Comments for NauticalSURF

Comment on Synaptic Web > Semantic Web by CindyLore

CindyLore — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:11:10 +0000

this blog post simply amazes me. I personally never heard of the synapitc web. I really enjoyed the comparison of the two matrix movies. As a newcomer to this topic, the movies actually helped me to better understand the idea of the semantic web vs the synaptic web. thanks for an educational, entertaining blog post.

Comment on Synaptic Web > Semantic Web by They call me Garth...no really they do

They call me Garth...no really they do — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:28:07 +0000

Wow, seems like a hot topic. You kids play nicely now. The synaptic web is most definitely on the rise. I like Brett when you say

“These fixed links within the “human-computer-brain” are the ever evolving intellect of user input that is not only open and up to date, but is also a very promising compass that points the way to future predictions.”

I just recently started to get involved into futuristic cell meetings and really like the idea of using the synaptic web to pave the possible way for predictions. I will looking into the synaptic thing more closely.

Like the Matrix idea, as you state, it’s a stretched sample of your thesis. Good idea.

Comment on Synaptic Web > Semantic Web by Brett Lutchman

Brett Lutchman — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:14:52 +0000

Hi Dan, thank you for your comment, but you sound like someone who loves to hear himself speak.
A few things…
1. You have not stated anything that I don’t already know.
2. Everything you said about the nodes is already represented in the blog.
3. Hive mind & one mind is the ultimate goal of the synaptic web, not one or the other
4. The whole Construct/ Matrix thing sounds too fan-boyish.
5. Read the first sentence under the second matrix movie…the part where I state “stretched and entertaining”.
You read this article as someone who watched the Matrix 50 times and missed the whole point.
You didn’t even address my actual written piece, you got hung up on the movies.
If you had never seen the Matrix before, it would have made perfect sense to you as the movies were to be taking at face value.
Instead of chewing the meat and spitting out the bones, you threw out the meat and tried to digest the bones.
The meat is my written piece that reflects my thoughts on the synaptic web, the movies were there to be entertaining.
Don’t major on the minors, hills are made into mountains when there’s nothing else better to do

I will say though, that you are right in regards to the context of the movie within itself.
But as stated in point #1, I already knew this

Comment on Synaptic Web > Semantic Web by Dan Stocker

Dan Stocker — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:41:20 +0000

I find the Matrix parallel very intriguing as an idea but it misses the point in the semantic web versus synaptic web context. The synaptic web heavily relies on the variety of nodes therefore interlinked agents resemble it much more than numerous copies of the same one. Hive mind versus one mind. Neo is defeated by Smith in Reloaded not by being outsmarted but by being outnumbered.

On the other hand I’m having trouble understanding how the semantic Neo is semantic. As far as Matrix examples go, I think the Construct versus Matrix comparison would demonstrate the gist of the semantic web more faithfully. In the Construct, things exist with no apparent context. The same object in the Construct may pop out of nothing, and obey arbitrary rules, while in the Matrix it must follow strict rules and interact with the environment. The object telling the Matrix about itself is the same as content telling the search engine about itself, which is the point of the semantic web in the first place.

Comment on Synaptic Web > Semantic Web by Chris

Chris — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:59:55 +0000

Brett,

Nice post. I like the comparison to the matrix.

The synaptic web really is about the people. It’s taking the strengths of machine search and applying the collective intelligence of people sharing tags, links, ideas, and connections through social media. Most people don’t realize the immense value they add to the web simply by tagging content and it just grows from there.

-Chris

Comment on Prepare to be Augmented…Earthlings by D.W.Small

D.W.Small — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 08:51:57 +0000

Brett,

Well said. I have been preaching augmented reality for years and think that this technology which was once limited to jet fighter bombing missions is now a strong commercial advertising device. The key to AR is harnessing the power of connecting the technology to the average consumer.

Comment on Shippaigaku, Investigating Design Failure by Brett Lutchman

Brett Lutchman — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 21:39:38 +0000

Hi Will,
Thank you for your comment and question.
The question you ask is indeed a tough one. I already do believe that PMs, BAs, stakeholders and executive staff already understand the principle of recovery from failure. In their heart of hearts, I believe that top level employers have already accepted the risk of entrusting projects into their team’s hands. There is a certain amount of leeway that is extended when placing responsibility into someone’s hands and then expecting results.
The issue here is budget, while a PM may understand a team member’s failure, and while they might have a sense of sympathy for that member, they are still ultimately accountable for the overall success of the project.
Time and money is at stake here.
There is no excuse for squandering a client’s finances.

Comment on My Encounter with a Service Expert by Anne Halmond

Anne Halmond — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 01:58:56 +0000

Interesting article, Brett. I appreciate the way you articulate your experiences, it makes it enjoyable for the reader. The Sterling Inn & Spa sounds like a great hotel, with an even greater customer service expert in charge. That is very rare in this day and age. Hats off to Andre – he sounds like quite the professional.

