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Opening the Scope of Influences - Design Blog

2010-09-04T20:59:28Z

It's easy to get lost online. You can look up nearly anything and find tons of inspiration to get things done. For creative types, I think the Internet is a blessing and a curse.

Sure, you can instantly find (debatable) answers for any questions, and you can look up reference material for any subject. But like most media, the 'net is susceptible to trends and collective hysteria. Search engines, site loyalty/familiarity, marketing tactics, and relevance based on everyone's syndication of their thoughts... all of these encourage users to trod the well-worn path and hinder aimless surfing--probably the best way to find true inspiration when online.

Most of my work these days is web-based. Successful developers must be able to balance keeping neck-in-neck with contemporaries and innovation. How do you do this without just copying others?

First, disconnect. If you spend a lot of time online, so much of what you see has infiltrated your subconscious. Let it stew there without adding more web input.

Check out other media. Seeing a conceptual film (or obnoxious visual effects-heavy blockbuster) can spark new ideas, as can flipping through interior design, bridal, or craft magazines. Curse of the Golden Flower on Blu-Ray remains a color inspiration since I first watched it, and Real Simple and ReadyMade are ongoing sources of clever solutions.

Connect with bright people. Good conversation with creative thinkers can give you new perspectives on solving design and development challenges. "Creative thinkers" doesn't necessarily mean artists; scientists, historians, musicians, engineers, and writers can be great sources of new information. My friend Julie is not only a designer, but also a cosmology fiend; her interest in physics drove her to create Particle Zoo.

Get in touch with nature. It is possible to get burned out on techie-dom. The colors and shapes encountered on a hike, trip to the beach, or scenic drive can provide an arsenal of ideas. I realized while traveling through New Mexico around dusk that the term "Southwest colors" is derived from a natural thing.

Make something... else. Take time to create things outside your main focus. Take some photos, paint something, take on a woodworking project, or cook. One of my favorite color combinations--cream, pale yellow, salmon, and periwinkle--was taken from a favorite recipe (seafood bread made of sourdough, butter, salmon, and shrimp).

Consistency and Carrying a Theme - Design Blog

2010-08-21T18:27:14Z

One pillar of effective marketing is consistency. Presenting a business or product in the same way serves two purposes: First, it repeats the image made on the viewer to increase brand recognition; secondly, it provides an impression that the business is established.

How often have you seen a business card that doesn't match the corresponding website... or office signage... or ad content? This is a common problem when a business doesn't establish its image goals upfront, and/or when it grows too quickly and needs to fulfill media requirements without adequate support to do it right. On the other hand, can you imagine ever seeing a Pepsi, McDonald's, or Nike ad where the logo isn't correct or text is set in Microsoft Word default typefaces? Not likely. All of these mega-corps have had decades to work through their brand issues and regularly dedicate substantial portions of their budgets to address how to carry a theme throughout print, web, and television materials.

Last week, I was invited to go to a premiere event for Eat Pray Love. Unless you've been sleeping under a rock for the past few weeks, you've seen so many cross-promotions for the movie that you're probably sick of them. What do you think of? Maybe Julia Roberts eating gelato with a sideways glance? The filmmakers have carefully limited the printed images to variations of this. It won't spoil anything to mention that the movie is set in Italy, India, and Bali. The event I went to offered Italian appetizers and gelato, yoga demonstrations, and exotic perfumed candles. Without saying the title every two minutes, the parallels to the movie couldn't be missed--and this idea was expanded into tons of cross-promotional events, services, and products (all in-line with the movie's theme). The movie will make serious bank, not only because Julia Roberts sells tickets, but also because the overarching theme (and related merchandising) that sweeps up the romantic, sentimental, and spiritual desires of a demographic and compels them to spend money to have a small piece of it.

I often say that I provide a "shortcut to professionalism" when I work with a new small business, because I help create the brand and know how to expand across several media. If you have a business and don't know what your image should be--or how you should execute something to fit within a current brand--contact me to discuss your requirements. I'm easy to talk to and happy to provide a free consultation.

Getting a Fresh Perspective - Design Blog

2010-08-06T15:26:00Z

Every once in awhile, design becomes a dreaded chore, because nothing seems to work or everything feels uninspired. Most people expect designers to be creative at all times, but just like any occupation, there are peaks and valleys to project navigation, skill level, and attitude about the work. Every designer (fashion, interior, graphic, and beyond...) goes through those valleys at times.

