PORT : Prominence, Ownership, Response and Targeting. These are the key elements by which we hope to measure ourselves as it pertains to being able to deliver value to folks who advertise on the CBS Interactive Business and IS/IT properties. This had been a foundational element that drove many of the choices that were made in creating a the new design framework that has now been rolled out first to ZDNet and now to BNET.
The adoption of smart phones has been enormous (iPhone, Android, etc). With this, has come literally hundreds of thousands of applications – each that does any number of things from consumption, functional utility to entertainment. However, what would seem most consistent with the best of these Apps, is the simplicity and focus that is brought to a finite feature set. For those developing apps, the canvas to create offers a far smaller palette (320 x 480px) However, I would suggest that while this may have begun as a limitation, it has driven serious innovation by forcing folks to be more disciplined in choosing what elements truly respond to the user’s intent. This forces efficiencies to only solve the tasks at hand, applying the most simple and easy paths to any desired function set or consumption model.
I spend 5 days a week in arguably one of the most beautiful cities in the world – yet so infrequently do I actually see what so many folks travel thousands of miles each year to see. Lately I have been taking quick walks to the Embarcadero with co-worker @JFP as a way to get a little physical activity during my day. In addition to the health benefits, this also gives me the opportunity to actually enjoy a bit of what makes San Francisco a loved town. ( All be it, more from the vacationers then us working stiffs! )
For many years, I have enjoyed building things as an outlet for my creativity – Often, my projects begin as a means to solve an issue, or even in this case as a result of simple clean up. For some time, my dog Theo (a tall 110lb Labrador) has been a digger ~ which is a massive pain in the ass for someone like myself, who thrives on keeping a zen, neatly manicured garden. This weekend, while removing some dead plants that had fallen victim to my pooch – I got the idea, to build a simple and small patio which would insure no more holes in this particular spot – as well as to create a neat new spot to sit in a seldom used corner of my garden.
Los Compadres is a source of both inspiration and food coma… While unpredictable as to which will be my outcome – it is the best Mexican food within a multiple block radius of CBS Interactive and a gamble I take weekly.
So often us designers look to various sources of inspiration to apply to our work. Like most, I do look at the many design and CSS showcase sites to see what my peers are up to. This of course, is plenty inspiring. However simply paying attention to the small details that can be found all around us are often my greatest source. This evenings walk provided a beautiful example of “Warm lights and Cool shadows”. Complimentary colors are those found on opposite sides of one another on the color wheel.
I mention in an earlier post that when your plants flower – it is their way of showing their appreciation for your care and attention. Clearly my ground cover are happy with my constant weeding and periodic spot watering!
As a result of many lengthy walks around our neighborhood, Brandon and I have enjoyed the good fortune of stumbling upon this secret spot to enjoy the day’s end. For this particular sunset – It was just a father, a son, a robot along with a bunch ants that Brandon could not stop staring at.
For years, I have long wanted to write about one of the major redesign efforts that take place within CBS interactive (previously CNET Networks). However, I am never able to really discuss the particulars of these types of projects while they are in the works, (and certainly can not share any of the design comps or product plans) Inevitably my small team moves on to another large project so quickly, that by the time I am able to do so, I have lost interest in taking that time needed to walk through what is a HUGE effort by multiple disciplines of teams within the larger Business unit.
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. Any thoughts, opinions, or ideas expressed on this website are solely my own and not necessarily representative of those of my employer, CBS Interactive.