Comment on Rise of the Mobile Remote Control by Brett Lutchman

Brett Lutchman — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:16:17 +0000

Sulta & Sibongiseni (Sybz) thank you both for your kind words. They are both insightful and inspiring to me.

Sultar, believe me when I say this, there will come a time when there will only be 1 bill for everything.
Mobile is indeed leading the way, but beyond that, personal identity will completely take over the world…but that’s another post

Comment on Rise of the Mobile Remote Control by Sibongiseni Dakela

Sibongiseni Dakela — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:54:30 +0000

Wow! I agree with you totally… Excellent article… It is interesting that mobile Internet surfing is becoming a global trend now, slightly bridging the ‘digital divide’ amongst different classes of society. Initially it was not so; there were more people connected to the Internet than those who own smart phones. I am glad that you point out the importance of the (Web) Designers to be mindful of this!

Comment on Rise of the Mobile Remote Control by Sultar Kahn

Sultar Kahn — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:24:07 +0000

Very true. I would one day like to order groceries from my mobile app. Of course there are many issues that would have to be addressed, but to align an mobile device to a land address would solve many issues.
How about having the groceries added on to your phone bill?
Good read.

Comment on Apple, Some of the best Ad Designs by Anita Shann

Anita Shann — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:10:12 +0000

I am an avid runner and have heard so much about the Nike + iPod combo. Your analysis is just like Apple’s campaign, simple and stylish. Congrats on the new site design. Looking good like always.

Comment on My Big Takeaway from IDEA09 by Polprav

Polprav — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 13:56:29 +0000

Hello from Russia!
Can I quote a post in your blog with the link to you?

Comment on My Big Takeaway from IDEA09 by Jason Wellers

Jason Wellers — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 02:32:19 +0000

A very interesting contrast indeed. I believe neither of the speakers are absolutely right on their own. I don’t think neither of them claimed to be absolutely right either. Both concepts go hand in hand and compliment each other.

Comment on My Big Takeaway from IDEA09 by Trevor

Trevor — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 15:24:02 +0000

Good insight Brett! I think both of these speakers have good points, with one (the party girl) advocating more of a top-down approach, and the other (video game guy) advocating a more bottom-up approach. Both perspectives are required for successful social experience design, as the environment will determine to some extent how users/gamers interact with each other, while the users/gamers themselves will determine what goes on in that environment. The environment influences the emotional states of users, whose subsequent behaviors then determine the course of social interaction… Think retail environments for another good metaphor….

Comment on Creative Innovation via Social Design by Brett Lutchman

Brett Lutchman — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:25:00 +0000

Hi Ellen,
while there are indeed many facets to the social web regarding design, I believe that design is the major underlying ingredient for the modeling and future structuring of the social web.
In regards to your question, one can never limit design to pretty pictures because as you say, there are many other design sources that contribute to social sites.
One facet of design in particular that needs to be addressed is the design and maintenance of holistic ecosystems.
Because there are so many different individuals that are apart of and contribute to a community, the way these individuals interact with each other is not always properly translated on the web as compared with communication in the “real” world.
An example of this is someone taking offense to somebody else’ sarcasm.
In person, sarcasm is more readily identifiable then online. Things like voice tones, body language and slang are more clearly interpreted.
I believe the study of humanities, demographics, anthropology, etc., are all great contributing factors that we as designers can give ourselves to in order to help govern communication via the social web. While these are not direct design facets, they most definitely contribute to every facet of design elements.
Thus giving us a better understanding on how to create our designs for “real” people, and setting a standard in which these “real” people interact with each other, and technology.

Comment on Creative Innovation via Social Design by Ellen

Ellen — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:40:30 +0000

There are so many different facets of design that contribute to the social web that it is very easy to be a jack of all trades but master of none. Are there any other design perspectives that we should be focusing on besides experience design?

Comment on Creative Innovation via Social Design by Chad Shunter

Chad Shunter — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 18:38:50 +0000

Your posting sounds like the online version of our organization. We promote and encourage design innovation throughout the world and are open to new ideas and creative challenges that need to be addressed. I like your straight to the point writing style.
Good insights.

Comment on The Art of Information Gathering by D.W.Small

D.W.Small — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:03:49 +0000

Brett, I believe that you nailed the “pin on the IT Jackass”. I used to work with a PM that had no clue about the elicitation process and why it needed to be performed by professionals. They would quote on projects and cause major havoc…

Comment on The Art of Information Gathering by Veronica Hamel

Veronica Hamel — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:51:39 +0000

Brett, hats off! Your article is informative and well thought out. I like the way you roll your sleeves up on this one, and get down to real grunt work.