The bad part is not in having these moments of "un-designeriness;" rather, handling it well is the challenge. What are you supposed to do when you are in a design funk or feeling unmotivated to create? Assuming you do not want to stay in the Valley of Dullness:

Take a break. Getting stuck or becoming stagnant is often a byproduct of overworking the brain. A huge workload can be distracting enough to reduce the brainpower available for solving problems. Too many (poorly managed) demands and intimidating deadlines can cause enough stress to put the body in spaz-out mode, which is just no good for creativity. If you find yourself jetting between tons of projects but making little progress, drop everything and get away from the office. Take a walk, go for a swim, head to yoga, have a leisurely lunch with a friend, or meditate in a park. Tell yourself you will stay away from the office until you have noticed that you're no longer thinking about work.

Get inspired. Visit a museum, gallery, botanical garden... anything that will not only get your mind away from the work, but also serve as a garden of ideas. Colors and concepts may not register while you are observing them, but you are likely to see something that you will appreciate design-wise in the future--hopefully, in the immediate future when you return to work.

Ask for help. Lean on a trusted colleague to advise you about your current projects: What would he do? How would he manage his time? What would he tackle first? Is he seeing anything you are not? Consider hiring someone on a short-term basis to help with nagging tasks, such as phone calls and organization.

Get to work. In some cases, if motivation is high but creativity is low, simply going through the motions can help. If you have projects that needs to be done but do not think you are designing anything worthwhile, do the basics, leaving the design out of it: For example, work on website wireframes and organization rather than visual comps; after that, start all the necessary files you will need for comps (leaving them empty and establishing asset organization), then add plain text to indicate what goes where. Making your brain process the structure of a project may naturally segue into adding design.

RIP, Silver Lake Walking Man - Design Blog

2010-07-24T05:33:16Z

For the first three years we lived in Los Angeles, our home was on a hill in Los Feliz. Since we both worked from home, we often would go out to lunch or run errands during weekdays to avoid weekend congestion. (I don't know about you, but I'd much rather be hanging out in my pajamas on Saturday morning than navigating the loathsome parking situation at the Atwater Costco or Silver Lake Trader Joe's.)

One of the constants during our drives, walks, hikes, and jogs around the neighborhood was seeing "the walking man," a 50-something, skinny, tan walker (nearly always topless and wearing pink or light blue shorts) who seemed to be covering the neighborhood for hours everyday.

We learned over time that he was a local doctor credited with walking 10-30 miles per day, depending who you ask. Someone mentioned that he was crazy, but he sure seemed lucid while having Bluetooth conversations and reading a paper during his brisk pace. Someone else mentioned that he was a guy sickened by America's obesity problem and developed OCD, but I read an article that quoted him as saying he was a junk food junkie and walked to keep the weight off. (It worked.) Somewhere along the line, I found out he was Dr. Marc Abrams, a family-practice physician, husband, father, and Silver Lake resident for more than 20 years.

Time passed, and we moved to Thousand Oaks for a couple of years, then to our current home in Sherman Oaks. But whenever we went back to the old neighborhood--for Bo Bia at Gingergrass or chicken-and-mushroom crepes at Dusty's--we'd get a little kick out of seeing "the walking man" still at it, a reminder that Silver Lake remained Silver Lake despite the new crop of shops and building facades changing its look. Over the years, we have talked about this man who probably didn't even know we existed and have joked about the possibility of starting a walking group to shadow him--half as a gag, half as good exercise.

This week, Abrams was found dead in his Jacuzzi. There's a memorial walk planned for Sunday, during which attendees will retrace the steps most commonly trod by "the walking man." Maybe we'll get that half-gag, half-exercise experience after all.

50/50: Words & Images for Didi Menendez - Design Blog

2010-07-10T17:23:59Z

From Matthew Hittinger's blog:

Grace Cavalieri and April Carter Grant have edited a wonderful anthology from writers and artists who have been published by Didi Menéndez in MiPOesias magazine, OCHO, Poets and Artists (O&S), or individual books. Each piece is about or dedicated to Didi in celebration of her long-standing commitment to advancing print and web standards for independent publishing of poetry and art.

