Keith Ratner

An Election 2012 Thank You to Mark Zuckerberg

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:13:31 -0700

Thank you, Mark Zuckerberg, for giving so many people a place to vent their spleens, making it even easier for me to spot those poor souls I’ve known for decades but would never have had any idea they were such an emotionally stunted, poorly educated and latently racist bunch. As one of those “Pretty-Much-an-Atheist” types, I can say with conviction, Facebook truly is a gift from God.

13 Insanely Useful Chrome Extensions

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 13:34:20 -0700

Google Chrome is my favorite browser, as evidenced by the proliferation of extensions I have loaded up. I’ve reached the point where I should probably consider a little housecleaning and uninstall those least used, though I fear that I’ll have a pressing need for that deleted extension after the fact. It can happen. Nevertheless, the sheer productivity gains I’ve realized with this collection overall are, quite simply, insane (or at least they may appear that way to the casual observer).

Chrome Extensions in Order of Usefulness. To Me. Sort of.

Buffer

Post to Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Fill your “Buffer” with up to 10 tweets (free version) and schedule them for delivery when your followers are likely to be online. Use an integrated app like SocialBro to analyze your followers, see when they’re typically online, and adjust your Buffer schedule within seconds.

Shareaholic

Share to any of the main social networking sites. It’s fully configurable, of course, displaying your top 8 sites in one click.

AdBlock

It sure feels like I’ve been looking at far fewer ads lately. I think I’m much calmer as a result.

Do Share

Schedule posts on Google+. Your browser must be open an active in order for this to work. Apart from that, it works like a charm.

G+ Hashtags

Clean up your Google Plus stream. Hashtags appear in the right column where you can selectively view and mute them.

Engagio

Dashboard for social networks with GMail integration. See Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other conversations all in one stream.

Evernote

Clip an article, selection, full page or URL to Evernote.

Cooliris

I used to be fascinated by this 3D wall of photos, until I got an iPad and started discovering things like Flipboard.

Google Hangouts

Pull up a list of active Google Hangouts, with notifications and even a world map.

RbutR

Create links to pages that provide counter-arguments. There’s tremendous potential here if people actually start using this. Of course, I’m still wishing more people would use Editz (like me).

Adobe Shadow

Streamline web development by previewing instantly on connected devices.

efTwo

It’s text search on steroids. I have yet to work out the kinks with the keyboard shortcuts on my MacBook Pro.

Resize Window

Resize the browser window to emulate different device screen resolutions; configurable list of screen sizes.

Original Article

Groupware Has It Wrong

Sat, 28 Jul 2012 14:40:00 -0700

Do we need groupware? Perhaps the question is, “Why do we need groupware?”

The primary groupware business assumptions are that people need it and that they would be willing to integrate another piece of software into their individual workflows. Let’s look at an assumption along with a possible user persona and scenario:

Groupware assumes people will add software to their workflow.

Joe Media has a killer to-do list app that he uses. It’s sort of like Evernote, but it integrates actionable, time-based items that trigger force feedback on his iPhone when he marks them as ‘Done,’ a sensation he now equates with the taste of the best raw oyster he ever had. Joe is not giving up that app. The app also sends e-mail reminders. Joe uses Outlook at work, albeit a bit reluctantly, since he’s no big fan of Microsoft, but he considers it a necessary evil in his workplace, particularly since his organization does business with other businesses who also tend to use Outlook. Scheduling meetings is just much easier that way with people trading meeting invites. They’re not ditching Outlook any time soon.

Joe’s early-adopter-to-a-fault I.T. buddy at work keeps pushing for some kind of group collaboration project management Kanban-style social media-integrated tool to assist their team with meeting deadlines. They tried Yammer for about three minutes once because his friend heard they were well funded, after a customer mentioned that it would be really cool if he could he could chat with other meeting attendees in advance to arrange things like hikes, bike rides, lunches. That was eight months ago. There was no traction.

Joe and the I.T guy constantly bemoan everyone else’s inability to stick to processes, many of which don’t exist in any documented fashion but should, in their eyes, be “Common Sense.” Their big pain point is in communicating deadlines.

