodafone sites.

BBC1 launches MusicCubes

The rise of the iPod and other digital media has been sent the numbers of young people listening to the radio plummeting. Our friends across the pond at the BBC have not been immune to this problem as 25% of teenagers in the U.K. consume absolutely nothing from the BBC.

Agency Republic has launched a new site called MusicCubes which is a site that rather than just listen to streams of the shows, the listener can pick the content they want, play it when they want and access it when they want. Listeners go to radio1musicubes.co.uk and assemble cubes featuring specific genres of music into towers. The listener can then put their tower into their MySpace or Bebo and share them with their friends. The brilliance of this idea is that rather than expecting the consumer to come to them for content, the BBC is taking the music to the virtual spaces where people congregate.

Domain names gone horribly wrong

All of these are legitimate companies dealing in regular products and services, but they clearly didn't take the time to think their domain names through. ALL these websites actually exist, selling something totally benign and work-safe, in case you're wondering.

1. A site called 'Who Represents' where you can find the name of the agent that represents a celebrity.
www.whorepresents.com

2. Experts Exchange, a knowledge base where programmers can Exchange advice and views at
www.expertsexchange.com

3. Looking for a pen? Look no further than Pen Island at
www.penisland.net

4. Need a therapist? Try Therapist Finder at
www.therapistfinder.com

5. Then of course, there's the Italian Power Generator company -
www.powergenitalia.com

6. And now, we have the Mole Station Native Nursery, based in New South Wales:
www.molestationnursery.com

7. If you're looking for computer software, there's always
www.ipanywhere.com

8. Then, of course, there's these brainless art designers, and their whacky website:
www.speedofart.com

9. Want to holiday in Lake Tahoe? Try their brochure website at
www.gotahoe.com

Thanks to Caleb Wills for taking some time out his busy schedule of impersonating Hillman Curtis to send this over.

Bold Moves from Ford

These days every communication that comes out of any major company is so overly polished and thought out that consumers have all become extreme skeptics. Came into sharp focus yet again for me today when I came across Bold Moves which is a new microsite from Ford. The site is a weekly updated video documentary series that takes you inside Ford as it attempts one of the largest corporate turnarounds in history. It is a sad state of affairs that these days it is an amazingly courageous initiative for ANY company to put out a large amount of content that feels real and meaningful and tries to engage consumers in a real dialogue. Only time will tell if they will keep this authenticity but it will be interesting to watch.

Helvetica - The Movie

I came across one of the more interesting movie teasers I had seen in a long time for a new documentary called Helvetica. The film is about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. It looks at the proliferation of the typeface as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives. The film is an exploration of urban spaces in major cities and the type that inhabits them, and a fluid discussion with renowned designers about the choices and aesthetics behind their use of type. The film was shot in the United States, England, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, France and Belgium. Interviewees in Helvetica include some of the most illustrious and innovative names in the design world, including Erik Spiekermann, Matthew Carter, Massimo Vignelli, Wim Crouwel, Hermann Zapf, Stefan Sagmeister, Michael Bierut, Jonathan Hoefler, Tobias Frere-Jones, Experimental Jetset, Michael C. Place, Norm, APFEL, Pierre Miedinger, Bruno Steinert, Otmar Hoefer, Rick Poynor, Lars Muller, and more. It is currently in post-production and is slated to begin screening at film festivals worldwide starting in early 2007.

NewWebPick.com E-Zines

If you haven't seen it already go over and check out NewWebPick.com E-Zines. They are up to their fifth issue and it is the only digital magazine I have found that is very well designed and actually has quality content. You can download a 80 page free version of their fifth issue or pay a measly $1.49 for the 400 page version. Download it now

Back to NYC

Just an FYI that I may not be able to post as regularly as I would like over the next few weeks as I have decided to pack up the wife and dog to leave Dallas and head back north to New York City. Beginning September 5th I will be taking the new Interactive Creative Director position with Starwood Hotels and Resorts. So look for great things from there in the near future and I will try and post my usual mix of stuff as often as possible.

World Trade Center

For years I have been a very outspoken critic of web sites and video games that support major motion picture releases. It always seems that millions of dollars are spent on crafting imaginative and fun movies but the web sites that promote them are flat and boring. One recent exception was the site for Tim Burton's Corpse Bride which was probably a better experience then the actual movie.