Comment on The Art of Information Gathering by brett

brett — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:07:06 +0000

Good point Luke.
I am forever preaching that information gathering and research are not the same thing. Research comes after we have gathered enough facts for the purposes of study.
After we as professionals have researched the information we have gathered, we are in a much better informed and educated place to start calling the shots and making plays as thought leaders.

Comment on The Art of Information Gathering by Luke Ryerson

Luke Ryerson — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:02:03 +0000

Good article.
@ Tony (Stark) Billard: Thought leadership is always in play here. Remember, IAs know their own craft, but the client is the master of theirs. Thought leadership is revealed when the IA has received enough information from the client and is informed and confident enough to make suggestions. The article clearly states this. Remember that this part of the assignment is the initial gathering of information. Piecing together the info to make prediction comes later.

Comment on The Art of Information Gathering by Tony (Stark) Billard

Tony (Stark) Billard — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:10:48 +0000

Wow! Brett this is a great article. You really have time on your hands boy, don’t you work? I can totally relate to the questions issue. Although it is OK and even preferred to ask more questions then not, I still believe that the onus of the burden still falls upon the IA to be the Thought Leader and not just a receiver of information.

Comment on Dear American Airlines by brett

brett — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:48:39 +0000

Thank you all for the wonderful comments, I believe this chapter is not yet closed, and that Dustin is waiting for a response from Mr. X…stay tuned…

Comment on Dear American Airlines by John

John — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:54:40 +0000

I think Brett did an excellent job in terms of dissecting Dustin’s design. I’m sure Dustin was being vicious when he designed the new design. I could just see him hacking away and enjoying himself. Whether or not Dustin was hired and whether or not the design would look different after being hired is not the issue. Dustin provide a great platform to start with.

Comment on Dear American Airlines by dustin curtis

dustin curtis — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 03:48:06 +0000

Thanks for the write up Brett. Sorry if I didn’t respond immediately.

I agree with you. Most people at corporations are so deeply entrenched in some bureaucracy that the user gets drowned out by politics. It’s sad. My number one priority is to attempt to fix that by bringing awareness to the problem.

Thanks again.

Comment on Dear American Airlines by Brad

Brad — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:02:28 +0000

I am 90% in agreement with Dutin, Brett & Rohan on this. Bing me Later has a valid point to. Is Dustin’s design simply a catch or is he really and truly pitching that this is how the frontpage should be? From my experience, I know that most UX designers are an extreme advocate for the user. However, the user is not always and nessessarily right. There are business values that I believe AA is trying to bring to the front- mind you, they are not doing a good job of it. I believe Dustin’s design is fantastic in theory, but like Bing me Later says, if Dustin was hired for the job, the whole design would look much different.

Comment on Dear American Airlines by Rohan Jayasekera

Rohan Jayasekera — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 18:13:50 +0000

Brett, great post.

Most of the previous commenters here seem to be ignoring Dustin Curtis’s concluding point, which was that in the end a company’s brand comes down to the experience it gives its customers, in this case a poor one. Those who work for the typical large organization can relate very well to Mr. X because of the reality of having to satisfy a bunch of different departments. Sorry guys but if your departments can’t make their individual priorities secondary to the company’s priorities, you have a dysfunctional organization and the blame can be laid squarely at the feet of the CEO.

In the case of the website specifically, I presume that the CEO looks at the site occasionally, but is too busy “running a large corporation” to think about the experience the corporation is giving his customers.

I agree with Dustin Curtis and Brett that the company is failing to think much about its customers. Many large organizations are losing a lot of their business to upstarts that are better focused. For example, while I don’t live in the USA I do know that American Airlines has a discount-airline competitor there called JetBlue, so I just looked at their home page, and guess what, it’s much cleaner. American Airlines’ CEO, and by extension its board of directors, apparently don’t think that an airline’s home page design has become an important factor in its success; they have the positions they do because they achieved success in a different era. Most traditional organizations are doing a poor job of adapting to the massive change caused by the Internet, and their business will continue to be taken away by the likes of JetBlue.

Comment on Dear American Airlines by Bing me Later

Bing me Later — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:51:35 +0000

Both sides have pros and cons. I’m sure Dustin threw tons of stuff out to make a point, but if it came down to it and if Dustin was hired to do the re-design, I garantee that his design would look much more cluttered then it does now. Business just won’t let the front page look like a white canvass. Too much info to display.

Comment on Dear American Airlines by AndrewBoldman

AndrewBoldman — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:22:01 +0000

Hi, cool post. I have been wondering about this topic,so thanks for writing.

Comment on Dear American Airlines by Marlene A. The true Web Goddess

Marlene A. The true Web Goddess — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:11:37 +0000

I’m torn. On one side we have a corporation that knows it’s business better then Dustin would and on the other side, Dustin I bringing an outside, fresh and new perspective to the table.
We’ll have to wait and see what American Airlines does like Brett said.

