According to Communication Nation's referrer logs, about 300 people a day are reading this blog. Like a lot of bloggers I am curious:Who are you?
Some of you I know personally, and others I have met through the blog.
I know some of you are founders and CEOs, strategists and technologists. I suspect that many of you are in communications-related fields such as organizational development, PR or marketing; and that many others are technology or business professionals who are interested in better communication.
But when it comes down to it that's really just a guess.
I want to make this blog a rich hub of ideas and conversations about things that matter to you -- things that you care about and want to talk about. As you know, when I have a question I prefer to go direct. So I have a couple of questions for you.
Please take a minute to tell me and the other readers:
1. Who are you? If it's not too personal, what's your name and job title?
2. What industry or field do you work in or most strongly identify with?
3. What do you most want to see happening on this blog?
If you would rather be anonymous that's fine but I would still very much like to know what industry you're in and what you really want to see here. Thanks in advance for sharing!
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60 comments:
[1] Kris Hull - Senior Web Designer
[2] Graphic Design + Advertising
[3a] Thoughts/ideas/solutions/processes for communicating visualy.
[3b] How to sell 3a to management + clients
David Mohrman - Web Coding Technician 1 (in a State Government Agency)
Design (mostly graphic with nearly 30 years experience)
Hmmm... I kind of like it the way it is, but perhaps some real world solutions or examples of the communications ideas you present here or some kind of "how-to" articles from time to time (or links to same).
1) Will Pate
2) Sales, Cluetrain Marketing
3) Tell us more about your company and how you help folks communicate. What principles and processes do you follow? What are you reading, what inspires you? What are the best resources for being a better communicator? What are good examples of clear communication that you see?
My name is Dennis Arter and I'm a trainer, author, and expert in management systems auditing. I teach public and in-house classes all over the world, but mostly in North America.
I receive this blog via my RSS feeder and scan it for points on how to better communicate with participants in my classes and how to write better magazine articles.
I'm also looking for newer communication technologies (such as podcasting) and international (cultural) differences.
I have referenced articles from this site on my own blog occasionally.
14-year old student interested in visual thinking. I was particularly intrigued by your 'Lines of Communication' post. Have subscribed and visit regularly since.
I am Cheryl Stephens, a communications consultant for 16 years. I run plainlanguage.com and specialize in editing business, technical, goverment and legal information for public use. And I do public and in-house training in all aspects of interpersonal communication.
I am interesed in finding out about new approaches to engineering our communications so that they are effective and appealling.
... (following up on previous post): I'd like to see more posts on how to integrate/reduce processes to be more agile, strategies to prioritize items, and how to adapt various processes and structures (by allowing built-in forward-flexibility) to meet future demands.
Lyndon Kessler Engineering Aide, Electrical Distribution Design.
Thirty (wow) years communicating with graphics (manual/computer drafting).
Communication is everything about being human.
1. Wynn Netherland, Solution Architect, Hewlett-Packard
2. eCommerce Architecture
3. How to distill information and effectively communicate between business stakeholders and IT
1-fenglong. marketing analyst
2-automotive consulting (marketing/ads/strategic planning)
3-new ideas/perspectives on how to communicate (especially visually) more effectively to clients
Hugh Roper, Freelance Designer
Thanks for the linkin!
I provide graphic design services to a few small-medium sized businesses. I work from home and sometimes onsite. My office is my PowerBook. My work generally includes identity and collateral.
I think CommNation is fantastic and the work at xplane fascinates me. I would be most interested in more peeks inside of xplane. Constructive critiques of your reader's work would also be interesting.
If I remember correctly xplane used to offer a deck of cards... are those still available? I never took advantage of getting a set.
Jim Cuene of cuene.com in Minneapolis, MN.
Interactive Strategy within the Financial Services business
I've been reading the xplane blogs (xblog and bblog) for years. I'm trying build my skills in presentation building and visual communication. Specifically, I do a ton of decks/presentations at work, and I am trying to learn how to better communicate strategy and business solutions visually. I've learned a lot already.
I really like the visual thinking tips and sketching posts, too. Lastly, I'm kind of fascinated by the posts on management/leadership and business development.
