Today we published a splash landing page for our new site SmartPlanet.com set to launch early this summer. I am excited about this site on many levels. First, because I believe in the idea – It is a site “dedicated to people who realize the need to make our world a better place to live, for all of us, and for generations to come”.
Second, because it takes advantage of the vast amounts of R&D that took place throughout 2008. Much of this effort made its way into the recent launch of MoneyWatch.com – still in it’s beta phase. However, it’s presentation has many new UI elements that I am very proud of. They feel intuitive and I hope that in the long run will serve to add value to our users and make our content easier to consume.
In some respects, many could say I am crazy to be excited about adding another brand to our portfolio of sites. ( My team already handles all creative for 4 major brands – this makes 5 ) However, I see it as an opportunity to fine tune a number of these new ideas that we are trying in the functionality of our products. Ideas that are easier to implement when building from scratch then when adding to far bigger sites with legacy functions on older platforms.
Thus far, our work has progressed quickly (Many trips to the no longer new coffee machines) – All of our previous efforts have made the creation and build out of SmartPlanet a smoother process that will be easier to deploy as a result. – I am eager to push this out and let folks take for a test drive!
I am an avid student and evangelist of user-centered design principles - I have created or overhauled some of the world's largest online Business & Technology properties. My focus has always been on building functional design systems that creatively solve business problems. Solutions that convey brand & messaging, but more importantly, are intuitive to maximize the possibilities of an interactive medium. 
