Today, after a run, I decided to take a bath. Right now, it is too hot for a bath usually, but I did a longer run and thought, I’d just enjoy a beer while being in the bath tub and watch an episode of the Abstract series on Netflix, that I haven’t watched before. It was the second of eight episodes featuring Tinker Hatfield. I have to admit – shame on me – I haven’t heard of him before. I just wonder why. Loved the episode and his approach on designing shoes. And he ended with a sentence that stuck with me – even though you heard similar things maybe …
“If people don‘t either love or hate your work, you just haven‘t done all that much.” – Tinker Hatfield
Tried to find out how to get in touch with him to simply state how much I liked the episode and him in it and being emotional when presenting the Jordan XV. Did not succeed. So, Tinker, if you ever stumble across these lines: Thanks ;)
I got and email from Mike yesterday night. He suggest that we both go and visit an exhibition in the Vitra Design Museum dealing with Vitor Papanek’s work.
The exhibition is called Victor Papanek: The Politics of Design. If his name rings a bell, it might be, because he has written Design for the Real World, up to the date one the most widely read book about design that was ever published. And even though the book was published in 1971, I think it never has been more relevant than these days, as it deals with topics like inclusion and social justice for design. His socially and ecologically oriented approach to design in the 1960’s is timeless and reading his books, as the one mentioned above or How Things Don’t Work (1977) and Design for Human Scale (1983), will still and definitely help you to be a better designer.
In the exhibition, taking place from 29 September 2018 to 10 March 2019, drawings, manuscripts, films, prints and much more – some of them never presented before – will be exhibited.
So, I guess, I have one more thing to do in this year. With or without Mike ;)
An email from X:“My name is X, I represent ABC-company - mobile app for conferences and expos https://…
Could you guide me please with whom I can discuss partnership opportunites?”
Me (knowing what he actually wants):“That would be me. I attached my Partnership Document for your information. Cheers and have a lovely Friday.”
X:“Thank you for your answer. Unfortunetly you didn't understand me correctly. We offer our service to events like yours. May we make skype-call I will show to you our service and discribe how you can earn with ABC-company.”
Me:“Ah ok. Sorry, not interested.”
X:“Are you not interested to earn more?”
Me:“Of course. But not interested in using a mobile app at my events. I wish nobody would even use a mobile phone during the event to focus on what is happening onsite and enjoy the event and chatting to other people.”
My friend Brendan Dawes created a notebook. But if you know Bren, you know that it is not only a standard notebook.
“Notes to Myself” by Brendan Dawes – click for more photos
Brendan sees this notebook as as creative inspiration and interruption as it is not just a blank notebook, but comes with a selection of his thoughts on making things. A lot of the pages furthermore come with grids, generated by his GridMaker. The whole package also contains three pencils as well as a poster with more things Brendan learned during the years running his business.
New gin family member: Longitude Gin. Just picked it up only a street away from my place. Something I look forward to try with Keir Whitaker visiting me in a few days.
It was a bit silent over here lately. One reason is my work on beyond tellerrand in Berlin, but another reason is, that I was away for a week and spend my time at the first Smashing Conference in Toronto.
Impressions of the first SmashingConf in Toronto – click to get to the full album
Not only was it the first event for Smashing Magazine in Toronto, but also the first one with a new concept to be tested. Vitaly asked the speakers to not have slides while presenting. It was allowed to use the projector for other reasons, maybe to live draw or live code during your session, but not simply for slides. Except for a ver few speakers, everyone followed this task and even though I heard critical opinions before the event (I was sceptical as well), the majority of the presenters not using slides, as well as the attendees really enjoyed the different way of presenting.
I created a set of photos with impressions of the main event as well as the workshops and the jam sessions, on the evening before the conference. The overall atmosphere at the TIFF Bell Lightbox was really good. Not only the cinema, which was used as the main theatre for the talks, but also the sponsors and breakout area and the lunch and learn room was well visited. The lovely weather and Toronto added to the overall good vibe.
In the 1790’s the world’s first national data network was constructed in France and it was a mechanical telegraph system made of a chain towers to communicate with each other.
Two bankers hacked this system and classified the first cyber attack with their acting. It was a clever hack and and showed one things that counts today still:
[…] regardless of the technology, security is like a chain and humans are always the weakest link.
Today the Smashing Book #6 was pre-released and announced and yes, you could say, I am part of the Smashing Magazine team and therefore I am biased, but let me just say a couple of things:
the announced content looks absolutely promising
the value for money is ace
if you like practical books, that one is yours
Content
Let me just list the chapters and people who have written the chapters to show you what I mean, when I say it is a practical book:
Making design systems work in real-life – by Laura Elizabeth
Accessibility in times of SPAs – by Marcy Sutton
Production-ready CSS Grid layouts – by Rachel Andrew
Strategic guide to CSS Custom Properties – by Mike Riethmueller
Taming performance bottlenecks – by Harry Roberts
Building an advanced service worker – by Lyza Gardner
Loading assets on the web – by Yoav Weiss
Conversation interface design patterns – by Adrian Zumbrunnen
Building chatbots and designing for watches – by Greg Nudelman
Cross Reality and the web (AR/VR) – by Ada Rose Cannon
Bringing personality back to the web – by Vitaly Friedman
Looks good? I think it does.
Price
If you pre-order the book is $29 instead of $39, the e-book $14,90 instead of $19. Already a great price. But what I really can’t see in Vitaly’s post in Smashing Magazine is, that, if you are a Smashing Member, you save another damn $10 (I think that is with the highest plan – but you can definitely save money with the lowest plan as well), so that the whole package only is $19. That, for a printed book, is a lovely price, in my personal opinion.
Do I get any money for this shameless advertising plug? Nope, but I am happy to advertise for something, where I think it is good value for money.
So, my tip: become a Smashing Member and use the benefits of that throughout the year, like the money you save on this book and many more benefits.
