Like many geeks in the UK, the Tower Bridge Twitter account was one of the first Twitter Mashups I'd seen. It was also the point where I realised that Twitter was more than just a simple communication tool; it was a powerful and scriptable platform.
One of the most common things I'm asked is how people can break into the field of user experience design. I'd love to be able to give a simple answer like studying a particular course at University or starting as a UX apprentice and working your way up a series of clearly defined roles, but sadly that's not the case...
There's an interesting debate happening in the world of mobile design at the moment. In one camp we have the "nativists" who believe that the best mobile experiences are tailored to a particular device. These are the people focused on creating platform specific mobile apps and mobile websites. Then we have the "universalists" who believe in the "one web", a place where all content and services can be delivered to multiple devices through the same URL.
A few months ago I tweeted that we no longer needed to sell User Experience and our job was now to focus on delivering good user experiences. A few people asked me to expand on my thinking, so this quick post is in reference to that.
Back in November 2010, David Cameron announced plans to turn the Olympic Village in East London into a technology hub to rival Silicon Valley. These type of Grand Plans are great at generating headlines and creating a legacy for all those involved, but how likely are they to succeed? Are we going to inherit a shiny new creative centre in the aftermath of the 2012 Olympics, or will it become just another mediocre science park like the ones clinging to the sides of the M4?
The rise of smart devices like the iPhone and iPad has led to an application goldrush, with companies racing to stake their claims. In the early days we saw a few lucky pioneers strike gold with novelty apps. There were also a handful of independent developers and well-known brands that invested in user experience and captured the high end of the market.