People Already Have Collaboration Apps

We all have e-mail, though by default e-mail is far from ideal for project management. For instant communication, the telephone used to be ideal, but phone calls are time consuming and, thanks to the variety of tools available now, the telephone is all but history. Social media services are tribal in nature, thus there tend to be rabid followers for Facebook, Twitter and Google+ (which is decidedly NOT a ghost town, you naysayers), though rarely the twain shall meet. Regardless of the lack of intersection, the messaging infrastructure is already built many times over, but e-mail is the common thread.

Adjusting e-mail to accommodate project management methodologies has been discussed for years, with add-ons developed for Outlook catering to fans of GTD and the like. I’ve been using the free version of ActiveInbox for Gmail. There is a lot of potential there.

The idea is to migrate the important data out of individual e-mails into actionable items with visual cues, calendar integration, and customizable reminders.

E-Mail Is Intensely Personal

Content of e-mail can certainly be personal, not to mention incriminating, but e-mail itself has been woven into the fabric of our society, regardless of the rich ecosystems of apps that have been developed around mobile devices. E-mail is ubiquitous. E-mail is a noun and a verb. People use e-mail for project management whether or not they admit it. It may not be the primary tool for more evolved organizations, but it is highly integrated into processes nonetheless. It cannot be avoided, as everyone else uses it. The popularity of such systems as Getting Things Done is a testament to people’s need for something more, but perhaps a replacement for e-mail is not what we’re all asking for.

Successful collaboration software needs to integrate with existing e-mail along with other popular time management methodologies. It needs to be familiar, with a virtually nonexistent learning curve.

Groupware should not be just another app.

Original Article

Lean and Mean?

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 19:21:53 -0700

The ‘Lean’ (as in ‘Lean Startup’) methodology may prove instrumental in guiding us into the Information Age, but perhaps it is time to disassociate ourselves from the perceived need to be ‘Mean,’ at least within the context of entrepreneurship. If we agree that we’re striving to contribute to society and improve upon the human condition, we might want to be mindful of the language we use in the process.

Here are a couple of quotes to support my position. I always welcome any feedback to the contrary, all the while making no claims whatsoever that I am immune to cognitive dissonance.

So you are lean and mean and resourceful and you continue to walk on the edge of the precipice because over the years you have become fascinated by how close you can walk without losing your balance.” Richard Milhous Nixon

These sounds like the words of someone with a death wish. Without question:

[tweetherder]Risk is a necessary component of every entrepreneurial endeavor.[/tweetherder]

Nevertheless, pathological ideations in a group setting can lead to the ruin of many lives. That’s the reality. I’ll spare you the history lesson.

In America, we hurry—which is well; but when the day’s work is done, we go on thinking of losses and gains, we plan for the morrow, we even carry our business cares to bed with us…we burn up our energies with these excitements, and either die early or drop into a lean and mean old age at a time of life which they call a man’s prime in Europe…What a robust people, what a nation of thinkers we might be, if we would only lay ourselves on the shelf occasionally and renew our edges!” Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad

Anger can be a great motivator. Over time, it will wear you down, if it doesn’t kill you outright. In the meantime, it might turn you into a miserable bastard no one else wants to be around or worse, foster an angry mob.

A German boy must be lean and mean, quick like a greyhound, tough as leather, and hard as Krupp steel. He must learn self-denial, to endure reproaches and injustice, to be reliable, silent, obedient, and loyal.” Motto of the Hitler Youth

I do not consider myself a Pacifist, nor do I advocate rolling over in the face of adversity. Self defense is our prerogative. Rather, I caution against exclusionary, adversarial tactics.

It’s worth noting that both Stages Three and Four require an adversary. When we work with people and groups, people in Stage Three groups will say, ‘I’m great because I sold more last quarter than anyone’ or ‘I just bought a huge house.’ They begin to notice that these statements are all comparative, netting out to ‘I’m better than others.’ At Stage Four, people will say, ‘We’re great because our team is winning’ or ‘We have the best people.’ Again, this language system implies ‘We’re better than them.’ At Three, the enemy is other individuals. At Four, it’s another group, or a company, or even an industry. Only at Stage Five does the need for an enemy go away.” Dave Logan and John King, Tribal Leadership

Logan and King are referring to the Five Tribal Stages, the fifth of which is embodied by altruism, a focus on values, a ‘noble cause.’ At this stage, the need for adversaries vanishes. After all, we’re in this to make the world a better place, together. Aren’t we?

