World Usability Day

Fri, 04 Nov 2005 17:16:01 GMT

clipped by: rachelw

Today is World Usability Day, a holday intended to highlight the importance of the user experience in design. The organizers have collected stories about what they term "everyday usability," examples of simple ways technology can improve the world. The resource might make interesting parallel reading to This Is Broken, which highlights bad design.

Tags: design, user experience, technology

Do you have your own geek?

Fri, 04 Nov 2005 17:01:55 GMT

clipped by: rachelw
clipper's remarks: I have mine!

Clip Source: www.fastcompany.com

There's a saying in Silicon Valley: "The geeks shall inherit the earth."

That's a sign, if you needed one, that we have permanently entered a new economy. Once a term of derision, the label "geek" has become a badge of honor, a mark of distinction. Anyone in any business in any industry with any hope of thriving knows that he or she is utterly dependent on geeks -- those technical wizards who create great software and the powerful hardware that runs it. The geeks know it too -- a fact that is reflected in the rich salaries and hefty stock options that they now command.

You've got to have your own geeks

Today innovation drives any business. And since you don't want to outsource your innovation, you need to have your own geeks. Look at trends in e-commerce: Who would have thought that all of these "old" companies would have to face huge new distribution-channel issues, all of which are driven by technology? The truth is, you need to have a stable of technologists around -- not just to run your systems but also to help you figure out which strategies to pursue, which innovations to invest in, and which partnerships to form.

The geeks control the limits of your business. It's a fact of life: If the technologists in your company invent something ahead of everybody else, then all of a sudden your business will get bigger. Otherwise, it will get smaller. You simply have to recognize and accept the critical role that technologists play. All new-economy businesses share that property.

Tags: geeks, silicon valley, business, technology

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World Usability Day

Do you have your own geek?

You've got to have your own geeks