Josh sent The New York Times: Innovation Portfolio around the office yesterday. It’s a fantastic collection of their interactive data visualizations. It’s a definite must see!

Other Visualization/Infographics Showcases & Tools
Flowing Data
Information is Beautiful
Many Eyes
Webdesigner Depot – 25+ Useful Infographics for Web Designers
Axiis – Open Source Data Visualization
Smashing Magazine – Data Visualization: Modern Approaches
Smashing Magazine – Data Visualization and Infographics Resources
Flickr Group – Cool Data Visualizations Techniques

I know this is just a small list of some of resources out there. Feel free to add to the list and let us know where you get inspiration from.

Hot Studio is proud of our relationship with Ancestry.com, the world’s largest online genealogical service. We’ve worked closely with them on the redesign of their core product, as well as their foray onto the international stage with Mundia.com, currently in a beta launch. Watch for more details on these exciting projects in the coming weeks.

About the challenge
How do you design for the future of digital reading? That was the question that framed Core77 and Portigal Consulting’s 1-hour Design Challenge, which was based on the findings of Portigal Consulting’s research initiative, Reading Ahead. Participants in the challenge were directed to review Portigal’s research and then create a design that addressed the key principals that derived from the research. Oh, and finish the design in an hour. Well, 90 minutes. Plus or minus. But you get the idea.

Designers + Beer = Fun
Late on a Friday afternoon, a group of Hot’s designers and a good-natured friend gathered in Hot’s biggest conference room. We spread books of all sizes out on the conference table, salty and sweet snacks in every corner, and several six packs of beer on ice. What more could you need? We watched segments from Portigal Consulting’s video where they outlined their findings, and paused a few times to discuss amongst ourselves. After we got comfortable with the background material, we divided into a couple teams, each focusing on a different approach. Here’s the description of the winning concept in our submission:

The SuperFlyer is made up of a special e-fabric that displays reading material on two sides.  It folds up to fit into a pocket, but then it pops open to a “pamphlet” in the default mode.

These SuperFlyers also transform back to a flexible cloth which attaches to almost anything for reading convenience: refrigerator, T-shirt, scarf, wall, table, toilet paper.

SuperFlyers have a chameleon mode which adapts to the color of its background, and also a stiff braille mode.  Readers can also share materials by bumping SuperFlyers to share reads.

The winning SuperFlyer concept came from a collaboration of Shalin Amin, Holly Hagen, Leslie Kang, and our buddy Jake Cressman.

Everyone’s A Winner
The prizes for this challenge are donation in the winners’ names to one of our favorite non-profits, 826 Valencia! (For more about our love of 826 Valencia and Dave Eggers, click here.)

We want to say thank you to Core77 and Portigal Consulting for offering up such a compelling challenge, and for giving us a chance to have fun.

Go, Reading!

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Our entire submissions is below…

Matthew brings 15 years of experience in branding, interactive and experience design to his role at Hot Studio. Throughout his career his focus has been on mapping customer journeys and envisioning ideal experiences. With the Hot Studio team he’ll continue to explore how well-crafted experiences can activate the relationship between between companies and their customers.

Prior to joining Hot Studio, Matthew was Principal, Brand Experience at Continuum, a global innovation consultancy. At Continuum Matthew worked on Experience Strategies for a diverse range of clients such as Harvard Business Review, Sprint Nextel, CVS/Pharmacy, Pfizer, The Center for Creative Leadership, Sunbeam and InterContinental Hotels. He’s worked across media from wine labels to Websites, products to packaging.

Matthew’s brings a deep passion for identifying the ideal conditions for innovation, and working with teams and clients towards collaborative design solutions. Please join us in welcoming him to Hot Studio.

I fully recognize that no one outside of the design industry would understand why some interactive producers cringe when referred to as (God forbid!) a “project manager,” “account manager,” “production manager,” or any number of unrepeatable terms.

Who cares? Well, we do, mainly because we are so service-driven. We want to be sure that our clients, as well as the designers and technologists we work with, know that we are on their side. Wait! Whose side? Both. That’s the point. To get to the root of why we care about these labels, here’s an over-simplification of some of the roles for managing interactive accounts:

A project manager creates a schedule and comes up with a budget by multiplying Resources (humans) by the inflexible unit of Time. Perhaps because they’re not empowered to do a lot more, project managers dig saying “No.”

An account manager understands the client’s desires. He or she takes them out for drinks. (If you watch Mad Men, as I do, you understand that account people also smoke lots of cigarettes and have beautiful modern furniture, which must end up on their clients’ bills somehow, right?). Account managers say “Yes”—regardless of what’s really possible.

A producer acts as both Project Manager and Account Manager. Producers like to say “Maybe”—and then figure out how to make “No” meet “Yes” in the middle.

Hot Studio doesn’t have Project Managers or Account Managers. We have a team of super-seasoned, veteran Producers. In partnership with our clients, a Producer’s job is to manage all of the business details so our creative teams can concentrate on being creative. A Producer’s job also includes making our clients happy. In Hot Studio’s style, we do this by being honest, friendly, clear about expectations, and occasionally ordering sushi.

