In this big, complicated world, there are many processes in need of redesign. From the operating instructions for a smart toaster to the crosswalk at a busy urban intersection, designers are tasked with the important job of improving these experiences and removing pain points wherever possible. Of course, this is easier said than done. Even a common experience with which a designer is personally familiar can be a challenge to understand in a real-world setting. Because of this, research and desk-based design thinking alone cannot solve problems. …

As you may have noticed, Google (or Alphabet) has been releasing new and interesting products all the time. From the announcement about Alphabet itself to a solar panel savings calculator, new stuff keeps on coming.

Yesterday, I was delighted to see this post in my Facebook newsfeed:

Google Fortune Telling? This reminded me of those old early 2000's websites that claimed they could tell your future or predict which button you would press. All a wonderful exercise in hilarity. But then, when has Google ever steered me wrong before? How could they take part in something so…well, hoaxy? So I…

I have been an iPhone user for about three years now. It was my first smartphone, and I found it easy to learn how to use. While there are some wonderful details of the interface that I absolutely love, there are certain aspects that I have to use every day and hate with the power of a thousand burning suns.

In an effort to bring more positivity into the world and to flex my proverbial design muscle, I have decided to tackle some of these problems myself. And why not? …

With the semi-recent closure of Future Shops everywhere (guess I can’t return those headphones I bought two years ago), I started to think about the way people view the act of shopping in our increasingly virtually-driven world. Where once, physically travelling to a store was the only way to find, understand, and purchase an item, we can now do all of that more easily online. And we can do it in our underwear (always a plus). So that only leaves one missing piece, the tactile experience.

Personally, I am still not very comfortable buying things online because the tactile experience…

Back before the advent of computers, all design was done by hand. Countless iterations, the likes of which we could now move through with a few swift strokes of a keyboard, were slugged through in a matter hours or days. Before the rise of this digital age, design was only produced for print. There was no worry of screen sizes and responsiveness; what you saw was truly what you got.

The print medium was by the paper, of the paper, and for the paper. These days it’s a little more complicated.

Being too young to have witnessed the world back…