[tweetherder]Are you operating like it’s “You Against the World?”[/tweetherder]

Original Article

Taken with Instagram at Pomeroy Elementary School

Sun, 24 Jun 2012 16:46:08 -0700

Taken with Instagram at Pomeroy Elementary School

Sun, 24 Jun 2012 16:44:12 -0700

Taken with Instagram at Pomeroy Elementary School

Snack Time (Taken with Instagram at Pomeroy Elementary School)

Sun, 24 Jun 2012 16:23:47 -0700

Snack Time (Taken with Instagram at Pomeroy Elementary School)

Taken with Instagram

Sun, 24 Jun 2012 16:21:08 -0700

Taken with Instagram

Taken with Instagram at Pomeroy Elementary School

Sun, 24 Jun 2012 16:09:28 -0700

Taken with Instagram at Pomeroy Elementary School

Skoot (Taken with Instagram at Pomeroy Elementary School)

Sun, 24 Jun 2012 16:07:26 -0700

Skoot (Taken with Instagram at Pomeroy Elementary School)

For some reason, Comparative Literature looks far more appealing...

Mon, 18 Jun 2012 14:43:00 -0700

For some reason, Comparative Literature looks far more appealing than Computer Engineering…

On Rock Bands, Kindergarten and Startups

Sat, 16 Jun 2012 12:02:08 -0700

Entrepreneurs are no different from other creative types. They are startup idea machines. We all are, really, until we start growing up and listening to the rest of the world talking about how uncreative they are. The drive to create is at increasing odds with the longing to fit in, thus we settle in and cease innovating. That’s the thing to do, if you’re “normal.”

Some of us (I choose to think of us as “the fortunate ones”) never really grow up. This childlike creativity carries with it the requisite full range of emotions and behaviors, notably self-centeredness, delusions of grandeur, possessiveness, as well as gregariousness.

[tweetherder]Children love to play together until they get sick of each other.[/tweetherder]

The Rock Band Startup Metaphor

Putting together a rock band means assembling a group of people you’re going to be spending a lot of time with, chasing your dreams, adjusting your course, “pivoting,” for better or worse. You can bet there is going to be quite a bit of “worse.”

My own musical career case study involved witnessing (and, admittedly, playing an active role in) bands throwing away any chance of success by allowing their emotions to get in the way. Some great music was made amidst the chaos of flying fists, exchanged romantic interests, and shifting alliances, but ultimately, attention spans were short, much like those of Kindergarten classes. Ultimately, bands broke up because we weren’t emotionally prepared to stick it out through the rough times. Indeed, this is why most relationships end.

Kindergarten is the Only Education You’ll Ever Need

If you’ve never volunteered in a Kindergarten, give it a shot. There’s a crash course in human behavior, lessons you may have forgotten over the years. Go get a refresher.

[tweetherder]Kindergarten students can be remarkably focused when there is a clear task at hand.[/tweetherder]

They’ll even work together, happily, and share in the joy of completing things, before moving onto the next endeavor.

Who Do You Want to Spend Nearly All of Your Time With?

There needs to be an emotional contract amongst co-founders. Choose wisely. You will be sharing some trials and tribulations. Your initial ideas are merely seeds. The real question is whether you can get along through thick and thin, inspire each other, maintain some optimism and above all, not give up - unless you’re really not meant to be together. Avoid the initial impulse to break up. Don’t do what my bands did. There were at least a couple of them that may have amounted to something if only they didn’t get carried away and make rash decisions.

Twenty years later, I still speak to my old band mates. With few exceptions, we regret those decisions to this day, all of us left wondering what might have been.

