T-Shirt of the Day

Bright Eyes. Are they upside down crosses, or swords? You decide.

I got this seeing them (well, ok, him) on my first trip to SEA to visit vishanti, and many other LJers (sorry too lazy to link to them all, especially when half the office is waiting for me to post this so we can all go to starbucks). He's *amazing* in concert, so I had to buy some swag. And while I complained bitterly throughout the evening due to SEA's lack-of-smoking-ban, it was so worth the increased risk of cancer to see that show.

T-Shirt of the Day

Bright Eyes. Are they upside down crosses, or swords? You decide.

I got this seeing them (well, ok, him) on my first trip to SEA to visit vishanti, and many other LJers (sorry too lazy to link to them all, especially when half the office is waiting for me to post this so we can all go to starbucks). He's *amazing* in concert, so I had to buy some swag. And while I complained bitterly throughout the evening due to SEA's lack-of-smoking-ban, it was so worth the increased risk of cancer to see that show.

Attention to Detail

For those of you just joining, I am an Information Architect/Interactive User Experience Designer for Behavior http://behaviordesign.com . You'd think most of my time is spent in front of a computer. It is, although not in the way you'd think. When creating interfaces for things like websites, desktop applications, or the new iPhone 3G, I do a huge amount of work with a pen and paper, sketching out ideas, then when I have a solid idea, I go ahead and translate that into a wireframe (kinda like a blueprint for a house). The designers then take the wireframe, and make it pretty. It's not quite a "paint-by-numbers" affair, but I do consult with them if they want to make changes to the layout for artistic reasons. Usually we can compromise, and not spoil the 'attention hierarchy'.

So back to pens and paper. Many people I know love their Moleskine. I dislike them for a variety of reasons, not the least of which being cost. I'd blow through one in a week, and at over $10 a pop, that's a lot of money in a year for basic office supplies. I like my cheap $3.50 multi-subject 6x9" pad from CVS. The pages are thin, so you can really only use them one-sided, but it's perforated, so when you need to tear stuff out, you won't rip the page. Pens however, are more important. I need a good pen, one that flows well, without over-inking. One that has a point that's not too thick, nor too fine. Structural integrity is also important, as I don't have the steadiest of hands, and a rigid barrel and nib reduces stray marks. The pens I use are Zebra Sarasa, and they are *so* superior to the Pilot G2, I simply can't list all the reasons. Suffice today, the ink flow is far more consistent, and I haven't had one explode on me, unlike *every* G2 I've ever owned. One of the nice things about the Sarasa is, when new, they have a little plastic red ball at the end of the nib, preventing air from drying out the ink while the pen sits on the shelf. They used to be really difficult to find, and I had to order them from a crazy store online that carries obscure Japanese pens. I found my most recent 10-pack for $9 at Staples.

Attention to Detail

For those of you just joining, I am an Information Architect/Interactive User Experience Designer for Behavior http://behaviordesign.com . You'd think most of my time is spent in front of a computer. It is, although not in the way you'd think. When creating interfaces for things like websites, desktop applications, or the new iPhone 3G, I do a huge amount of work with a pen and paper, sketching out ideas, then when I have a solid idea, I go ahead and translate that into a wireframe (kinda like a blueprint for a house). The designers then take the wireframe, and make it pretty. It's not quite a "paint-by-numbers" affair, but I do consult with them if they want to make changes to the layout for artistic reasons. Usually we can compromise, and not spoil the 'attention hierarchy'.

So back to pens and paper. Many people I know love their Moleskine. I dislike them for a variety of reasons, not the least of which being cost. I'd blow through one in a week, and at over $10 a pop, that's a lot of money in a year for basic office supplies. I like my cheap $3.50 multi-subject 6x9" pad from CVS. The pages are thin, so you can really only use them one-sided, but it's perforated, so when you need to tear stuff out, you won't rip the page. Pens however, are more important. I need a good pen, one that flows well, without over-inking. One that has a point that's not too thick, nor too fine. Structural integrity is also important, as I don't have the steadiest of hands, and a rigid barrel and nib reduces stray marks. The pens I use are Zebra Sarasa, and they are *so* superior to the Pilot G2, I simply can't list all the reasons. Suffice today, the ink flow is far more consistent, and I haven't had one explode on me, unlike *every* G2 I've ever owned. One of the nice things about the Sarasa is, when new, they have a little plastic red ball at the end of the nib, preventing air from drying out the ink while the pen sits on the shelf. They used to be really difficult to find, and I had to order them from a crazy store online that carries obscure Japanese pens. I found my most recent 10-pack for $9 at Staples.