Evan Low - Project Manager, Principal Consultant
Communication is the key when having to deal with both technical and human interaction, especially when people in different roles have different requirements, understanding and perception to a project.
Which is why I find some of the information in this blog very effective.
1- Will Brady - 1a - Human Rights Advocate 1b- Educator / Illustrator
2- Training & Education in a state run inpatient psychiatric facility
2a- My background training goes back to "hot type" typography, augmented with cartography, aerial photo interpretation, poster design and computer typesetting for mass market print publications.
3- This seems a good place to learnmore about how others see the communication process, how to make it more effective using visual design techniques and tools.
Not part of the question but my own verbal meanderings can be found at http://willbradyjournal.blogspot.com
Steve Olson, independent consultant in Springfield, MO. I help small businesses develop new channels and use technology to improve their sales & marketing efforts. I consider myself a team builder.
I subscribe to your feed to learn how to improve communication with my clients and their clients.
[1] Anony Mouse
[2] Illustration / Concept Development
[3] More 'Dilbertish' reflection on common office irritants (VP of NO, Devil's Advocate etc.) - and of course how to resolve them/not become one of them ^_^
[1] Andry S Huzain - Application Architect.
[2] Software development. 4 years of experiences. I've been running my own company for about 1 year. Doing a lot of presentations (about services and products) for my company. My clients mostly from Indonesia (that's were I come from), but I serve one big client also from US.
[3] Visual idea. Reaching human mind is best done using visual clue (and a bit of love, hehe)
I love your Xplane concepts. I use Mindjet Mindmanager religiously, so in several aspects I think we're on the same boat.
1. Jack Shainsky - Software Developer
2. Software Development
3. I am not a visual thinker, but your blog helps me to learn thinking visually. I'm most interested in your Visual Thinking School and productivity articles.
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Michael Critz: Graphic Designer + Animator
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CBS Corporation. Broadcasting. Journalism.
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I'm loving everything I see. Just so you know, I show up for information architecture. I'm picking up tips on how best to represent thoughts in a meaningful way to convey to my audience.
1. Graphic/ Web Designer
2. Advertising & Design
3. Talk about communication in both global and local context.
Jerry Bolerjack, Quality System Management Representative, Quality Auditor
I do occasional presentations, need to keep from putting people to sleep.
"Catherine" Richardson and I work in a government job doing environmental pollution monitoring. As part of my job I teach and facilitate. I am a visual learner, as are my kids. I read this blog and others to glean as much as I can about communication hoping to find information that will help me both at home and at work. My cameras go with me wherever I go!
1. Who are you?
Collin Davis\
Graphic and print designer\ Stromberg Architectural\
2. What industry or field do you work in or most strongly identify with?
Design\
3. What do you most want to see happening on this blog?
Keep it going the way it is\
(1) Randall Hand - VP, Senior Counsel
(2)Legal, software licensing
(3) Communication ideas - presentation tips - I want to more effectively communicate to people, either in writing or verbally, depending on the opportunity.
This is great -- I see some common themes already. Please keep them coming!
Dave
1) Jerry Holtaway
2) Creative Strategist/Global Marketing based in France
3) I am often inspired by what you post, i often forward stuff to my clients and colleagues and I enjoy drilling down to the sites you refer us to.
1) Jared Christensen, Designer
2) Web & Application Design
3) Whatever you think is important.
Holy Cow, Dave! I have never seen so many comments on a blog before. My hat is off to you or generating such a response!
1. Who are you? If it's not too personal, what's your name and job title?
Terrence Seamon
2. What industry or field do you work in or most strongly identify with?
I am an OD Guy
3. What do you most want to see happening on this blog?
I want to see what is happening here happening on MY blog.
Regards,
Terry
1) Mike Houghton, Web Design Manager with Homes.com
2) Web Design / Real Estate
3) You're a part of my daily feed read, and I really enjoy your thoughts. Posts of particular interest usually relate to xplanations or related visual communication ideas.
Ben Heller - Procurement Consultant / Business Process Managment Consultant / Washboard Player
I come to your blog on a weekly basis to remind me how important communication is in everything i do and to generate ideas. My life as an analyst is spent largely in PowerPoint and Excel, but all of it is meaningless if i can't convince my clients of the results. I love your site as is, but for a specific request, I'd like to see you research and post visual communication tips with these common business tools.