Here is the full list of contributors: Barbra Nightingale, Diego Quiros, Suzanne Frischkorn, Ivy Alvarez, Ron Androla, Nick Piombino, Holly Picano, Michael Parker, Meghan Punschke, Amy King, John Korn, Grady Harp, Jose Parra, David Lehman, Matthew Hittinger, Cheryl Townsend, Andrew Demcak, Bruce Covey, Luc Simonic, Diana Adams, Charles Jensen, Reb Livingston, Karen Hollingsworth, Melissa McEwen, Wiliam Stobb, Nick Carbo, Pris Campbell, Denise Duhamel, Edward Nudelman, Marie-Elizabeth Mali, Geoffrey Gatza, Emma Trelles, Miguel Murphy, Jeremy Baum, Kirk Curnutt, Michelle M. Buchanan, Evie Shockley, Dan Murano, LD Grant, April Carter Grant, Tony Trigilio

» Order your copy. All proceeds go toward Didi's future publishing efforts.

Artistic Freedom - Design Blog

2010-07-05T17:54:28Z

Independence Day is a time to celebrate all of the freedoms we US citizens enjoy. Thanks to some rebellious old dudes way back when, I don't have to believe in monarchy (and believe me, I don't) or cower in the corner when I disagree with something.

Freedom of speech fortunately extends to art, and it includes the individual thought that determines what art is. How nice! We can all just point at something and declare it art, and no one can throw us in prison for that. (However, you can be arrested for applying art to someone's property, so beware 'fore you go out and graffiti up the town.)

My work sometimes dips into risqué territory. For some people around the world, photos of girls in bikinis or illustrations of alcoholic drinks or websites for adult audiences are considered offensive, blasphemous, or pornographic. (My husband's fine art would probably be even more criticized.) Thank goodness we live in a society where we can create what we want and, generally speaking, publish it without worry of other citizens burning us at the stake even if they personally decide it's "inappropriate."

I recently read about a rising artist who was approached by the National Endowment of the Arts with an inquiry to receive a grant. When he took part in preliminary information teleconferences, he realized that an implied stipulation of the funding was creating art to back Obama-administration endeavors, including his health-care platform. There was an assumption on the NEA's part that all included artists would be proponents, but the artist in question was critical of the paramount strategy: funding artists to create seemingly "organic" support of Obama platforms, which is, in other words, nurturing propaganda artists. (Don't misconstrue this as a criticism against Obama and Democrats; Republican administrations play the same game, I'm sure.)

It is surprising that a group often stereotyped as social satirists and critics of government would so easily be roped into becoming propagandists, but don't underestimate the allure of money. Is state-sponsored art a precursor to determining what art is acceptable and what is not? What happens to that artistic freedom that we celebrate today? Will there be a day that artists pause a little longer before making their formative strokes, or is this hubbub for nothing? Until that's determined, thanks to all of the people past and present who have worked to secure and maintain our freedom!

Welcome to the Neighborhood? - Design Blog

2010-06-05T14:53:11Z

In just a couple of weeks, we've met so many neighbors. People are often in their yards, and there are dogs everywhere, which means we encounter a lot of people on each walk.

Because we have a new puppy, we've been consistently logging five to seven miles of walking each day. We take a really long one in the morning, another long one in the evening, and several short ones between. This way, the puppy (and our other dog) can expend all of that juvenile energy :) and be fairly calm. Usually, we're out of the house for the first by 6:30am, and the last outside visit is around 11:00pm. The late walks have been really nice, since the houses around us have good landscaping/lighting and lots of people jog at night.

Last night we were up kind of late, so Dan gave the dogs a final pit stop before bed around midnight. While he was outside, I heard four gunshots really close (and spaced out). When he came in, he said it was close enough for him to have heard someone say, "Don't move!" before the shots.

Scary! It was hard to get to sleep after the 911 call (we were among many to call) and subsequent half-hour of helicopters directly above our building and the two houses next door. (It didn't help to think about a neighbor's recent warning that thieves have broken into a few cars on our street in recent weeks--and the observance of someone easily jumping the gate of our townhouse.)

This morning, I tried finding some information about the shooting, but there's nothing yet. The stuff I did find sort of reinforced our perception that this neighborhood is generally safe... in fact, the last article I could find about something similar was from a couple of years ago. Is it weird to be hoping that last night's activity was a domestic situation rather than random violence?

