“Regular readers of my articles know that I have no qualms or fear of offering criticism. Criticism is a vital component in what we do and in how we learn. In fact, critical evaluation is mandatory in design work. Without approaching, or at least finishing, every step of our work with a critical eye the results are likely worthless. And we’ve much to learn from what design criticism can teach us. Yet the more articles and criticism responses I read, the more I’m led to believe that too many designers misunderstand criticism.”
Web Standards Design + Development
The purpose of the Web Standards Design + Development group is to form a strong network of individuals who have taken the initiative to become craftsmen of their trade. Today it is a list of names, tomorrow it will be a force for good…
A physicist on the "Lessig style"
“Many have asked me about my Keynote (it is not PowerPoint) presentation style. I honestly don’t have much to say about it, as I’ve not thought it through. But Chris Tunnell, a researcher on the SNO neutrino physics experiment has, and he sent me his thoughts about how and why (and whether) the style works based on his own experience using it for physics presentations. Read about it in the extended entry.”
VizThink gathering in Austin… plus workshops in Chicago and New York
As of this moment, there are only five spots left for the VizThink Austin gathering happening April 30!
And you can still sign up for the Dave Gray/Karl Gude workshops happening in Chicago and New York the first week of May.
XPLANE in Fortune Small Business — Gateway to Europe: Starting small in Spain
Here’s an excerpt from an FSB article by Melanie Haiken: “With Old World charm and a modern approach to encouraging entrepreneurship, Madrid is winning over businesses seeking a European presence.”
“It has a low cost of living and a high quality of life,” says Aric Wood, 37, CEO of design consulting firm XPLANE, based in Portland, Ore. “You can attract people from all over Europe. Everybody wants to move to Madrid.”
XPLANE, which has 57 U.S. employees, opened a Madrid office in January 2007. Wood accelerated the process by acquiring a smaller Spanish design firm.
That turned out to be a smart move for XPLANE, whose revenues increased 70% last year, to $5.4 million. Much of the growth came from European clients, Wood says. XPLANE doubled the size of its Madrid staff from six to 12 in the first year.
XPLANE’s graphic communications campaigns require a lot of face time. Few of its European clients, which include BP (BP) and InterContinental Hotels (IHG), are based in Spain. But Madrid “makes a fabulous jumping-off point for all of Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa,” says Wood — not to mention the Spanish-speaking world of Latin America.
Luxury Type
“I’d like to encourage designers to open their mind and consider using some of the other typefaces that are often pre-installed on computers these days. There really are some great choices that are being completely ignored. Granted, not every user is going to have them, but those who do will get an enhanced experience, and those who don’t will be just fine, so long as you specify appropriate alternates (as in MOSe).
Let us compile a list of useable typefaces that we can count on being installed at least some of the time — as well as good alternates for them that are more reliable. Here’s a few I came up with. I think you’ll notice that there are not only some great faces here, but even some that are considered classics or essentials.”
The Art of the Title Sequence
A blog dedicated to quality, not quantity… …oh, and title sequences and their respective designers. And maybe some other stuff.
Someday.
Starting the CEO Search
“There’s a lot of activity around Adaptive Path these days. With the impending release of our book Subject to Change, our upcoming events rapidly selling out, our growing presence in Austin, and our expanding range of interesting projects for clients around the world — there’s more going on here than ever.
Right now, all three of us (Peter, Jesse, and Bryan) work as a team to keep Adaptive Path growing culturally, creatively, and financially. But with all the opportunities opening up for the company, we’ve decided the time is right to add a new perspective to the mix. That’s why we’re announcing today that we’re on the lookout for a CEO to add to our executive team.”
