One of the most influential books I have ever read is Donald Norman's "The Design of Everyday Things". In the book, Norman rails against the usability flaws which seek to undermine our comfort and sanity. Everything from lightswitches which never seem to have a consistent state, to to alarm clocks with impossible to figure out controls. It really is a must read for anyone who cares about usability - on computers or in the real world. I travel a lot for business - and occasionally for…
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I love nothing more that a tramp round a city. Taking the Metro in Paris is very simple - and fairly cheap - but the riches you discover wandering around make up for the extra time needed. A few years ago, Miss Geeky introduced me to Space Invader spotting. Dotted around the cities of the world are mosaics of Space Invaders. Placed there by a mysterious artist - seemingly at random. Before I went to Paris, I had no idea that there were any Space Invaders lurking on street corners. I've…
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Several years ago, I was wandering round the Louvre on a wet Parisian afternoon. I turned a corner from one gallery to another when I saw a painting which would change my life forever. Like a good many of you, I was completely unaware of Íñigo Melchor de Velasco, the 7th Duke of Frías. But then, how many of us know the person we are destined to become? Looking at the picture, staring into those familiar eyes, I felt like I was looking into a mirror. A mirror which showed the future. I wa…
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I've just come back from a delightful weekend in Paris. Delightful for me - not so for my wife. Rather than quietly admiring the artwork in the Louvre, I ran around gawping at the huge range of 2D codes on offer on the streets of Paris. There are some great examples of how to do 2D code marketing - and how not to do it. I'd like to run you through a few of examples I found. I've enhanced the photos to make the codes a bit more obvious - that should make scanning them easier. QR QR Codes…
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