[tweetherder]Can your inner child sit still long enough to preserve valuable working relationships?[/tweetherder]

Original Article

Heads-Up Display and Ease of Use

Sun, 10 Jun 2012 03:44:44 -0700

In her article, “Flow, Mastery and Ease-of-Use,” Christina Wodtke discusses gamification trends in web design. I would submit that this is nothing new. Video games have been around for decades, longer than the Internet, in fact; the incorporation of game mechanics into websites has perhaps seen a resurgence thanks to the App Games craze, but the term “gamification” reeks of bumper-sticker mentality, simultaneously oversimplifying instinctual incentive/reward behaviors and claiming them as some kind of recent revelation.

We are wired to really like incentives. We also really like video games. Video games offer incentives. Badges, ratings and point systems can be magnetic enhancements to websites, though the usefulness of such systems would depend on context.

Heads-Up User Experience Design

Whether or not we’re in the context of a website or web application in which such systems would be useful, such as a membership-driven, e-commerce, or community site, the [tweetherder]Heads-Up Display (HUD) might be a workable solution to the primary usability challenge[/tweetherder], which is to provide the user instant access to up-to-date contextual information. If it works for First-Person Shooters, which, let’s face it, simulate the most extreme life-or-death scenarios imaginable, why in the world would it not work for virtually any website or web application?

Heads-Up vs. Heads-Down

According to this study conducted in 2004:

Using the HUD caused less mental stress for the drivers than the HDD and was easier for first-time users to become familiar with.

Note that this research involved drivers operating commercial vehicles in Taiwan. There’s also the billion dollar fighter jet use case.

Or maybe we should not treat our consumers with this level of urgency. Ignore at your own risk.

Original Article

Adobe Illustrator will Iron Your Shirt

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 00:32:08 -0700

I confess I had not given Adobe Illustrator nearly enough attention over the years, until recently. Photoshop used to be my go-to app for comping/wireframing/pre-production deliverables for years. In fact, Photoshop is still used in some of the top companies for exactly that purpose. This is certainly not what Photoshop was built for originally, but those designers are a wacky bunch. Eventually, features like slices and Layer Comps wormed their way into the software spawning new web prototyping workflows.

The Problem with Photoshop Comps

The problem with Photoshop in this context, aside from its limited support of vector artwork, is that it lacks multipage support. Layer Comps are great for enabling designers to maintain representations of multiple application “states” in single PSD files - which can, incidentally, be placed into InDesign layouts, with specific states activated, for presentation purposes - but the reality is, building these files is cumbersome at best. The result can easily become a labyrinth of grouped, nested and duplicated layers which becomes incrementally less manageable as each comp is added.

Overengineering with InDesign

InDesign, of course, is the be-all and end-all of multipage layout software. (If anyone is aware of anything that truly comes close, I’m all ears. I’ve had people suggest a few things to me over the years, but I’ve shut them down with the mere mention of Object Styles. If you’ve never heard of them, well, you’re in the majority. Suffice it to say they’re tremendously powerful yet seldom understood.) InDesign also has a formidable set of vector tools, but Adobe Illustrator can always be used for complex vector compositions, which can then be seamlessly imported into InDesign.

Adobe Illustrator Artboards to the Rescue

Still, InDesign can be a bit much, as it turns out, for virtually anything other than lengthy, text-heavy projects. Thankfully, Adobe Illustrator CS4 introduced multiple artboards, which effectively made Illustrator my primary design tool. In my case, I design for print and web far more often than I build books. For those occasions, InDesign is always there.

[tweetherder]With multiple artboards in Adobe Illustrator, an entire branding project can be housed in a single file.[/tweetherder] One caveat is that only one unit of measurement can be set within that file. Thus, if the project will span print and web, two separate files can be used; otherwise, there will be some switching of units (likely inches/cm to pixels and back) during the project.

The missing ingredient here is automation. Thanks to Matthew Ericson over at www.ericson.net, there is a script which exports layers and artboards to individual PNG files, even at double resolution to retina displays if you so choose. You can download the script right here.

