unraveled also

timoni:

benw:

Unrefined thought on the iPad closed system/open system/old world-new world/learning to programme meme: We learned to programme and it made us smarter, better, improved our brains. We fear a world in which people cannot improve their brains in the same way. We fear that simpler, more refined interfaces will close off a route to getting smart, that people will be stupider as a result, or that access to knowledge we take for granted will beaccessible only to an elite.

But the thing we don’t see is that the hacking, programming and outlets for creativity and extending our brains on these new world platforms hasn’t emerged yet. We don’t see what it is that people will do on these new machines to get smarter. The first ones to use an iPad to push the limits of their brain will be the ones who discover what that is.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

The Setup

The Setup is a bunch of nerdy interviews. I’m not (yet) popular enough to be featured there, so I thought I’d post my own version here.

Who are you, and what do you do?

My name is Joshua Kaufman, and I’m an interaction designer at Punchcut, a San Francisco based design firm that focuses on the interface design of mobile and convergent devices. I’m also the community manager for the San Francisco chapter of the Interaction Design Association.

What hardware are you using?

At work I use a black MacBook (2 GHz Intel Core Duo with 2 GB RAM), a Samsung SyncMaster 226BW monitor, a Goldtouch Adjustable Keyboard and a Logitech VX Nano.

At home, I use a 13” MacBook Pro (2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 4 GB RAM). I used to use a mouse at home until my last VX Nano died and I started using the trackpad a lot more. I realized how awesome the all glass trackpads are on the new MacBook Pros with more regular use. I could do 99% of what I needed to do at home without a mouse — and often faster — so I haven’t bothered with once since.

And what software?

My base setup is the same at work and at home. I use Safari for web browsing because it’s fast and syncs with MobileMe. Mail is just okay, but it’s been pretty dependable in Snow Leopard and handles multiple accounts nicely. I also use SpamSieve, but it’s become less useful now that I’m managing much of my email from my iPhone 3G. I use Evernote for most writing, and for saving account details, serial numbers, receipts and notes. I like iChat but I like how Adium let’s me customize everything to my liking even more. Despite needing an update, Tweetie is still a pleasure to use.

Most of my design time is spent in Omnigraffle and Fireworks. I can’t remember the last time I opened Photoshop.

Scanning my dock for the utility side of things, I use Skitch for screenshots, CrashPlan for off-site backups, iCal for calendaring, iTunes for music listening, Things for task management and Address Book for storing my contacts. Beyond the utilities sitting in my dock, I also use Hazel to automate some file management tasks, the aforementioned LiteSwitch X to replace the OS X app switcher, and iScrobbler to send my iTunes history to Last.fm. Launchbar is my secret weapon.

What would be your dream setup?

A 13” MacBook Pro, a 30” Monitor (but not from Apple because theirs are terribly overpriced) and a Magic Mouse that’s designed for people with large hands.

The Twist on Product Design

I recently bought a Twist, the new portable espresso machine from Mypressi. I initially bought it because I love espresso, but I didn’t want to have the permanent footprint of an espresso machine in my kitchen with its limited counter space. The fact that the Twist is completely portable was extremely appealing. But once I started using the Twist, I realized it was so much more than simply a portable espresso maker.

It turns out the Twist is a great model for talking about product design basics because it embodies three key tenets of well designed products: it fulfills a specific need, it’s easy to use, and it engages the emotions.

It fulfills a specific need. People have been creating espresso machines for decades, and practically all of them have been cookie jar size or larger. It’s sufficiently safe to say that the counter top espresso industry is crowded and has options for just about every preference. There are steam driven, piston driven, pump driven, air pump driven; semi-automatic, automatic and super-automatic. If you’re looking to create a new entry in the espresso maker market, good luck.

However, there are very few portable espresso makers. In fact, a quick search on Google Products reveals that there are two main options: the Handpresso Wild and the Mypressi Twist. Granted, not everyone wants (or needs) a portable espresso maker, but for certain people, like me, they’re very appealing. Mypressi recognized that there was an opportunity create a product that fulfills a specific need and created an outstanding device.

It’s easy to use. While the Twist is certainly not as easy as pressing the button on a Nespresso machine, it’s easy enough that Mypressi explains how to use it in the manual with four simple illustrations. Unfortunately, I don’t have a scanner and wasn’t able to find a digital version to include here, so you’ll have to take my word that it’s as easy as I explain here:

1. Fill the basket with coffee.
2. Place the basket in the holder and lock the water bowl (the top half of the sphere) into place.
3. Fill the water bowl with hot water.
4. Pull the trigger.

Products designed to be portable often end up being overly complex because the designers attempted to cram every bit of full-size functionality into a device a quarter of the size. (As a mobile interaction designer, I’m painfully aware of this problem.) Mypressi wisely didn’t bother with the bean grinders, pressure gauges, water filtration or any other controls outside of a release button; they included only what was required to make espresso using a pressurized device. When you start with the absolute requirements, the product is already one step towards being easier to use by simplicity alone.

It engages the emotions. For true coffee lovers, just the thought of coffee makes them happy. If I told them that I’m making an espresso, they would immediately perk up. So before they know anything about how I’m making the coffee, their emotions are already engaged.

Then I show them the Twist.

“That’s an espresso maker?”

“Yes. And it makes exceptional espresso.”

“How?”

“With a pressure cartridge. The cartridge sits in the handle, and you pull the trigger to extract the shot.”

“That’s neat!”

This has been the common reaction of just about everyone I’ve shown the Twist to. They were happy about the thought coffee before, but now they’re truly excited.

Then I show them how it works, going through the four steps above. Despite the steps not being very different from typical espresso makers or very surprising, there’s something unmistakably delightful about handling the machine. I liken it to loading a gun. I’m personally not fond of guns, but gun collectors often talk about the experience of loading the gun as a distinguishing factor between various models.

Once the now excited coffee drinker goes through the four steps and pulls the trigger to release the compressed air, they have a feeling of accomplishment. And the more times you go through the process, the more you enjoy the process. Using the Twist is a routine I’ve learned to love.

Then they taste the coffee. I’ll be the first to admit that it doesn’t make the best espresso I’ve ever tasted, but it’s very good. This review from Espresso Parts said it nicely:

So… does it taste like espresso? Yes. Is is the same espresso? No. It has all of the flavors of a traditionally pulled espresso, maybe a little softer (to know what I mean you may have to try it yourself). The mouth feel is… well… like a draft Guinness; and why shouldn’t it be, it is pulled with the use of NO2.

The idea of coffee made them happy, the concept behind the Twist made them excited, the experience of using the Twist made them feel accomplished, the taste of the coffee made them smile. Good products look good and work well. Great products tell a story that you want to listen to every time you use them.

Next time you want to explain product design to someone - or make a great espresso from anywhere, look no further than the Twist.

This is why it's worth learning about advertising

timoni:

superamit, stammy, rinich:

From Apple.com:

Our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price.

Bam! That’s their selling point! Somebody gets paid lots of money to write that sentence, and they earn it all, because that sentence will sell several billion of these things.

I don’t know that I agree with the “magic” component rinich mentions several times in this post. Delight comes from recognition, and recognition is a fleeting feeling. But I do agree that the price point is absolutely the most compelling selling point of the Apple Tablet*. It’s cheaper than an iPhone and works, and is friendly, out of the box. That’s amazing. The Latitude XT2 costs $2k. Apple is marketing this for the common man, and the prices match up with the intended consumer audience.

*I’m just ignoring the whole ‘iPad’ moniker. Terrible.