1. Derek Verrilli. I am an artist but have for some reason avoided an art-related job. I'm currently a Community Association Manager.
2. Anything related to art. As I become more involved in business I'm opening my eyes to the fact that everyone is an artist if they treat what they do as such.
3. Can't really come up with anything, you're doing a great job already!
Hi, I'm Nick.
I'm in the research/communications department of a group focused on increasing Sales Effectiveness of Global organizations.
It's a tad more exciting than that sounds...I create executive-level presentations and always look for ways to improve them.
In a nutshell, I blend art and science into digestible snacks for those hungry for sales improvement/strategy. Apparently I also sometimes mix food-related metaphors (must be lunch time).
Greetings from Minneapolis.
Nick Wassenberg
1. E - i design, make, and sell my own line of arts/crafts.
2. art, design, crafts
3. i like when you write about creativity, inspiration, different ways of thinking, of looking at things. the things that you take pictures of and the way you present those pictures -- very interesting, offers a connection and commonality between objects in a way that's visually appealing.
1 Klas Gunnarsson - Technical Writer (SWE)
2 Automotive / Telecom / E-learning
3 Useful information regarding various fields of communication
1. Polle de Maagt, Marketing Student form the Netherlands
2. B2C/C2B Marketing
3. Please, just be YOU. Publish things YOU think are interesting. If I like it, I'll read it and perhaps even look for a dialogue via the comments. If I don't, I won't and perhaps kick you out off my RSS reader.
1. Amanda Wang
2. Senior Designer for in-house retail company serving architects and interior designers.
3. Thinking about new ways to communicate old ideas. Revitalization on communication. Research on various ways people/cultures/technology communicates. but i like it the way it is!
Hi Dave:
My name is Freddie Daniells
As part of my career I have worked on Wall St, run a VC firm and run a small technology consulting firm. Am currently relaxing before thinking about what to do in future. I have a strong interest in communication skills and am a CTM Toastmaster.
Things that interest (in no order):
The use of visuals to support effective business communication.
Different communication settings and effective methods of communicating in them.
Simplicity in communication
Thanks and keep up the great work.
1) Tim Bakke - Project Manager
2) Telecommunications, where I focus on project and product management
3) The process of explaining complex products (software, telecommunications, etc.) in a way that my dad can understand. I find when explaining what I'm working on that I diagram much of it since words spin out of control into acronyms.
[1]Timo Schlosser, working as a Solution Manager for CSC (www.csc.com) out of Wiesbaden, Germany
[2] IT Outsourcing, I am heading teams that design, cost and sell global outsourcing solutions
[3] My job is to explain complex, multi-national deals to various people on all management levels. I hope reading your blog helps me to improve in communicating complex things in a simple (=understandable) way.
I'm Wayne Martin, psychophysiologist - mind/body medicine, interested in ways to make my work with clients more compelling. How to hook them into healthful behavior change leads me to look at ideas from a broad range of writers to keep fresh.
What do I want to see on your blog? Pursue your passions, write your big ideas. Don't try to serve me, rather keep doing what you do and I'm priveleged to keep watching about once a week.
Oh, and I pretty much suck at drawing exercises but maybe that's where I need to stretch. So if that's what you're s'posed to be telling us in this job, then please keep it up!
[1] Sameer Vasta, Student
[2] Pursuing post-graduate work in corporate communications.
[3] I actually adore the drawings and photos you have up on this blog. Keep that up! :o)
Hi Dave,
Well you know me cause I post quite often,
[1] Graeme Watson - Professional Development and Training Manager / Animation Project Manager at Film and Television Institute, Western Australia / Excalibur Productions
[2] What do I do? Help people tell their stories, whether they are writers, animators or filmmakers. I also manage the creation of films for corporate clients in a production company.
[3] everything I do is about communication
[4] Whatever you want, I'm enjoying the journey
Tony Ramos, specialist in PowerPoint presentation design. Writer of blog about PPT. Self-employed. Cleveland.
Have more than once tipped my hat to you guys in my weblog. XPLANE is the cat's pajamas, the nazz, and the shizzy all rolled into one.
