July 2010
6 posts
2 tags
Why the absurd helps me be creative
I’m often asked why I listen to such abstract and experimental music at work. I wasn’t really sure specifically, but I knew it helped me get things done and think differently about my work. I’ve always felt the same about reading science fiction or watching some deeply complex and metaphorical shows, especially certain anime series. It turns out I wasn’t wrong.
This study,...
“Announcing your plans is a good way to hear God laugh.”
– Al Swearengen
4 tags
After the brainstorm: 8 questions to find winning...
My previous post on brainstorms was intended to help get people out of their element, and generate a slew of new ideas. Ideas that hopefully help make you or your clients do things better, and help reach your goals. Idea generation however, is maybe the easiest part of this whole process. The next place many creative people stumble is in filtering those ideas down to pick winners. I’ve been...
“In the end, we are our choices. Build yourself a great story.”
– Jeff Bezos
Social nipping and tucking
In my never-ending quest to simplify my life, I’ve decided to go through my top social network applications and perform some much needed maintenance. This includes updating of profiles, cleansing and sorting of contact lists, closing of unused accounts, and modifications of cross posting. Shew!
So why should anyone care? Well, you may see me disappear, go silent, or “unfriend”...
My favorite iPhone 4 app so far - Incredibooth! →
June 2010
6 posts
1 tag
“Any idiot can face a crisis - it’s day to day living that wears you out.”
– Anton Chekhov
4 tags
11 tips for better brainstorms
I like to think I’m pretty decent at brainstorming. Over the years I’ve worked up this list of things that I try to keep in mind while leading a brainstorm. Regardless of leading or participating, or even just ideating to yourself, these tips have helped me out immensely.
1. change your environment don’t use that same meeting room again! changing your physical environment...
3 tags
1 tag
“The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction.”
– John Maeda
4 tags
8 essential prototyping tips
a big part of innovating with technology is prototyping. you need to take a nascent idea and whip up something quick & dirty that validates your thinking. this is a critical part of wrapping your technological mind around the feasibility of something. here’s a nice list of 8 tips that i try to keep in mind whenever i make a prototype:
1. write a question, and make your prototype answer...
May 2010
6 posts
4 tags
4 tags
How to make a record label matter in 2010
Here’s some quick thoughts I had drafted up before a meeting I had with a record label last year. Nothing ultimately came from the meeting, but I still think the thoughts here hold true.
The public at large doesn’t care about the business of music. No one cares about the music “industry”, only what the music means to them. What is more relevant now is how people find new...
4 tags
14 tips for being creative with technology
occasionally people ask me how they can be more creative with technology. they are curious how i’ve made so many things, know about all sorts of random things, and what keeps me going. so i’ve tried to crystallize some of them into a set of guiding principles. so far, there’s 14 of them. enjoy!
1. don’t make anything evil. everything people love was made with love.
2. try...
4 tags
“A business without a path to profit isn’t a business, it’s a hobby.”
– Jason Fried
3 tags
Anonymous asked: What is the meaning of wife?
3 tags
April 2010
1 post
“digital is not a thing a company can invest in.. it’s a competency and...”
February 2010
1 post
my 13 points of simplification
- answer my phone less - try to only check email twice a day - go to bed earlier - reduce clutter - keep a wishlist - keep a todo list - say ‘no’ more - delegate more - ask for help - be positive - focus on the human side of things - empathize more - finish something before you start another
January 2010
1 post
4 tags
December 2009
1 post
“the less time we have to invent, the more constraints we need to focus our work”
November 2009
2 posts
2 tags
“a well designed digital product finds the perfect balance of message, sensory...”
September 2009
1 post
1 tag
on millennials
The span of 1990-2000 created a huge rift. Kurt Cobain was the rockstar any of us could be. Your favorite band never made it on the radio.. or maybe never even recorded a record.. they were local, and that’s why they were cool.
Mass amateurization changed everything. Wikipedia showed us that no one was smarter than everyone. A computer, a blog, and some persistence can make you a known...
August 2009
2 posts
2 tags
2 tags
July 2009
1 post
2 tags
February 2009
2 posts
2 tags
My first dubstep mix. Slow, brooding, and head...
2 tags
fairly minimal techno mix. constant 125.. lots of...
October 2008
1 post
2 tags
Watchshibuya square
September 2008
1 post
“A designer is someone who constructs while he thinks, someone for whom planning...”
– John Maeda
June 2008
1 post
2 tags
December 2007
2 posts
2 tags
2 tags
November 2007
2 posts
3 tags
Watchpolynomial attractor set - solid rendering
Watchcoronal mass ejection - animation cycles
October 2007
1 post
2 tags
August 2007
1 post
3 tags
April 2007
1 post
2 tags
May 2006
2 posts
2 tags
3 tags
September 2005
1 post
2 tags
May 2005
3 posts
2 tags
2 tags
2 tags
February 2005
1 post
2 tags
a softer and cleaner mix, working around 132....
January 2005
1 post
2 tags
A pretty aggressive mix, working in the mid...
February 2004
1 post
steady moving beat around 128. thick distorted...