videos « Kshitiz Anand

Visualizing KIVA activity

Information Visualization is something that has always interested me, and I am always amazed at the heights people go to illustrate huge amount of data. With more and more resources to visualize data, the Information Visualizations are now more dynamic than static.

Came across this visualization recently and was totally blown away by it! KIVA the social entreprise, showcases all its activities through this amazing InfoViz. Do check it out!

The same in static would definitely not had the same User Experience as this one does, for the viewer!

Visualize your Business Model

Loved this video and the framework that he speaks about.

Visualise Your Business Model In 15 Minutes Flat – Tom Hulme from HackFwd on Vimeo.

I think this holds true for any business, but I would really like to see it being adopted more by businesses focusing on the Social Sector. It is often in the social sector that we end up narrowing our view so much that we fail to or ignore the other key aspects of a Business plan.

On Design and Aesthetics

Aesthetics is one of the most subjective words that you would come across when you are in the field of Design. The theory on aesthetics in design has been widely discussed in various circles, from artists to philosophers to other researchers. I firmly believe in minimalism , and the art of saying more with less, and it is evident in my liking of the products from Apple.

Over the years of working in the design industry, I realize that ‘Aesthetics’ is a word I end up using often in my discussions, critique sessions, and meetings. It is important to understand that it is my personal sense of aesthetics that is being said through me. One of the mistakes we designers often make is that we end up expecting the other people’s aesthetics sense to match ours. It would be ideal if it did, but it does not happen that way. what is appealing to one person will in most cases not be the same for the other. What works out is a consensus that allows the aesthetics to be judged objectively. This is harder than it sounds. Often it could lead to endless discussions, ego clashes, internal conflicts etc.

One of the designers I admire is Dieter Rams (the man who defined functional design, and is best known for the design of the Braun products) . His ten point agenda on design basically sums up to form a Design bible of sorts.

In one of his interviews he talks about the issue of aesthetics. Here is the video and should form a basis for a good design discussion!

Source:Gestalten.tv

. . . → Read More: On Design and Aesthetics

Using QR codes in online shopping

I had earlier written about the use of QR codes to make Print ads more interactive. The possibilities of seamlessly being able to transfer information through the use of this is endless.

Here is a nice example, of how QR codes are helping people in their grocery shopping. Home plus is using these to reduce the stress of the hardworking working class Koreans.

Less stress. More smiles. Simple idea. Well executed.

The d.Fund

The way I see it, I think this is a blessing for us designers to work on more startup ideas. It gives a lot of confidence that quite a few successful startups like Youtube, Flickr were founded by designers.

I am hopeful that there would be more of such activities in the near future, and also in India in particular.

Education on my mind

I am often fascinated by TED talks, and this one is another one of those. Have a special interest in education, so I keep looking out for videos related to it. This is one that I had seen quite some time back, but re-saw it again today.

About the video (from Youtube) : Clifford Stoll could talk about the atmosphere of Jupiter. Or hunting KGB hackers. Or Klein bottles, computers in classrooms, the future. But he’s not going to. Which is fine, because it would be criminal to confine a man with interests as multifarious as Stoll’s to give a talk on any one topic. Instead, he simply captivates his audience with a wildly energetic sprinkling of anecdotes, observations, asides — and even a science experiment. After all, by his own definition, he’s a scientist: “Once I do something, I want to do something else.”

Just love the energy with which the entire talk it delivered.

On Design Decisions

Interesting Video that I came across this morning.

Excerpts from the talk- “The best designs come from not one, but hundreds of well-made decisions. The worst designs arise out of hundreds of poorly-made decisions. All that stands between you and a great design is the quality of your decisions. Where do they come from?”

Jared Spool – Anatomy of a Design Decision from User Interface Engineering on Vimeo.

Kshitiz Anand