….a friend asked me to recommend a project management methodology for IT. I wasn’t trying to be awkward, but my answer was “that depends”….*

read more on blog.gardeviance.org

Omnigraffle wireframe stencils

get them on konigi.com

and I either have to redo my categories and tags or separate my Multiple Personalities into 2 blogs… that would be 4 blogs in total ….

ooops…

*) No, I do not have any issues with against agile. I just have a HYPE alergy

Sometimes I have to remind myself why I am actually living here :-). Picture taken last Sunday while driving from Christchurch to Arthur’s Pass. More on Flickr…

No hate (we know we suck), no love (we know you still love us), no novels (we know that you know a lot).

http://informationarchitects.jp/web-trend-map-4-final-beta/

some skull forest awaken
gocco print edition of 30
20 x 15 cm

Could be bought here - Price: $50.00

Found on Flickr and I love it!

“Born In Hobart, Australia. Works and lives in Melbourne Australia … A self taught artist. Ghostpatrol has moved from the field of stencil art to exhibit his illustration based work worldwide. He currently resides in Melbourne at his ‘Mitten Fortress’ studio. His work ranges form fine ink drawing, graffiti, commissioned murals and soft sculpture.” From the bio on his website.

More info: Ghostpatrol website, Flickrset and a video documantary about him and miso… Enjoy!

I always did. I pay for Flickr. I respect the rules on Flickr. I got in contact with amazing artist via Flickr. I keep in contact with friends far away and next door via Flickr. I print my business cards with Moo via Flickr. I blog about art I find at Flickr…

Okay in short i am in LOVE…

I am not a social networking type. Not in the real world, not on the internet. I start to enjoy twitter though…but this is another post.

I am usually critical of most internet hypes and interaction website designs. Most internet services make me just mad and angry… very angry… even most of the ones I am involved in ^_^…

So why Flickr?

Now - other than in the real world where I always fall in love with the wrong guy - there are many good reasons to love Flickr.

The team behind Flickr manages to provide a service which actually knows what it does and does it very well. You store and share images.

Graphic design

The design never gets in your way and never tries to outmatch your content. It even makes your content look better.

Just think about how fantastic - and rare - that is. And while doing this it preserves one of the best and most significant brands online, with just (a quite small) logo, 2 lead colours, typo in one font, black and white and shades of grey.

Easily done? Try selling something like this to one of your clients (or mine).

Interaction design

You never have to search for action buttons. They are there just above your content. Titles and descriptions can be added directly. click > edit > save.

The complexity of the tools in use grows with the complexity of the task, as does the interface design. “Organize” (working with hundred of photos) uses a very different interaction design approach and language than any other page.

I know: ‘Hell yes! what else could it do?’ Again where else does this really work for you in online applications?

Your very own space

Flickr puts you - the user - in power. Let’s have a closer look at ‘Your photostream’.

Logo, search and site wide navigation in header. 820px x 60px. Done.

Followed by your area including your internal navigation. 820px x 2800px. You can chose your layout for your area. And this is your content! No feeds from your contact or groups. Your space… again show me one other social networking platform where somebody thinks that your own content is worth some attention.

This is your haven, your home. You can even close the door behind you.

Followed by the footer. Providing shortcuts in case you got lost or are too lazy to scroll, your door to the outside.

Interaction with other beings

First, you don’t have to! Flickr provides a service for you. Store and organise your images online, accessible from where ever you find internet access.

You might want to share them with only friends and family.

You might want to see what others do… You might want to know what others think about your work.

Finding - and moving in - your circle

I admit that I am a bit of a special fringe group here. I am a hobby photographer and I am interested in how other people live, but I do not want to see 1 Million images of their babies or dogs ^_^… not even the ones in my own family, which by the way lives on the other side of the world.

More important I want to know what the street-art scene in Bogota is up to today. Or what the brilliant illustrator in Soul, Moscow or Tokyo is working on. So photography is a channel through which these visuals are sent to me… via Flickr.

