We’re stewards, not owners: User experience and open source

I work at a relatively large organization. There are many divisions and teams, and products within the larger product. At this organization, I design for people using these products. To add another layer of complexity, the products we design and build are open source. This means that beyond the end users of the product, merchantsContinue reading “We’re stewards, not owners: User experience and open source”

How to be a better designer, Part 1: Consequences of social media algorithms

I’ve been meaning to write this post on the consequences and power of data, and reflecting on what power we have as designers to make things better. It’s becoming more clear as time goes on, some of the things we design (or technologies we facilitate with our design) related to our work on certain platformsContinue reading “How to be a better designer, Part 1: Consequences of social media algorithms”

Design, cooking, and frameworks for creativity

I’ve had to think about my ideation and design process a lot lately, transitioning from a background of customer-centered product design to tech companies that are more driven by engineering. How does design work in these environments? Also, during the recent extensive time at home I’ve managed to cook a lot of meals. I hadContinue reading “Design, cooking, and frameworks for creativity”

Using technology to connect us with shopping IRL

Some context: I designed an app a little while back that connect you with points of interest around the city, and you could follow different paths based on your location and interests. Although there’s a lot of talk about how much technology disconnects us from the world around us, I’ve always been fascinated by theContinue reading “Using technology to connect us with shopping IRL”

Rethinking Retail: 4 Opportunities to Upgrade the Associate Experience

At HBC Tech, one of the company’s current initiatives is to bridge the divide between the physical and digital experience. Saks Fifth Avenue has a considerable network of retail locations throughout the US, and our goal is to use technology to entice more people into these stores. More specifically, one initiative focuses on connecting newContinue reading “Rethinking Retail: 4 Opportunities to Upgrade the Associate Experience”

I’m Giving a Talk, Y’all!

The event is called, Design Marathon: The Design that Changed the World. https://generalassemb.ly/education/design-marathon-the-design-that-changed-the-world/london/11293 I’m excited! My talk is on technology and art, and how there are major opportunities for disruption in the industry. Blog post on the same topic to come shortly!

So much more than a “like”

USING DATA RESPONSIBLY   Customization has become de rigueur in the web technology world, and so the trend towards prolific data collection and algorithm-controlled experiences continues unabated. Not to be confused with “big data” in marketing, the data I’m referring to lives in the ecosystem of the product you’re creating to hopefully deliver a betterContinue reading “So much more than a “like””

The reader gives text its meaning

Roland Barthes wrote in his essay “Death of the Author” that it is not about the meaning the author gives to a work – it’s the reader that gives text its meaning. Along the same lines, for my current project Tomorrow and Today my intention is that the varying perspectives of others will give the work itsContinue reading “The reader gives text its meaning”

Public Art in the Digital Space

A NEW EXHIBITION MODEL In the last Elephant magazine, curator Rafal Niemojewski explains his views that the exhibition model is a remnant from an antiquated time. His doctoral studies were on the role the biennal as offering the artist more structural flexibility with which to exhibit art, now imagining the next curatorial phase will take placeContinue reading “Public Art in the Digital Space”