The Good and the Bad of Moving - Design Blog

2010-05-26T05:06:42Z

I moved on Saturday.

The new place is great, although a little smaller, and the neighborhood is ideal for us, with tons of dog owners, close proximity to places we visit on a regular basis, and lots within walking distance. We found out around May 5 that we needed to move, since our landlords found some new tenants (we were doing a month-to-month arrangement until they found someone, which happened right away), so it was a whirlwind couple of weeks to research places, take tours, go through the application process, and get packed.

I love some aspects of moving: It's the perfect time to purge clutter and stuff that hasn't been used in a long time, and everything gets a deep clean. You can re-organize and refresh your views on your possessions. You can remind yourself of projects you've wanted to get to (as you run across elements or mementos) and renew their ranks on your priority list. You can get excited about the prospect of designing a new space and figuring out what touches will make it "home."

On the other hand, moving sucks: Packing is a total drag, especially the fragile stuff, and acquiring boxes, tape, and bubble wrap just creates more clutter for the new home. You have to close old accounts and open new ones and scrape together cash for deposits and moving costs. There's the annoying time where you don't have cable, internet, and phone installed, which is a blessing in disguise because it prevents you from procrastinating on the unpacking front. For the first time, our uber-careful transport of our priceless computer equipment wasn't enough: After setting up our whole office, we realized the computer wasn't working, and repair attempts failed... luckily, a visit to the Apple store fixed 'er up, and all is back to normal.

We were super-fortunate for this move, because two lovely guy-friends helped with the large stuff--after we had spent the previous week making late-night runs of all of the little things. (For one move way back when, exactly zero of the TEN people who said they would help showed up.) These guys were monsters and helped us knock it out in just a few hours.

I wish I had had my camera handy when I served the sweaty bunch lunch on real plates with cloth napkins at the foot of the U-Haul. (It was actually the easiest thing because the kitchen had been moved and unpacked earlier in the week.)

I'm super-sore and tired from the constant up-and-down stair-climbing and heavy lifting, but that's another bonus of moving in my view: Moving is a mandatory workout, one you can't laze out of, so you can jump-start a renewed commitment to exercise routines.

Things should be settled in the next couple of days, at which time I'll aim to blog as often as I did in April.

In the Works... - Design Blog

2010-05-06T05:25:09Z

What a weekend! I just got back from a short trip to Chicago, which was well worth the effort to get there. It was a whirlwind excursion, but I was immersed in lots of great art (and art-scene characters) and simultaneously got to catch up with my friend, Didi Menendez, who I hadn't seen in around five years.

Didi publishes Poets & Artists, and she was invited by Howard Tullman to view his renowned contemporary art collection. (Didi and Howard both are great supporters of the arts.) I'm grateful that she asked me to accompany her: I served as staff photographer, of course, but it was a ton o' fun to check things out as we went along.

Beside getting to visit the eye-candy loft where Tullman keeps his collection, we toured the media arts school he founded, Flashpoint Academy (the kind of place I would attend if I decided on more schooling)--and as a topper, Mr. Tullman provided passes to Art Chicago.

We barely had time in the city, and wouldn't you know that there was an immigration-reform march proceeding in the opposite direction of us on our way back to Union Station? It was the perfect end to a good weekend.

I will post a few photos in the next couple of days. In the meantime, here's what I have going on:

• submitting an iPhone app
• securing a new home to move this month
• packing, cleaning, packing, repeat
• preparing for a new puppy we've committed to adopting
• catching up on a few projects
• working on a few special features for my site
• getting back into the swing of regular blogging (April was good... only missed a couple of days)

Amazing Tops Awesome in 2010 Most Overused Internet Phrase - Design Blog

2010-04-30T14:57:59Z

At the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on Thursday, Amazing was crowned the Most Overused Internet Phrase for 2010, knocking Awesome from the top spot it's held for the past seven years. Finalists were selected from aggregated anonymous data supplied by Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, and Bebo and verified by the accounting firm Price Waterhouse.

Like, once dubbed "the sassy new 'um' for today's active professional" by The New York Times, has dwindled in popularity among 25- to 39-year-olds, whose social networking activity is more prevalent than the 12-24 age segment who embrace Like as much as the generation before them once did. Like was presented eighth place. This prompted a small but vocal protest outside the office of Amazing Starzzy Productions, the company charged with managing the events ceremony.

