Transformation: making a ruckus
My search for articles, presentations, recordings, books etc on the all topics around ebooks and digital publishing has been frustrating. To help me collate my findings and hopefully support others I have created a Google Document listing all found items. The document can be viewed and edited by anybody so please do help me build this into something of value:
Ebooks and digital publishing in Education and research, Google Document
On Saturday 16th June myself and around 20 other strangers rocked up to Spike Island* in Bristol for a user experience (UX) Day called Design Jam Bristol.
As with the typical wonder of discover I found out about the event from a RT on twitter from a London UX pro.
Ever since I started to create ‘things’ for other people I have been interested in how those things are discovered, used, misused or neglected. The summary of the day grabbed my attention:
Design Jam is a one-day design session, during which people will team up to tackle engaging User Experience (UX) challenges. Similar to developer ‘hackdays’ the aim is to get UX professionals, designers, developers (and more) together to learn and collaborate with each other while working on actual design problems. The sessions champion open-source thinking & sharing and are non-profit, run by local volunteers.
After a tour of the building (they do a lot!) we got chunked into random groups (me, Keir, Robin and Tom) and cracked on with the task which was to explore how to encourage everyday folk to visit art space and galleries like Spike that were compelling and rewarding. The following are some of my own thoughts as well as the group around making art spaces a Celebration:
I like free stuff, used to paint a bunch, made digital pieces and like to support local events… yet rarely do I dip into the art spaces available across the uk. For me personally it is partly due to being completely unaware of what is happening. I now mostly discover things from my networks such as twitter so it is essentially art spaces not only have a presence here but realise that it is likely a link removed from the organisation itself that will get me through the door. Make it easy for us to point to you, ask you questions and reflect on our points of interaction. Come to us, help us and we’ll reward you with visits and actively spread the word.
I would like to thank the organisers, other teams and my own team for a thought provoking and entertaining day.
* This was my first visit to Spike island…..
My first visit to motoGP race and Cal Crutchlow #35 was superhuman. Riding from last with a fractured ankle he came 6th and earned applause every time he came around. The photo above is at Stowe corner on the way to Vale.
I will continue to wear his #35 polo with pride!
It’s a whole new way for your organization to learn with video.
MediaCore
I first came across MediaCore at an event in London last year that I was speaking at on the subject of digital media. Naturally this video platform caught my attention and Stuart Bowness, co-founder was in attendance to explain in detail. Fast forward several months and we kicked the tyres of the platform for EdMediaShare.
Stuart and co asked for our thoughts on the version we had and we mostly loved it, the stuff we didn’t? they added to a list for either investigation or for their customer wall of shame haha!
A hot topic on every institution’s lips is that of managing video: Creation, storage, branding, attribution etc. MediaCore quite rightly is going into this space. Quite frankly I hope they can help solve our problems.
It is nice to see the platform improve and grow. I wish the team much success.
Watch the video explaining the platform.
Clap for ’em
After being entertained watching Cal Crutchlow today in the MotoGP race I thought i’d show my support and buy one of his polo shirts from the official seller Clinton Enterprises.
I very quickly hit a snag.
The problem
On the one hand, the folks at Clinton sell clothing in more than one size (yeeeah) but then on the other they FAIL to reference what those sizes are other than the usual “small through large”. This makes buying near impossible for the buyer and a likely large pile of clothing rotting in a warehouse under the end of season sale.
The clothes item page. Missing the point by failing to let the buyer know what size is small etc. Clothing purchases revolve around the buyer who a) chooses the clothes I want for a price I am willing to pay and b) chooses the correct size. Generally I am a “Medium” sized kind of guy. But not always. At this point you just lost another customer.
The small solution to a large problem
I would hazard a guess that adding a simple and clear “sizing guide” would reduce lost sales from folks like me, which would see an increase in (lost) sales and reduce support emails or telephone calls. I emailed them yesterday but with a long weekend due to two bank holidays I expect I’ll be lucky to hear back within 5 days…
Go and see that Howies has a great sizing guide table that also rather cleverly shows you exactly where the measurement should be taken.
Which leads to:
The result of which is that I am now a regular howies online customer as the sizing guide allows me to buy with confidence.
Oh and please don’t make it a PDF, mainly because it is annoying but also you’ll be able to measure traffic to the “sizing guide”. If you want to go even further than Howies, put a link to the sizing guide right up near the sizing list – it may be lost in the footer.
** UPDATE 12th June 2012 **
#1 In the second graphic I questioned why it was labelled a 2011 polo shirt… turns out that this week (racing at his home circuit Silverstone) they have released the 2012 shirt just after my 2011 arrived at home…. why the 2012 shirt has only become available 1/4 through a season I have no clue – not happy to have missed this newer shirt!
#2 They emailed me back and it turns out that I am a ‘small’ size. Great quality shirt.. even if it is a year old!
Whenever I come a cropper using a service I will document the experience. I hope this will be useful to those concerned but also to keep a record of my user experience, as sometimes it will be “it’s me not you”.
One of my web heroes Jonathan Snook has released a great digital book (website, ebook and print versions) about writing better CSS called SMACSS. I have read and re-read this thing several times already:
SMACSS (pronounced “smacks”) is more style guide than rigid framework. There is no library within here for you to download or install. SMACSS is a way to examine your design process and as a way to fit those rigid frameworks into a flexible thought process. It is an attempt to document a consistent approach to site development when using CSS.
Getting Real is now available for free as a PDF book. It has been a few years since I last read it but I remember it fondly:
Want to build a successful web app? Then it’s time to Get Real.
Getting Real is a smaller, faster, better way to build software.
Getting Real is about skipping all the stuff that
represents real (charts, graphs, boxes, arrows, schematics,
wireframes, etc.) and actually building the real thing.
Getting real is less. Less mass, less software, less features,
less paperwork, less of everything that’s not essential (and
most of what you think is essential actually isn’t).
Getting Real is staying small and being agile.
Getting Real starts with the interface, the real screens that
people are going to use. It begins with what the customer
actually experiences and builds backwards from there. This lets
you get the interface right before you get the software wrong.
Getting Real is about iterations and lowering the
cost of change. Getting Real is all about launching,
tweaking, and constantly improving which makes
it a perfect approach for web-based software.
Getting Real delivers just what customers need
and eliminates anything they don’t.
The verge has a fantastic collection of product reviews for dedicated ebook readers on the market. Believe it or not the Amazon Kindle is not the only reader on market. Be sure to make use of the sites ‘filter’ feature which makes comparing products an enjoyable experience.
Craig Mod writes about hacking book covers:
…with the present digital inflection, the role of the cover is changing radically; disappearing in some cases. It doesn’t need to shout anymore because it doesn’t serve the same purpose.
This shift presents a wonderful chance for designers to break from thinking of a cover as an individual asset, and certainly a chance to break from a tight coupling with the marketing department. In a sense, it’s a chance to play again. To hack. And I can’t help but feel that elements of the design of our future digital books should take to heart the craftsmanship and metered rationality embedded in so much Japanese book design.
It is the same with music, I only use the data views within itunes and never the cover flow view.