A new beta home page is being tested currently.
Usability wise it has a strong tablet feel about it. It’s lacking some of the BBC lustre/look and feel that we’ve grown used to. I’m sure this will come along. As an exercise of displaying content in a new an engaging way I’m not sure either. The hierarchy of content seems a little jumbled.
Here > > >

This has potential to become a great resource for UI detailing.
Here LittleBigDetails.

As usual the timely 2009 Feltron Report is here.
A wonderful bit of info aesthetics.

Nicholas Felton spends much of his time thinking about data, charts and our daily routines. He is the author of several Personal Annual Reports that collate countless measurements into a rich assortment of graphs and maps reflecting the year’s activities. He is the co-founder of Daytum.com, a site for counting and communicating daily data, and frequent designer of information graphics for numerous corporations and publications. His work has been profiled in publications including the Wall Street Journal, Wired and Creative Review.

Ooohhhh… I’m liking Google’s Wave… I think the more people use it the more it’s true functionality and potential will open up.
Nice .

An article from Techcruch, introduces us to an ambitious Google concept/prototype. A new communication platform for a new web.

Is this social media meeting productivity…. ? Finally.
Judging by the screen shots.. there’s going to be a steep learning curve.

Loving the new browser update from Apple (it’s here).
The problem is, I’m committed to using Firefox, it’s the geek in me.
The flexibility to extend Firefox with add-ons etc.. is just so useful and intrinsic to the way I work that it will be impossible for me to migrate over.
Passwords, bookmarks, firebug… everything!!!

Channel 4 have just launched a new version of their successful youth insight project: UK Tribes. The revised website features a wealth of findings on the 25 identified tribes, including films, essays, image galleries and interviews. The new version of the site also introduces five new tribes, which are shaping contemporary youth culture.

A great bit of data visualisation

Here Bocchino has collected  headlines from the New York Times and use them as data for systems that generate complex networks and forms. The headlines are organized chronologically and color-coded according to subject. Global, national, and local events generate a continuous stream of news from which color patterns emerge. The actions of George Bush, Michael Bloomberg, the United Nations, Israel, Palestine, and North Korea, among others, all serve as raw material and influence the structure of my work.

A great post from Michael Bierut, whose blog I subscribe to. Link.
Here he writes and shows us his notebooks and his thoughts that span his entire career. I must say that I have “format envy”.
As you can see he found his ultimate note book and has kept to them ever since. Size, paper type, lined, crossed or blank. Lucky him.

I am a bit particular about what I sketch and write in and I haven’t quite found my perfect pad. The other important thing is what pen to use (I reckon that is all altogether another science in its own right and an another blog entry).

I’m on No 23 and they look strange there, sitting on that shelf.  All different shapes and sizes, paper types. Dare I say it.. even “Spiro bound”..

I’m also ashamed to say I even have a “Pukka Pad” up there (I had no choice in the matter and needed something quick as I had had my bag swipped).
I did  at one point, have more than one on the go; this was while I was doing my MA  andI found it very confusing. On the one hand I wanted my Lecture notes separate from my working day, you know.. for easy reference. But on the other hand… my MA was so inextricably linked to what I do, that it really didn’t matter  what note pad it was in.

I also, for some reason call them “day-books”. All meetings, all tasks, all projects everything goes in mine.