Thursday, March 16, 2006

> UXMag: Design/Tech/Strategy


Years ago I worked at a company that was founded on the very valuable and very dangerous concept that Design, Strategy, and Technology should live together in one company.

Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't...but it was an incredible social experiment and, for a period of time, also quite profitable.

UXMagazine, with it's perplexingly ambitious tagline, "We cover common sense." will be interesting to watch because, AS WE KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE, when you combine design, tech, and strategy it doesn't always yield common sense. In fact, for it all come together it is more like the aligning of the planets than a predictable event.

If nothing else, I learned that certain phrases have different meanings to different people. For instance:
"Not Trivial" (Design): I will figure this out if it kills me...and you!
"Not Trivial" (Strategy): This is going to cost a lot of money.
"Not Trivial" (Tech): This will never, on God's green earth, ever happen.

Well, the good news is that UX Magazine has launched in beta and encompasses those three crafty disciplines; Design, Strategy, Technology.

> Alarm:Clock


It is hard not to smell the aroma of enthusiasm wafting out of the valley. When I want to see what's cooking, I head over to the alarm clock because, hey, I know what time it is.