Comment on Apt Pupil by Jayson

Jayson — Tue, 19 May 2009 16:19:03 +0000

I’m having a similar problem in my company too. We (the jr.designers) need more education and mentoring to become better in the busines aspect of design.

Comment on Apt Pupil by brett

brett — Thu, 14 May 2009 17:35:20 +0000

Thanks for the comments guys.

Comment on Apt Pupil by Dave W. Small

Dave W. Small — Thu, 14 May 2009 17:32:35 +0000

I find myself thinking the same when it comes to design. As a business professional, I wish I knew more about design so I could at least have a valid say when it comes to presentation. I’ll keep this article in mind when speaking with designers. (or any new employee for that matter)

Comment on Apt Pupil by Allen Taylor

Allen Taylor — Thu, 14 May 2009 16:15:35 +0000

Nice writing. You are on my RSS reader now so I can read more from you down the road.

Allen Taylor

Comment on Avoid Product Recall by Candace R.

Candace R. — Wed, 13 May 2009 22:19:25 +0000

I know exactly what you are speaking about. So many times I have started a new design and was excited at the beginning, then nearing the end of it I looked back and was not as enthusiastic about it. I find myself always asking, what could I have done better?

Comment on Avoid Product Recall by David M.

David M. — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:44:13 +0000

I like the parallel in your example here. I never thought of design work having potential issues that would make it’s creator want to recall the design piece back. LIke the saying goes, “You’re only as good as your last design.”

Comment on Off the Wal Tactics by brett

brett — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 22:21:04 +0000

Hey Jay, thank you for reading this post. I actually wrote this several years back and reposted it in 2008. I lost a few posts but managed to capture this one. I’d like to think that I was only stating the obvious.

Comment on Off the Wal Tactics by Marlene Handstrome

Marlene Handstrome — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 22:14:04 +0000

This is so true. My friend just sent me this link and I never thought of it this way before. Very, very true.

Comment on Off the Wal Tactics by Jay

Jay — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 22:11:57 +0000

Hey Brett, just saw this post via Twitter. A very good, honest and fun read. Thanks a bunch.

Comment on Thinking: a Design Challenge by Cindy

Cindy — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 18:14:07 +0000

Aww! that little guy’s cute. Look at him just banging the table.

Comment on The Power of Flow by cindy

cindy — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:16:44 +0000

Yes I’ve heard this before. Someone once said that our craftsmanship should be called Interactive Flow as opposed to Interactive Websites. Whether of not a site is interactive or not, there needs to be a process of intuitive flow.

Comment on The Power of Flow by brett

brett — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:47:41 +0000

Hi Sam,
Thank you for your comment and thank you for dropping by the site.
While there is value in speaking with the client regarding their perception of behavior of their users and how they may interact, it is up to us to be the thought leaders/ providers regarding this task. I find that if we retrieve this type of information from the client, then we may end up in the same place from which we started.
There must be a balance of both. Ask the client these things upfront and then provide the solution to them.
Thank you.

Comment on The Power of Flow by Sam Gartnold

Sam Gartnold — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:39:16 +0000

Interactive flow is the way to go. I think that many designers lack the ability to connect the dots to trail the user along. It may be a wise thing to ask the client’s to get involved with the flow of things. Ask them how they see their users using the site.

Comment on Thinking: a Design Challenge by Luke

Luke — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:51:55 +0000

Hey Brett. i just read this article and your email and i just want to state that i love your passion for design. i refer to other sites all the time and never knew that i can be shooting myself in the foot like you state.
i’m going to try your technique, i remember the good ol days when i used to be like this.

Comment on The Power of Flow by Lincoln

Lincoln — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 18:46:35 +0000

hey brett, like the new site. i know you’re busy but keep up with the blogs dude. you always have something interesting to say.

Comment on Invisible Applications by Dara

Dara — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:37:41 +0000

Don’t hit your thumb with the hammer! LOL.

Comment on Thinking: a Design Challenge by Glen

Glen — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 15:12:35 +0000

Web Slinger,
nice article. Saw your post on Twitter and I must say that you were totally describing me in this article. The way I was able to adapt was to only use other people’s sites to research best practices and standards but not actual design.
It’s a hard sell but I am able to cipher between the two.
Keep ‘em coming.

Comment on Readers are Experts by Justin "The Crippler" Reeves

Justin "The Crippler" Reeves — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:43:47 +0000

I love this article and I like your new site layout. it’s very simple and to the point. you seem to be very passionate about reading.

Comment on Design: Opinion vs Results by Leanne

Leanne — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 15:50:08 +0000

I think the problem is that designers are looked at as amateur, lefties who have no real input.
But the fault lays with the designers. We have to start becoming more business minded rather then spending all our time practicing our filter skills.