Multiple artboards can be exported to multi-page PDF or placed into InDesign layouts. I’ve managed to avoid the InDesign phase for the vast majority of recent projects. I try to avoid complex wireframes, for that matter, as I feel the wireframing process can distance developers from actual users which can result in a lot of wasted time. The Lean UX approach favors “Getting Out Of The Deliverables Business,” but if you can’t avoid it, Adobe Illustrator’s second-to-none toolset is right there, so add a few artboards and wireframe to your heart’s content.

There is also a similar script for Photoshop downloadable right here. My typical use case is the need for multiple PNG files of the same dimensions. Simply stack the layers, including placing vector files, name the layers individually, and run the script.

Original Article

The NeoCon Hoodie.

Sat, 02 Jun 2012 22:41:49 -0700

The NeoCon Hoodie.

Unemployment Misdirection

Sat, 02 Jun 2012 01:35:57 -0700

I submit that not only does the current unemployment rate have little if anything to do with the Obama administration or, for that matter, any Presidential administration, but steps being taken right now by the White House to adopt new technologies are likely to have massive positive impact on employment in the long term. We must acknowledge that the very nature and definition of employment has undergone a radical change in a short span of recent history. Unless you can devise some sort of pretzel-shaped logic that implicates Obama in the advent of the Internet - have at it with your aresenal of Al Gore witticisms - you might consider letting him off the hook on this, just a little bit.

What’s perhaps even more disturbing is that many of the factors that weighed down the economy three years ago continue to constrain growth today: Europe’s debt crisis, housing market troubles, government jobs cuts, and a hangover from the financial crisis.

The increasingly irrelevant unemployment rate, CNNMoney, June 1, 2012

Can an “Ineffective” President Control Unemployment?

In fact, if pure logic is to be considered, attributing the state of unemployment to this President essentially contradicts a key platform of his opponent:

“He’s been one of the most ineffective presidents at the job at hand that I’ve ever seen.” Romney said. “The number one issue he faced walking in the door was an economy in fast decline. He didn’t cause it, but he made things worse.”

Politico, May 31, 2011

Goodbye Rationality

Maybe I’m just looking in the wrong places, but I have yet to see anything resembling logic to back up the barrage of pure hatred being hurled at President Obama. I maintain that latent racism still fuels this blind rage. I’ve seen people who I’ve considered rational adults (I mean, they’re in their 40’s and 50’s) post things such as this masterpiece here on their Facebook accounts, proudly, along with eloquent comments such as “This is great!” This leaves me dumbfounded.

Somebody, please, throw me a bone here.

See, that’s sort of a dog reference there, which is the perfect seque into some choice excerpts from 1001 Reasons to Vote Against Barack Obama - Part V. Here we go:

7. After the mainstream media attacked Mitt Romney for taking his dog Seamus on vacation in a carrier strapped to the roof of his car, it turned out that Barack Obama once confessed to actually eating a dog.

Hey, if they’re making a joke, their delivery needs work, or maybe a laugh track would help. Unfortunately, this is being presented on a website called Conservative Daily News which is characteristically devoid of any real humor apart from its prevailing tone of condescension.

I’m begging someone, anyone, to help me understand what it is I’m missing here. I promise I’ll listen to your viewpoints, as long as you promise to leave God out of the conversation. Consider it a dare.

Original Article

Gestalt Ingenieur

Wed, 30 May 2012 15:19:02 -0700

I came across a quote from Dieter Rams in an article here:

I am troubled by the devaluing of the word ‘design’. I find myself now being somewhat embarrassed to be called a designer. In fact I prefer the German term, Gestalt Ingenieur.

Just a Doodler

Gestalt Ingenieur translates to Shape or Form Engineer; though I would not profess to being an engineer, I like the inclusive nature of this term. Besides, it sounds exotic. I’ve always been uncomfortable referring to myself as a designer, despite having held the title formally on numerous occasions. Thanks to the likes of Rams, Ive, Apple and many others, perhaps design is getting some proper recognition these days. Nevertheless, my father was, in my view, the ‘Real Deal.’ He could illustrate, by hand. He was trained. Me, I’m a doodler, albeit a fairly accomplished one, especially if you count the fact that a couple of my comic strips were published (full disclosure: it was a college publication circa 1990, and the editor was one of my closest friends).

