Ideas and Discoveries

SXSW spilled over the levees of Austin’s infrastructure, creating logistical headaches that sank the conference. But man, it sure was fun. Also: I gave a talk on iPad app design.

Touchscreens introduce new interface metaphors, as well as new techniques to subtly help our audiences understand how to use our apps. Suzanne offers some useful examples.

Our job as designers is to make complexity uncomplicated. I’m not sure the designers of this seventies-era power plant pulled that off, but the resulting complication sure is gorgeous.

Last night, I was walking down the sidewalk and brushed against a woman carrying a cake.

Geeks love black-and-white answers, but the same rule applies to the mobile web as every other technology: use the right tool for the job.

App developer Justin Williams shares his no-nonsense, single-price approach to app pricing: find your audience, charge the right price, and stick to it.

VisionMobile’s pretty graphic visualizes the shifts in handset sales over the last ten years.

In recent days, several mobile design-pattern resources have passed through the series of tubes which criss-cross my desk.

Friends, it's that time of year again. South by Southwest time. Here's where you'll find me at SXSW 2011.

“What designer has the most elaborate, the most complex, the most beautiful job in the world? It’s the user experience designer, a very special species indeed!”

Because mobile apps can be used anywhere and anytime, the potential environments and scenarios seem nearly infinite. When planning your app, rely on actual data and research whenever possible. Here are some stats to get you started.

A look at what’s under the feet of Parisians and New Yorkers.

Keynotopia is a sensational resource for using Keynote to prototype app designs.

The latest marketshare stats tell us how the smartphone market is evolving—and boy howdy, it’s all happening fast. How important are these numbers for designers an developers?

I had to chuckle as I was reviewing the speaker agreement for SXSW.

An overwhelming number of iPad users are wifi-only, and with good reason.

Great design, like any other creative pursuit, requires more than an understanding of the rules.