Protesters accuse Amazing Starzzy of skewing data to simultaneously promote their company brand. Jerry Richter, CEO/CFO/COO of Amazing Starzzy, says, "I couldn't control the data if I wanted to. I don't even know what 'skewing' means. I thought that is when you put meat on sticks then grill it. Basically, my job is getting the metallic curtain hung and ordering a banner."

In a sort of anti-protest, a large crowd of Christians also congregated outside the Amazing Starzzy office to support Awesome's lowered rank. Calvary Chapel teen Missy Smith stated, "We are here to, like, reclaim Awesome for its rightful use, to indicate awe at a miracle from Heaven. Like, we aren't happy that Amazing is now like in the top spot, since it also is intended to describe miraculous events, but it's a slightly better position for, like, mankind. Now that Awesome is like on the way down, we will be working on getting it and Amazing like completely off the finalists list."

Politics makes strange bedfellows: For the first time in centuries, Christians and magicians find themselves sharing the front lines. While the religious community wants Awesome and Amazing to be reserved for describing miracles and talking about their involvement with church youth groups, the magic community is urging the public to consider its necessity for the words.

One anonymous illusionist explained, "It's simple. If everything is amazing, then nothing is amazing." He added, "This is our livelihood we are talking about. There are over 40 working magicians in the United States! The widespread use of our lingo directly impacts the effectiveness of our performances. I actually heard at the last IBMLOTS [International Brotherhood of Magic, Lighting, and Optical Tricks Suppliers] meeting that The Amazing Jonathan is having a hard time finding work and is seriously considering changing the name he's had for over 25 years."

Another potential issue is the aftermath when wide Internet usage spreads to "real life" usage. The perfect example of this is the design team of a new media company in Los Angeles. A team member working on conditions of anonymity revealed, "I swear, these people say everything is Amazing. Food, music, a party they went to... I am now even getting direction to 'make an Amazing design' with no further explanation."

Here is the complete list of finalists:

1. Amazing
2. Awesome
3. <3
4. Happy Birthday!!!!!!!
5. 3-Way Tie
    Woot!
    Woo Hoo
    Yay
6. Beautiful/Gorgeous
7. 2-Way Tie
    :)
    :(
8. Like
9. 2-Way Tie
    Random Thoughts
    Ramblings
10. Vote for Me

LA Traffic Makes Fools of All - Design Blog

2010-04-28T05:29:42Z

I'm in Week Two of carpooling with my husband.

We're from Chicago, where having a car is unnecessary and almost a luxury, since the CTA is thorough, reliable, far-reaching (and renting a garage space and paying for daily parking are expensive). LA, though, hasn't embraced public transportation, and since the metropolitan area is so gigantic, one car is a necessity.

It's hard to believe that we might have to get a second car, but we'll soon have a dilemma: the 7-10 hours per week we each could save by not considering the other's commute versus the cost of a second car and nearly twice as much gas. I often like to throw money at a problem if that is a shortcut to a solution, but buying a car is quite the heavy toss.

Another option is moving closer to one of our offices, so shared commuting is easier or one of ours is even accomplished by walking or cycling. That would be great. It doesn't allow the same flexibility for running errands during a break, when there are plans beyond work, or if weather stinks. (Just the other day, I planned on taking a lunchtime walk but was surprised to find long-lasting sunshowers, so I couldn't really go anywhere; instead of getting a mile-long walk in via Trader Joe's lunch run, I had to run just across the street to buy an overpriced lunch.)

The prospect of biking to work is a little intimidating. I have never ridden a bike in a major city--I am more the bike trails kind of bike-rider--and see people driving more distractedly than ever. I don't want a broken limb or concussion or road rash because some dude was checking his text messages and didn't see me. Also, I don't want to be sweaty all day.

Maybe walking will do. Walk briskly and carry a big umbrella. Isn't that what that one guy said?

On rare occasions, my general aim of "stopping to smell the roses"--are you sick of that phrase yet? I've only used it like 10 times in the past 6 weeks--is replaced with a desire to get through the next four weeks or so to see how everything has settled. Transition is good, but it's not fun.

Study of Poet and Artist at Work - Design Blog

2010-04-27T05:38:42Z

My friend Didi publishes--among other things--a magazine called Poets & Artists, which features (you guessed it) poetry and artwork. Articles that profile artists and their works are sandwiched between poetry submissions. Didi is part poet and part artist, so she is the perfect person to publish this kind of thing.