So what? I could just go and find their online portfolios or buy Juxtapox… What is the difference? Flickr provides more information about an artist than any other other medium could do. If they are willing to share ^_^… You get a glimpse of their art, their workshops, their town, their environment, things they find inspiring (okay… maybe their babies and dogs… or their friend’s weddings…). If you are very lucky, they tell you what they think about your work.

I am not sure how many users Flickr has, it must be millions over millions. The tools provided enable you to find your space, your group, your circle… your micro-cosmos inside Flickr which lets you see the world outside.

I gave you a warning. I told you. I am in love…

That’s all for today, but not all I have to say about this topic…. there is still more to say, especially about Flickr’s interaction with other media and software…

Note: These are my views. They do not reflect the views of my clients, my colleagues, my friends, my family, my company or, if you want to argue, me. Also, these are my current opinions. I reserve the right to change my mind.

Tal Leming in his contribution to the discussion around the possibility of web pages containing embedded fonts
… this conveys all I ever wanted to say about blogging ^_^ … and life and everything else … pure poetry …

BTW good read as well…

70×100 cm Wasn’t Me [99 USD] or 50×70 cm Wasn’t Me [79 USD] available at www.555design.org.

Instant Love! Found via Twitter and shanalogic.com. The Photographer and graphic designer Abe Age is putting a layer of decay and grunge over his imagery indicating a story behind his subjects…

This is actually nothing “new” but I really like this old toys artwork…

Take care world outside.

—-

P.S. He defiantly should get somebody to review his website… Sorry will try to shut up… but this one is really a showcase on how to not do it :-)…

“…this book doesn’t ascribe to any grand theory or presumptively innovative philosophy. Instead, I’ve placed my bet on practicality and diversity. Projects result in good things when the right combination of people, skills, attitudes, and tactics is applied, regardless of their origin or (lack of) pedigree.”
Scott Berkun, preface to ‘Making Things Happen’

I always find it hard to cope when project managers hide behind methodologies and certificates. Today project management methodologies are defined in contracts even before you start talking about objectives and requirements*… Why? I think clients and suppliers are totally scared by being used as guinea pig for the TRUE and ONLY method. ‘Agile’ often expects too much from the client, PRINCE2 is hiding behind controlling, Waterfall can’t cope with change…

How about using common sense?

Take care world outside.

* defining requirements is not evil per se

—

Post Script: I moved my - cheeky self promoting - minu blog content to the minu website - and I am still maintaining the more personal stuff on my German blog - So I am still trying to find the right future mixture for the lighthouse keeper’s cat… we will see…

And the Tiny MCA spellchecker is letting me down… So erm SORRY

Found on Studio Home Creative: Greeting cards by MessageMark are made in New Zealand, are printed on 100% recycled card and support cure4cf, are available at the  MessageMark online shop or at swonderful in Wellington, New Zealand. What else could you wish for?

Swonderful is located at:
95 Victoria Street
Wellington 6011

Browse through Studio Home Creative.
“Your very own little portal into what and who is new / old / exciting / creative / provocotive / talented and worth a mention downunder.”

And keep up-to-date on everything around MessageMark on messagemark.blogspot.com.

Take care world outside!

—-

Post Script: After years of struggling I finally gave up on the ideas of thumbnails on posts… WordPress you have it your way ^_^…

Which reminds me of something else: in a meeting with a client I was told that the system should not overrule editorial decisions… hmm… Even though I agree in principal: Most editorial decisions which are NOT supported by online best practice would not have made it into print* . They made it onto websites just because they can… Just because you can dose not mean you should…^_^…

* based on 10 years experience in the online biz. It still is is subjective though.

—-

Post Post Script: I think I even go with out the <more> tag for a while…

For further information:
Bologna Children’s Book Fair
Piazza Costituzione, 6
40128 Bologna, Italy
web site: www.bolognachildrensbookfair.com