Divergence, convergence

Divergence, convergence, originally uploaded by hawkexpress.

Hawk Sugano started this thread that has me thoroughly engaged.

It's about using index cards to capture your ideas. What is the best size of index card? What is the best way to store them? How do you use them?

If you find the subject interesting, please join Josh, Hawk, Edward and me: Share your thoughts!

Keep in touch! Sign up to get updates and occasional emails from me.

Designing for emergence

Notes and sketches, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

Eugene Eric Kim speaks on emergent design.

Keep in touch! Sign up to get updates and occasional emails from me.

Doc Searls on open source

Notes from Airlie retreat, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

Keep in touch! Sign up to get updates and occasional emails from me.

Tom Friedman on context

Notes from Airlie retreat, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

Keep in touch! Sign up to get updates and occasional emails from me.

Valence

Valence, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

The beauty of visualization.

Keep in touch! Sign up to get updates and occasional emails from me.

A visual thinking assignment

This is an assignment for students in the information design program at Bradley University. But anyone else is welcome to try it as well.

Your assignment is to read and synthesize two articles by Kevin Kelly, and create visual communication materials that clearly and visually communicate the key concepts in a visual form. There are two products that you will create for this assignment:

1. A 24-inch by 36-inch poster designed to be hung on the wall. This poster should not require anyone to explain it -- it should fully explain itself, including why you should read it.

2. A brief PowerPoint presentation that can be delivered in 5 minutes or less. This is designed to be presented by a speaker. In fact, you will present it and your presentation will be part of your grade.

Here is a link where you can download the files.

This assignment is due Monday November 6, or Tuesday November 7, depending on which section you are in.

If you have questions about the assignment please post them as comments on my blog, Communication Nation.

Good luck!

Update: The assignments are complete! And the project was a lot of fun. See the results.

Keep in touch! Sign up to get updates and occasional emails from me.

Greetings from San Diego!

I am in San Diego for a couple of days for a board meeting. If you are nearby and want to hook up you can text message me at +1-314-496-6129 and I will reply with my location -- if I can figure out where I am!

Keep in touch! Sign up to get updates and occasional emails from me.

A brief history of LEGO

Check out this fun read" The history of the LEGO.

Keep in touch! Sign up to get updates and occasional emails from me.

Job opening at XPLANE

We have an opening for a Senior Information Designer at XPLANE. If you're qualified and interested I encourage you to apply. Here's some more information on the opening:

XPLANE is a global leader in visual communication and we are looking a Senior Information Designer to join our creative team. You will work with top managers from Fortune 500 companies around the world to creatively visualize complex processes and technologies.

Qualified candidates will demonstrate skills in visual communication, process mapping, creative direction, people management and business technology. We will also be looking for strong organizational and interpersonal skills.

Computer skills: Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office Suite, and any capability with Web 2.0 tools a plus.

Education/Experience: College degree in visual communication, information design or journalism is preferred. Five years of real world experience is required.

Travel: You will typically spend at least 5 days out of town per month. A passport will be necessary.

Salary/Benefits: Salary is commensurate with experience and we offer a complete benefits package.

Send your resume along with 3 samples of your best work to Scott Matthews, Managing Partner, XPLANE, at smatthews@xplane.com. No phone calls.

Keep in touch! Sign up to get updates and occasional emails from me.

Beautiful sky in Toronto

Beautiful sky in Toronto, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

There were some beautiful skies in Toronto yesterday. The light reminded me of paintings by Spanish realist Antonio Lopez.

If you happen to live in or near Toronto I will be here all weekend (Sept. 9-10, 2006) and want to socialize a bit and enjoy the city. If you'd like to connect text message me at +1-314-496-6129 and I will reply with my location.

Keep in touch! Sign up to get updates and occasional emails from me.

A day in the life of Google

Keep in touch! Sign up to get updates and occasional emails from me.

Visual thinking workshop in Toronto

A while back I asked if any of you would be interested in workshops. Well thanks to your feedback, I am giving a 3-hour visual thinking workshop in Toronto on September 8, 2006. The title of the workshop will be "The Power of Pictonics: Using Visualizations to Tell Your Technology Story."

I am really looking forward to this.

There will be plenty of hands-on exercises to help you hone your visual thinking and storytelling skills. You'll also learn some of the "secret sauce" that goes into making visual explanations.

This will be a pretty special event, to be held in the beautiful and hi-tech MaRS convergence and innovation center in the downtown Discovery District. It also happens to coincide with the Toronto film festival, one of the best film festivals in North America in my opinion. So if you've been meaning to visit Toronto you couldn't pick a better time.

You can get more information on the workshop here.

The workshop is on a friday, so if you're in or near the Toronto area, join me for the workshop, then stay the weekend and enjoy some first-run films!

Keep in touch! Sign up to get updates and occasional emails from me.

Evolution of the speech balloon

"Here you can study various experiments and variations and the gradual change from bands to balloons. Even the later examples sometimes have tiny leftovers of the 'bands' on the other side of the balloon."

Thank you xblog.

Keep in touch! Sign up to get updates and occasional emails from me.

Logical paradox

Logical paradox, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

What do you think?

Keep in touch! Sign up to get updates and occasional emails from me.

Animals on the underground

Seventeen years ago, Paul Middlewick was on his way to work when he noticed an elephant staring at him from the London Underground map. Since then he has discovered birds, whales, and emu and even a wombat, not to mention the fish shown here.

Take a look.

Thanks again arno!

Keep in touch! Sign up to get updates and occasional emails from me.