Why Google’s feed succeeds when Facebook’s fails
With Google adding its Discover feed to its famously minimalist homepage, what will stop them repeating Facebook’s mistakes?
Year: 2018
So it happened — Flickr has got rid of almost-unlimited storage
This week, Flickr announced that free accounts will be limited to only 1,000 photos. It’s another warning that we can’t rely on externally-run content silos.
Autumn dip
Over the past few years I have noticed that I always have a distinct dip in the autumn. I feel more tired, I feel less happy, and I think less clearly.
13 years too late, the BBC’s classical music back catalogue is being made available
Once in a while, when listening to music on shuffle, a Beethoven symphony plays. The MP3 files came from the BBC. It was an experiment never to be repeated.
URLs aren’t good enough
I am a web enthusiast, but I think we need to find a better way to navigate the web than URLs.
How Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman has supported my career
Last week I attended the Public Sector Design Community Meet-up. Attendees were invited to share a book, podcast or talk that has influenced or supported their career.
The danger of relying on natural talent
Believing you are naturally talented at something may in fact be detrimental to your development.
Visiting V&A Dundee — Dundee dares to dream
I had read some fairly mixed reviews about V&A Dundee — both the building and the exhibitions. So I had prepared myself to keep my excitement in order. In the end, I was largely delighted by both the building and the exhibitions.
The problem with trusting experience over expertise (a story about design thinking, astronauts, Formula 1 pundits and Brexit)
The media — and society in general — has gradually drifted away from listening to expert figures, in favour of practitioners. But it is leaving us less enlightened.
I smashed my expectations at Pedal for Scotland 2018
Yesterday was Pedal for Scotland, the annual cycle from Glasgow to Edinburgh. It’s the second time I have taken part, my first being last year. But I was concerned that I wouldn’t be prepared enough for the 45 mile cycle.
Letterboxing in Lundy — how not to get bored on a tiny island
This time last year, Alex and I went on holiday to Lundy. The island was best known to me as one of those mysterious locations of the shipping forecast. Somewhere between the Irish Sea and Fastnet, wherever that is.
How I learnt to embrace handwriting, sketching and sticking stuff on walls
Working on walls is an unbeatable way to create ideas as well as communicating them. But I learnt that lesson the hard way.