It’s been a while since I’ve read Don Norman’s work. Here is his insightful and down to earth lecture that touches on the ways that good design makes you happy.

I really like the way that multimedia interfaces enrich educational experiences, specially in museums and galleries. It’s a pity that it hasn’t been explored all that much, specially by Australian museums.
The latest interface that is featured in this weeks Communication Arts is called “Evidence: How Do We Know What We Know?”.
Here is an exert that explains its function…

” This richly layered online exhibition from the Exploratorium—San Francisco’s museum of science, art and human perception—uses current research in human development as a case study for exploring the ways that scientists use evidence in their work. It’s a multi-user, multi-lingual application that engages visitors by allowing them to examine how they construct knowledge about the world….”

Seed magazine has taken an interesting interactive approach that redefines the linear format in which we read magazines. I think the menu along the top that lets you zone into the area of your choice is super cool!

An innovative approach to reading news items

For those designers who are out there designing some complex and not so complex websites and web-appliations, here are some useful design patterns to make your life just that little bit easier.-

• Welie- Patterns of interaction design
• Yahoo design pattern library
• Download a stencil kit

Tag clouds offer users an interesting and alternative approach to navigation. Tag clouds come in all shapes and sizes, this article goes through a whole variety of styles as well as some tag cloud generators. Also check out this exceptionally creative approach to cloud tags for ‘Celeb Tags’ and also ‘Brand Tags’ so so cool!! nice use of Georgia too.

Zube Journey features a unique illustration style and a nice concept for the navigation.

The Color Chart Exhibition at the MOMA features an interesting navigation style.

It’s good to see that newspapers such as The New York Times are pushing the boundaries of presenting info and news online. This video interview features not just the interview but also the transcript, a quick click to sections of interview and a transcript analyser which I thought was also very cool!

Maybe the magazine industry can gain some inspiration and start pushing the boundaries a little.

Just came across this highly useful and informative resource called Slideshare. In the true web2.0 style it a website that allows users to share and view powerpoint presentations on a variety of topics. Here are some notable ones that i just viewed…

> Logic + emotion; VIsual thinking archive

> Improving interface design

> The brand gap