Last month (early October) I went on holiday to Melbourne to take some time out from everyday life. I wanted to take stock of my life and career, consider the direction I was headed, and think about my options for the next five years or so.

Since about July I’ve been feeling, with uncomfortably intense conviction, that I want to make sure that I’m spending my time in a way that is meaningful and engaging, both to myself in the doing of it, and to others who might be impacted by my work.

I’ve been feeling I’m just not making adequate time to realize to realize the many dreams that I have for my life. In visiting Melbourne, and in the last month since returning home, I’ve been trying to push myself outside of my comfort zone, re-prioritize, remember, and act on these goals. (more…)

I’ve been reading Carolyn Snyder’s “Paper Prototyping: The Fast and Easy Way to Design and Refine User Interfaces“. It is a very thorough newcomer’s introduction to this simple yet effective user research technique.

Over the last year or so I’ve become quite interested in prototyping techniques in general - from flash and PowerPoint to even spaces like Second Life as prototyping environments - but I think paper prototyping stands out as something quite special. (more…)