To be responsible for both the project’s budget and the client relationship is a balancing act. It’s a challenge we want to have, because it empowers us to make strategic choices. There are “maybes” involved (and that’s natural given we are continually inventing as we go), but a Producer’s job is to quickly uncover and articulate many different options for “yes.” “Yes” is in our DNA; we just have to figure out exactly how we’ll make it happen with the budget, deadline, and all of the amazing personalities with whom we’re working.

There is a beauty in it (a producer’s high, if you will) when we deliver something amazing. When our clients smile and virtually slide us a check in return for all of our hard work, everything seems right in the world.

So there we have it; in all internal and external documentation, we shall remain—even more consistently so—”Producers.” Let’s produce something amazing together!

The basic theme of the conference really comes down to Jaime Lerner’s mandate to the audience:

“If you want to get it done, do it now”. The conference was packed with trailblazers and self-starters, designers, artists, engineers, architects, researchers, technologists, teachers, and many students who have done things that create positive change around the world. The impressive speaker list included Jan Chipchase, William Drenttel, Kigge Hvid, John Maeda, Emily Pilloton, and Nathan Shedroff. My favorite speaker was Jaime Lerner, an architect and urban planner who became mayor of Curitiba, a city in southern Brazil. During his years as mayor, he redesigned and transformed the city to help its citizens live a more sustainable and healthier life.

A couple of things blew my mind:

• Student volunteers pulled off a killer conference
• RISD and Brown worked together in collaboration
• How connected the students and audience members were to global issues and have taken action to make an impact
• The students were mentoring the audience and each other
• How positive people felt about the future in such a screwed-up world

I came away feeling that those students were mentoring me rather than the other way around. I am inspired by their ability to “Be the change”. The bar has been raised; we need to lead by example and find a way to help others in need—one person CAN really make a difference in this world.

I highly recommend this conference to anyone who needs a “shot in the arm” to identify their passion, get motivated and use that passion to contribute to create positive change in this inter-connected world.

Hot Studio NYC version 2.0 is bigger and better and now in Tribeca! After almost two years in our space at Union Square, we decided it was time to make room for more and found the perfect location at 52 Walker Street. For those who don’t know, TriBeCa (acronym for Triangle Below Canal Street) is one of New York City’s most coveted neighborhoods; a place where you can find peace and quiet amidst cobblestone streets, have a rest in the beautiful Beach Street park across from the historic American Thread building, eat some of the best food the city has to offer, or catch a glimpse of some of the most awesome celebrity sightings. Much like the rest of NYC, the land which is now known as Tribeca has its own sordid history so the vibe remains thoroughly and authentically New York City.

In scouting out spaces, we at Hot had a lot of different variables to weigh; the incredible space we have in San Francisco vs. what is our New York identity, who do we want to be, how do we want to evolve? And most importantly, how we want our NY space to feel—to us, and our clients. Ultimately, we decided on a certain je ne sais quoi which we found at 52 Walker. Maybe it’s the fact that the building across the street is the first ever pre-fab cast iron structure or, that on the 3rd floor, there was a mysterious “gentlemen’s club” that was one of the last hold-outs from the Giuliani era. Or maybe it’s just that New York is quintessentially a part of our DNA.

In any case, we are proud and very excited about our new space and are looking forward to the ever expanding Hot Studio family on the right coast.

Up next – photos and posts from the Hot NY office dogs Max, Luna, and Leo.

Sarah has nearly 15 years of experience in interactive media, designing kiosks, mobile, and online experiences for clients in a variety of industries. She has a particular passion for practice development, conducting research into methods for improving collaboration, supporting creativity, and encouraging innovation. Sarah brings a unique blend of creative vision and technical expertise to her work. Her research-focused approach to interaction design has produced successful results for her clients.

Prior to joining Hot, Sarah was a Design Strategist at Adaptive Path. She developed experience strategies for clients like Flickr, PayCycle, Vanguard Financial, and Skype. Before joining Adaptive Path, Sarah managed the creative team and developed the user experience practice at POP, an interactive design firm in Seattle, Washington.

Her past clients and employers include Federal Home Loan Bank, Home Street Bank, AOL Mobile, MyRide.com, The Metropolitan Opera, The Seattle Symphony, The Royal Victoria and Albert Museum, and Vanguard Financial.

A classically trained violinist, Sarah graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy and received a Bachelors of Art from Oberlin College in visual arts and electronic music. While completing her Masters at the Institute of Design in Chicago, Sarah focused her studies on the definition and design of complex multi-modal systems supporting collaboration and communication.

Please join us in welcoming Sarah to Hot Studio.

Join Hot Studio as we participate for the second year in a row in SF Open Studios the weekend of October 23rd! Hot will open its doors and exhibit artwork created by its employees: Renee Anderson (kiln-worked glass), Peter Jacques (collage) and Holger Struppek (photography) along with an equally diverse group of local artists: Ramekon (mixed media, assemblage), Carlo Abruzzese (painting, mixed media), Christopher Craig (mixed media) and Benji Hunt (mixed media). This promises to be a very eclectic show with something for nearly everyone and a range of art for sale. Come by, socialize with a glass of wine, and support local artists!

Saturday, October 24th – Sunday, October 25th
11:00 am – 6:00 pm

Opening night reception: Friday, October 23, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

RSVP@hotstudio.com