The session will outline the comprehensive programme of user research the University of Edinburgh’s User Experience Service conducted on behalf of the Learn Foundations project. It will show how, as the project went along, we adopted a service design approach in order to better meet the needs of both students and staff. Read full article
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What might lead Lewis Hamilton to drive to Ferrari, and the pros and cons of doing so.
If Mercedes pull out of Formula 1 next year, moving to Ferrari would possibly be his only chance of surpassing Michael Schumacher as the most successful F1 driver of all time. But could he really bring himself to break his equally incredible record of racing with Mercedes power throughout his entire career?
Every race he has ever run has been with a three-pointed star on the car’s nose, which shows incredible loyalty. And he is very conscious of his future earnings.
He wants to continue bringing in eight figures a year. If he retires in a Mercedes he will be an ambassador for life, a lucrative deal I call ‘Fangio Plus’.
A clue on how social media can be better regulated, by looking at the porn industry.
Before anything can be posted to an adult site, it must be rigorously screened to make sure it’s not opening the site up to legal liability…
“Because we’re very aggressive in our patrol of content, the criminals know not to use us.”
It suggests that major social media services can have an active moderation policy and still “survive — even thrive”.
…given some of the horrors that the existing version of Facebook has unleashed, it’s worth considering whether a version of the site that had focused more on moderation and less on rapid growth might have been better for us all.
This article was written in the immediate aftermath of the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix, which was ruined by the most flagrant and offensive display of team orders in history. Rubens Barrichello, having had the upper-hand over Michael Schumacher for the entire weekend, ceded the victory to his team-mate literally at the finish line.
As you would expect from Clive James, this is a brilliant piece of writing. He really got to the appeal of motorsport like few could.
But seeing this article float through my Twitter timeline in the aftermath of Clive James’s death this week, it’s got me thinking.
Did Clive James stay true to his word? Did he never watch an F1 race again? I’m not aware of any contributions of his, beyond this moment. Am I wrong?
Accessibility and aesthetics are not in conflict, despite the claims of some. Read full article
1 commentThere are lots of things you could say about Clive James, whose death has been announced today. But I was, of course, particularly drawn to his work in Formula 1. Read full article
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I'm not really a hoarder (he said). But people do accumulate things. The slow, dawning realisation is that it's all been pointless. Read full article
1 commentUseful definitions outlining the differences between user-centred design, person-centred design and human-centred design.
If user-centred design is more functional in terms of understanding and meeting needs. Person-centred design is more holistic. This means that it’s more focussed on emotional needs and goals. Human-centred design is then about thinking beyond individual needs and more towards the collective needs of a system, place, or community.
The first in-depth interview with Juan Manuel Correa since his tragic accident at Spa-Francorchamps. It’s an emotional read.
It’s strange that I didn’t lose consciousness in the crash, it was an impact of 70 g, when I told doctors that I hadn’t lost consciousness they didn’t believe me. Before I crashed I put my muscles hard and I held on tight, that helped me too. I wanted to get out of the car myself, I was conscious throughout the whole accident.
It’s Delia Derbyshire Day, which this year celebrates the 50th anniversary of An Electric Storm by White Noise.
Delia Derbyshire may be best known for her part in the realisation of the Doctor Who theme tune — and her wider work with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. But her involvement with the White Noise project saw her dabbling with a futuristic vision of pop music.
It was both way ahead of its time, and also resolutely of its time. Synthesisers weren’t yet affordable, so these boundary-pushing sounds were made with complex tape manipulation and other engineering techniques. I think this is among her best work.