For her latest project, Didi is taking the pairing of poets and artists one step further by having them collaborate on a project. I've been included as an artist and am teamed up with Denise Duhamel, who already has sent me a luscious little poem to get my art brain a-workin'.

I didn't realize some of the challenges this project would include: It is supposed to be a complement to the poem (or vice-versa, the poem would nod to the art). Also, both artist and poet should understand the other's work and the other's interpretation of their own.

I'm glad April is winding down. In addition to having lots to do, I'm fresh out of blogging ideas (not really) and kind of sucking at my commitment to posting every day. At least I have the excuse of making the physical world a more interesting place by creating art instead of fouling up the Internet with more cyber-litter. :)

WWWAMD? - Design Blog

2010-04-25T23:04:57Z

One of my favorite ways to pass time when I'm held hostage with something really stupid--like waiting in the car for someone running an errand, for instance--is imagining how important historical figures would react to present-day situations or technology.

Scenario One: You are sitting in a room, listening to Walter Murphy's disco tune A Fifth of Beethoven while watching Immortal Beloved on mute when in walks Ludwig van Beethoven. How does he react (assuming he can hear, of course)?

Scenario Two: You bring Pocahontas to the Pink Floyd laser-light show at the local planetarium. Does she freak?

Scenario Three: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is sitting in a trashy bar when "Bohemian Rhapsody" comes on. Does he think it's crap or amazing? What about that new Timbaland song "Carry Out" (only America could produce a song that compares love/lust with fast food!).

Scenario Four: George Washington Carver tastes Jif. Is he pissed at how disgusting it is, or does he think, "By Jove, they've got it now!"

We Live in Public + Facebook + Google = ? - Design Blog

2010-04-23T19:03:48Z

The web is atwitter this week with yet another change to Facebook's privacy practices, which will allow your information to be shared with third parties. The examples being provided are things like:

- If you go to imDB to research a movie, you'll see which of your Facebook friends have "Liked" it.
- If you go to Pandora, it will suggest music based on the contents of your Facebook profile.

Some may think that this can be controlled by strapping down application and privacy settings within Facebook and controlling browser options (like removing all cookies on exit), but I have been wondering for awhile how Pandora currently is overriding browser-level controls. What I mean is: I have a Pandora account, and I use Firefox for browsing. My browser is set to clear all history, saved information, form data, and cookies when I close--and sure enough, when I restart Firefox, all data has been cleared. When I browse to Pandora, however, it remembers who I am, which makes me think its stuff is based on IP address rather than cookies.

Now imagine the merging of a) Facebook technology implemented on other sites with b) a shared record of your Facebook activity.

The fluffy side of this advancement is a "better user experience" or quicker access to what you're looking for on other sites.

The not-so-fluffy side: a more public record of your online activity, personal beliefs, and intimate information. If you're a big consumer of online porn, you might as well come out of the closet right now. (See related article: "Porn virus publishes web history of victims on net" by BBC on April 15.) If you suffer from depression and seek information about getting help, expect that to eventually be shared with potential employers and insurance companies. Anything you do on third-party sites may be given back to Facebook and spread there. Facebook's pitch may feel warm-and-fuzzy now, but you should think ahead five years: Every site will have this technology in their toolbox (just like blogging, RSS, embedded video, and analytics have become commonplace but once were state-of-the-art concepts hard to wrap our heads around), and it will expand from "Likes" to "Dislikes" and "Visits."

Do you spend most of your time online? Would you rather send an email, text, or Facebook message than call or visit someone? Do measure your life in Likes, Views, Subscribers, Followers?

If so, I highly recommend you watch a documentary called We Live in Public, which profiles Josh Harris, an Internet pioneer who has keen foresight about Internet technology (and seems to believe in a Matrix-like future for us all). He has been able to not only technically understand the global network we share, but also accurately forecast our collective use of it and its evolution. The picture he paints parallels his own life: In an attempt to connect more intimately with others, we're simultaneously detaching ourselves from one another and creating a cycle of escalating dynamics--an ouroboros, if you ask me.

Harris was at the forefront of web video, actually working before the curve--helping to establish the technology before users had an understanding or the necessary infrastructure to widely use it. With his dot-com fortune, he conducted social experiments that at the time seemed weird and meaningless but later served as examples of his ability to see our interaction on a different level than most of us do.