Having been around and owned computers for virtually my entire life, I’ve never shied away from getting my hands dirty when it comes to coding, or scripting, or programming. The Graduate Supervisor at San Jose State University, where I’m pursuing my Masters in Computer Science, asked, “So you think you can code?”

Gestalt Ingenieur, What?

I do code. I wouldn’t call myself a programmer any more than I would a designer, but the reality is programming is a large part of what I do, but it’s all a means to an end, whatever it takes to accomplish the puzzle of the day. These puzzles, for me, tend to be usability-related. Sometimes, they’re people-related. All the jQuery in the world can’t solve those kinds if problems. In those situations, pretending to be a sea of tranquility is sometimes the best bet. In short:

[tweetherder]Check your own Gestalt.[/tweetherder]

Original Article

Gravity(ca. 1990)

Sun, 27 May 2012 02:24:07 -0700

Gravity
(ca. 1990)

Trans-Dimensional VoyagerEpisode One (ca. 1990)

Sun, 27 May 2012 02:14:00 -0700

Trans-Dimensional Voyager
Episode One (ca. 1990)

Draw

Wed, 16 May 2012 14:35:00 -0700

‘Lean’ (re: Eric Ries’ The Lean Startup) is a notable buzzword these days, perhaps inspired by our recession and everyone’s obsession with trimming fat, getting rid of waste, stop resting on your laurels, that’s-what-got-us-into-this-mess-in-the-first-place mentality. I recently mentioned Lean UX to someone and they perked up: “What can you tell me about that?”

I can tell you that I owe my career as a graphics-visual-ui-ux-whatever-you-feel-like-calling-it-guy to this methodology, if you even can call it a methodology. I was lean before it was a trend - and I’m not just referring to my BMI. I’ve held graphic design positions (regardless of what the actual titles were) at all kinds of organizations huge and small for decades, yet I still have a hard time referring to myself as a graphic designer. My late father was one of the few real graphic designers I’ve ever known. I should be so lucky to have but a fraction of his raw talent. At least, I am assuming he had raw talent, although he did actually go to school for it. Nevertheless, I can hold my own. The fact that I know the de facto software inside and out may help, though that should be expected of anyone in this field. However, when it comes time for a design meeting, no one cares about what software you use or how clever you are while using it. It’s all about the product.

The idea is simply to get something in front of the stakeholders as early as possible. This is the product. It will be, by definition, imperfect, raw, and in need of revision. Unless you work in a vacuum, this has to happen. Ideally, there will be a few (three is a great number, never less than three) versions to review. Listen to the comments. Absorb all input. Get over yourself.

Keep iterating. Incorporate suggestions, revisions, diatribes, everything is fair game. Do not stop iterating until the product is shipped, printed, published, posted, tweeted, and of course, Pintstagrammed. After that, keep iterating, unless it’s a one-off project, in which case iterating means using all this knowledge thus far to help streamline future projects and meetings with this cast of characters who have entrusted you with their naked souls.

Whenever possible, draw.

This falls under the “I should take my own advice” category, as my own manual drawing has taken a back seat to the computerized variety for far too many years. Why draw? If a picture is worth a thousand words, a lousy picture could become a cacophony of insults. Without a doubt, this is why most people refuse to draw in the first place. Again, get over yourself. I’ve been told that I can, in fact, draw. We all can. We can all make pictures using whatever tools happen to be around. I developed whatever abilities I have over time, with practice. Pictures are far more efficient than words, and drawing by hand can still be far more efficient than using a device. There are finally some electronic tools these days which can replace pen(cil) and paper, but they cost a lot more money. Until tablets are everywhere, lo-tech can prevail.

After all this reading, I’m feeling like going back to the drawing board. That’s right, I said it. Enough with the overengineering already. Time to put pen or pencil or marker or blood to paper. Kill some trees - as long as the paper’s recycled. Maybe notes from my next design meeting will have no words at all. Maybe there won’t even be wifi. Back to basics, keep it simple, return to the roots. Feel free to insert some Buddhist-sounding cliché here.

Original Article