I recently took some time and went through the new site for Oliver Stone's new movie World Trade Center. I have to confess that this subject matter is still really hard for me to deal with because it is not just something I experienced from a distance on CNN. Two of my roommate in college and best friends narrowly escaped with their lives on September 11th. One of my roommates is a member of NYC SWAT and was n the second tower when the first one fell and he barely escaped the second tower before it fell. My very best friend and the best man at my wedding was a producer for FOX news at the time and he only escaped by hiding under a car with his camera man when the first tower fell. I spent days after September 11th trying desperately to find out if they were alive. I could not watch any of the news coverage as it was just too hard since I didn't know if my friends were alive. I am still haunted by those days and know that I am extremely blessed that they both survived that day.

The moment I will always remember came weeks later when I was able to return to New York to see my best friend who was the producer for FOX. We met for drinks in the evening and were catching up and making small talk when he picked up my new cell phone to admire it. I picked up his phone and saw that it was covered in a fine white dirt. I asked him why his phone was such a mess. He looked at me and said "It is dust from the Trade Center collapse. I haven't had time to get a new phone since 9-11." It sounds dramatic but it sent a chill into my soul. Something about touching even such a small piece of the tower is a moment I will never forget.

The site is an artful blend of large photography and a lot of video to create a very immersive experience. The interface is simple enough and lets you easily access all of the content. The best content in the site is the "In Their Own Words" section which is 24 video testimonials from NYC police and fire first responders. I hope that the quality of the site is a sign that the movie will do justice to those who list their lives on that terrible day.

10 Years of Flash

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Flash, The FWA in conjunction with Adobe is hosting a poll to establish what was the most influential Flash site in the past 10 years. The poll is set-up by year and the final winner should represent the true Flash pioneer of the past 10 years. Head over there now and vote for your favorites.

10 Years of Flash

How Edison are you?

My friends over at Firstborn Multimedia in New York City have launched a cool new site called How Edison Are You?. The site is for the Thomas Edison Innovation Foundation and is a showcase today's modern day technology have their roots in his innovations. The site has an interesting and unique circular interface that is able to maintain good usability. I like the fact that they didn't dumb down the interface and it is geared for someone who internet savvy. But is it just me or does the "E" logo in the middle of the interface look like a close relative of the Microsoft Internet Explorer logo?

Lego 1984

OK this was too cool not to share. PodBrix is a company that takes Legos and handcrafts them into original Apple computer inspired toys. I first saw their work when they did a fantastic limited edition set they did of Steve Job giving the Apple keynote. They now have re-created the classic Apple 1984 Superbowl commercial complete with backlit screen. It is a limited edition so get it while you can.

Paint the town

You probably remember this commercial from Sony for their Bravia TV. The thousands of bouncing super balls going through the streets of San Francisco was certainly memorable and was a unique take on their tagline of "colour like no other".

I saw today that Sony and Fallon London are working on a second installment in Scotland with director Jonathan Glazer whose credits include music videos, commercial and the feature films Birth and Sexy Beast. This new commercial uses 70,000 litres of paint, 358 single bottle bombs, 33 sextuple air cluster bombs, 22 Triple hung cluster bombs, 268 mortars, 33 Triple Mortars, 22 Double mortars, 358 meters of weld, 330 meters of steel pipe and 57 km of copper wire to create and exploding raindow of paint. Check the site and crew's blog during the making of the commercial.

Cross media Gold Rush

It caught my attention today that Mark Burnett (the guy that created Survivor) and America Online launched an online only show today called "Gold Rush!". The show is a series of less than five minute long episodes which will start airing September 12th and are designed to have viewers participate in a real-life treasure hunt that involves television, mobile and online. The show will only run only at goldrush.aol.com and will supposed to cause people to race to find $1,000,000 in gold hidden in the U.S. guided by clues that initially will be placed throughout AOL properties as AOL.com, AIM.com, Moviefone.com and MapQuest.com but are expected to appear in other media, like TV too. It is the first show I have ever seen like this and is a very interesting use of multiple mediums. We will see how it goes when it launches in a month and a half.