For instance, Quiet, a project that housed around 100 people in a Big Brother-esque bunker with cameras, was funded and managed by Harris right around Y2K. In exchange for free food, housing, and entertainment, participants were required to have cameras on them all the time and be subjected to interrogations. Artists and alternative people clamored to be accepted into what they thought was performance art or an experiment in socialism; they even gave up very sensitive information just to get through the interview process, including sexual history, Social Security number, and preferences of relatives. What this "art project" turned out to be was a visionary's glimpse into our collective online future.

I don't want to give away all of the film, but it's been replaying in my head ever since I watched it. Be sure to check it out if you care about Internet privacy or simply wish to live more connected to the world and people.

At the same time, you should view these presentations about Facebook and Google Grid, which--while kind of dated--provide a better understanding of how this stuff all works together.

Video: Epic 2015 (Google Grid)
Video: Does What Happens in Facebook Stay in Facebook?
Video: We Live in Public trailer

Yes, there are some conspiratorial elements to these videos. Rather than thinking about these technical advancements as evil tools of a mad genius, tyrannical governments, or the Illuminati, I am more interested in the social aspects.

I am naturally an introvert and workaholic, and I know there is comfort in using a digital technology to attempt intimacy. For a reserved or shy person, it's more comfortable to have a confrontation and or to communicate something tender via email; rejection, anger, disgust, or other negative responses are softer as black words on a white screen (or no response) rather than disappointed faces and harsh words sitting before you. It's also easier, faster, and more reparable to cut off (or connect with) someone digitally. By making things easier or less comfortable, are we losing some of what it means to be human?

Most people have websites these days, and everyone is screaming for attention. They're pleading--via YouTube, Twitter, Facebook--to have someone, anyone notice. Instead of evaluating the value of whom is paying attention, people are focused on quantity--relying on an increased number of Views, Fans, or Followers to dictate their self-worth and decide whether they should expose even more of themselves online. Would your Likes mean so much if you knew they were all coming from child molesters, retarded people, or neo-Nazis? What about if they all were coming from Mensa members, celebrities, or experts in your field? Would that change your perception of who you are or the quality of what you're sharing on the web?

So I ask, as I urge you to watch We Live in Public and think a about your web life: Are we social animals? Are we humans or are we machines? Are physical contact, in-person socialization, and privacy integral to our survival as a species?

I don't know the answers, but I do feel like the next few years are going to make for a bumpy and interesting time. Maybe there will be a small Renaissance faction, a group of free-thinkers who will actually detach themselves from online socialization in order to achieve what it's actually breaking down: true connection with other humans.

Oh, Starz, How I Know Thy Bump - Design Blog

2010-04-23T05:22:50Z

I'm a big fan of Netflix on Demand. Since getting rid of cable, TV-watching has become something we specifically decide to do--rather than something that reflexively happens because of laziness or boredom. This means we watch less programming in general and what we do watch is more targeted to our interests. I love documentaries, and there's always a broad variety; Dan likes to have mindless horror movies on in the background while working, and Netflix on Demand doesn't disappoint in that arena.

Beside the instant on-demand service, we receive a constant rotation of Netflix Blu-Rays. One thing that drives me crazy about Blu-Ray is that there's usually a long, inescapable ad for Blu-Ray before the feature. This seems illogical, since we're already watching a Blu-Ray disc on a Blu-Ray device--people who are watching it don't need to be convinced of it, do they?

Anyway, a lot of Netflix's on-demand programming is affiliated with Starz. I don't know their official relationship, but after you've watched a lot, it's clear that Starz is the primary provider of Netflix on-demand material. For some reason, just like Blu-Ray, Starz has a bump before and after TV episodes and movies... and it's invariably like 10 decibels louder than the features.

Tonight, we happened to put on 30-Second Bunnies Theatre, which is an animated series of parodies of famous movies. Cartoon bunny characters re-enact summaries of the films (usually dramas). They literally are 30-seconds long. Starz has the gall to surround each 30-second episode with their 12-second bump (that's one before and one after). How annoying! Whose idea was this? The bumps equal 80% the length of the feature.

If I have to hear that Starz bump one more time... I wonder if the Bunnies Theatre people are aware of this? Maybe they could make a five-second parody of their own program?