I identify with the pictures people, the words people, and the data folks. That's one of the things I most appreciate about this blog: it's discursive (in the good sense). Keep on doing exactly what you're doing. Most readers can separate the wheat from the chaff. You already have a great balance IMHO.
Shahrul, student of management, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Not employed by anyone at the moment.
I dabbled a (tiny) bit in web design, writing and currently in the process writing something on knowledge management (a really fuzzy topic) with focus on knowledge sharing.
I like to learn about communication, so that I can help myself and others to communicate better. I personally think that no matter who you are, communication is an essential life skill.
If you're ever in town, let me know.
Hi Dave,
I come by here just about every day and have even dropped comments on a few topics.
My name is Christian Spencer & I'm the Business Development guy for the Internet communications software company we put together. I'm always scribbling away on napkins (unless they are cloth when the client is paying for lunch!), matchbooks, and notepads to get my ideas across. This blog is a great source for variations on the theme. Our application allows for live online audio/video communications but I still need a pen and paper to translate my ideas to co-workers and associates.
I drop by because I like things the way they are. If you added a couple of comfortable chairs and some refreshments you may have trouble getting rid of some of us - thank Evan for blogs!
Hi Dave!
- Thelma Contino. I studied Advertising & Marketing and I've been working on comunnications for ten years.
I'm from Argentina, living in Buenos Aires (So, sorry about my English...).
- I manage the Internal Communication department of a credit card company.
- I want more articles about visual thinking and "how to draw".
Hi Dave!
- Thelma Contino. I studied Advertising & Marketing and I've been working on comunnications for ten years.
I'm from Argentina, living in Buenos Aires (So, sorry about my English...).
- I manage the Internal Communication department of a credit card company.
- I want more articles about visual thinking and "how to draw".
Tracy Oliver
I have a marcom consultancy forcused on tech startups--Skycastle Media--I'm also a writer and artist. I've enjoyed your insights into human behavior and how we can communicate with greater understanding.
*dEric Loh*
@Undergraduate in Marketing@
Really cool visual insights, which blows up my mind up for endless possibilities.
Cheerz,
;)
1. Who are you? If it's not too personal, what's your name and job title? Brad Bellaver (Currently) manager in internal communication at HSBC-North America (Soon to be) Consultant for Intentus Communications and Collaboration
2. What industry or field do you work in or most strongly identify with? (1/2 Internal Communication and 1/2 Knowledge Management)
3. What do you most want to see happening on this blog?
Not sure what to say except to keep writing. :-)
My name is Jawahar Mundlapati.
I'm a software engineer.
1. Mark van Bellen, Lecturer in Information Sciences, University of Northampton, UK.
2. Education!
3. It's fine as it is, I receive your posts via. Attensa RSS reader in my Outlook. I often refer my students to your articles and colleagues too. I read your 'go direct' with interest, hmmm, tried most of them!
1. Richard - Web Developer/Content Management... err... person.
2. Cable Television/High Speed Internet
3. I like posts that deal with real workplace issues.
Janee Trasler - children's book illustrator and author
Children's publishing
I like your posts and links about new ways to communicate the essence of the message.
Hi Dave, I'm a self employed web developer with UX interests. Regarding your communications, I enjoy the metaphorical environments you create, and their visual accoutrements.
Articles that demonstrate how to contextualise situations are useful in particular, we all need more a-ha! moments.
Thanks, Adam
Newcastle, Australia
1. Oliver - marketing, story telling, research and innovation.
2. Insurance and financial services industry.
3. I would like to see more new (to me) ideas and how they are being used effectively in a business communications context.
1. Mary Reed - basic mom who used to be a basic nerd
2. I homeschool my two children and manage volunteers. I believe that visual communication is one of the most important yet under taught skills
3. Love the blog as it is. My middle schooler reads it with me.
1. Markus Klopf - Marketing
2. Telecommunications - I'm working with the leading telecoms supplier
3. Inspiration & exchange on new & exiting stuff when it comes to communication behaviour. What are good sources (books, magazines, blogs, ...).
I am in marketing with a large investor owned utility. Seeking better ways to help customers manage their energy use & lower their carbon footprint in homes and businesses.
Seeking visual communication options for our website and direct marketing content to make it easy for customers to save more energy & money (while reducing CO2).
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