iPods Have Outgrown Their Wheels...

Mark Wilson at Gizmodo writes a well-thought-out analysis of the ol' iPod clickwheel, and comes to a sad (but true) verdict: iPods have outgrown the wheel. He demonstrates with a stunning graphic, which I won't reproduce here, that the number of options, settings, selections, and functions has exploded since the devices were first introduced. He makes clear arguments both with succinct, accurate description ("The iPod went from doing one thing really well to doing a bunch of things pretty well. But the UI was never redesigned to accommodate the functionality.") and via appropriate metaphors ("Apple's sending city traffic down a one-lane, unpaved road."). He's also correct that the iPhone and iPod Touch don't suffer the same problem - ah, the glory of a full two-dimensional interface area over a one-dimensional rotational slider! Give it a read - and hope that this most recent batch of new iPods may be the swan song of the clickwheel...

Single-Use Caulk - Why not?

Nothing special here, just a single-use packaging design for caulk. But this begs the question, which products are appropriate for single-use packaging, and which should really be kept to more ecological full-size packaging? Caulk could go both ways, sometimes being needed for a quick fix and sometimes for a big-time installation. But is it a designer's responsibility to resist offering tempting single-use morsels in cases where they're not really needed? It would be great if such a "green imperative" had any influence on these kinds of design choices, but sadly, it just tends to be the need to sell more stuff!

Umbrella Today? The one-word weather report...

For those who don't live in the parched summer of Sacramento like myself, it can be a daily question whether or not an umbrella might be needed. And with a typical weather report, that's not always so easy to answer: "Chance of rain 40%, possible light drizzle fading to mist by mid-afternoon." Especially in the early morning, distilling that down to a yes-or-no answer is quite a task! So, along comes "the simplest weather report ever," Umbrella Today? Enter your zip code, and it answers the question. Done. As an added bonus, it can be set up to send a text message with the answer each morning. I admire the simplicity - now if only the message were delivered in an even more appropriate place...
[via Lifehacker]

Mini-Golf on the Roof!

Yes, this house in Igualada, Spain has a mini-golf course on its roof. A mini-golf course on its roof! Is it useful? I could point out the efficient use of space, especially as the same shapes provide equally interesting interior ceiling features and golf course obstacles; I could speculate that the turf covering is extra insulation, and probably deflects heat; I could worry that noise from golfers might distract inhabitants inside... But really, I just want to say: it's a mini-golf course, on the roof!
[via Gizmodo]

Laptop Sold In Messenger Bag: Green packaging isn't "packaging!"

I've covered a few environmentally-friendly instances of packaging being useful after it's done the job of packaging: for example, being used as a stand for the TV it contained, being used to make speakers for an iPod, or even being the product itself. But those are all cases (ha) where the packaging has been reused as something else; this is the reverse, where something else is used as packaging! HP won a Walmart-initiated contest to create a product that would reduce environmental impact, by suggesting that their laptop be sold in a real, useful messenger bag rather than cardboard and styrofoam packaging. The bag protects the laptop well enough, while taking less space (improving shipping and storage efficiency), and of course, being useful after purchase. Especially after my recent experiences with excessive packaging, this is a breath of fresh air! Let's hope to see more of this in the future - especially from mainstream juggernauts like Walmart, to show that environmental consciousness can work for more than just the die-hard treehuggers!

Proximity-Card Door Readers - Doing the pants-dance...

My workplace, and many others, uses proximity cards (AKA RFID) to access employee-only areas. Like Suity McBriefcase in the photo, you just get your card to within two or three inches of the reader, some radio-transmitting magic takes place, and the door unlocks. Neat stuff, but What I'd like to call attention to are the real-life use patterns I've observed having to do with those cards and the readers. Specifically, there are a lot of people (myself included) who just keep the card in a front pocket; and not infrequently, those worker-bees are buzzing around with both hands occupied, say, with a laptop and cuppa coffee. This situation leads to what might be called the pants-dance - trying to get the card to unlock the door from inside your pocket. The problem is that the readers are invariably installed just barely too high for this to be easy - though low enough that it's possible for most people. Hence, the pants-dance - lifting a leg, moving it around, hopping on one foot - it's entertaining, if not convenient. It also makes me wonder if there's anyone in the decision chain about where the readers are installed who thought to consider how they're actually used, and how a little change might just make a great big dancing difference!

(no) Clarity in Signage

This is a sign on the door of a local school cafeteria, and though a creative staffer had the opportunity to exercise different typefaces and capitalizations, the message got a bit lost in the shuffle. A first read - or any read from a certain distance - seems to suggest that FOOD must be kept OUTSIDE the CAFETERIA. (PLEASE.) The most important part of the message - the word NO - is lost in lilliputian font! Emphasizing the important parts of a message is fine, but you've gotta make sure those parts are cohesive on their own. And at the very least, this emphasis wasn't done with "quotes!"