Designing our future, through a new approach to education and mentorship

ESSENTIAL methods for meaningful conversations: The Art of Hosting: http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1155394240 - simply mind-blowing.

Process framework approach: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaordic [not the extremes of chaos or control systems nor even solely the order we seek in the middle of them but an orderly framework forming a pathway at the overlap of chaos and order that allows for human "chaos" to reign freely within safe orderly bounds]. We can actually design a chaordic system that allows us to continue to grow and learn all the time.

Collaboration process: AGILE started in the software world but can apply directly to any situation where we have a team focused on a project which contains a lot of change: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agile_software_development

Our American future is NOT in math and science: Curriculum for the 21st. Century, January 27, 2008, Patrick F. Bassett, NAIS. This PowerPoint presents the theme of "right-brained" creativity, rooted in Daniel Pink's A Whole New Mind, exploring the implications for teaching and learning in 21st Century schools. It examines the six core competencies of our right-brained future and illustrates exercises related to each: design, story, symphony, empathy, play, and meaning. **PLEASE NOTE -- This is a rather large file (49 MB). For a more efficient viewing experience, please right-click on the link to save a copy to your desktop.
Right-brained Future [MS Powerpoint]: http://www.nais.org/files/PowerPoint/RightBrainedFuture.ppt

The war for your pocket!

So, I just wanted to get this idea out of my head because it is rattling around in there and disturbing me! ;) Rather than taking things out of my pocket, recently vendors seem to want to put things in there! ....like "the web"....

I sense there is a "battle royal" emerging between Nokia, Apple and Google and the Others for final victory in the sadly unloved US mobile market. I have blogged before about Ms. Fiorina's "digital, mobile, virtual and personal" approach to the future of information and knowledge management, but now it is starting to truly look real in the US.

Apple made the market feel different with the iPhone and then made it exciting/real/possible with the 3G iphone - plus 3rd party apps, cool developer tools for us all, entreprise functionality, maps that work, etc etc etc.

Nokia owns probably as much market share in the handset space as all it's competitors combined. But they have 4.6 million (I exaggerate) handsets to choose from (Apple has...er...one) and they are all fairly "ho hum" through reliable...a bit like a Volvo really...(Scandinavia theme here?). Anyway, with their purchase of the Symbian o/s recently, they are setting themselves up to address hardware and software. Nokia's great claim to fame was always that they would work with any provider to make their platform function as advertised. In fact my very first few phones were all Nokia - reliable, easy to use, minimalistic. Now, unless they make their phones 21st century usable and cool (no that does not mean colors and fancy ringtones or graphics) then this move may be too little too late. Maybe a design competitor would help?

Google and the Android platform is the big unknown here. It sounded great at launch then went flat. The problem is that users just want to get things done, stay in touch, have one "digital device" that does it all. How hard can that be? Software alone or hardware alone do not cut it. Even both together are not sufficient if tasks are too hard to carry out and the connectivity is poor. Time for another Google marriage...with Nokia? and/or with a service provider?

Others for my has to include HTC, who continue to bring out marvellous phones that catch up in a cluttered and weird market dominated by carriers stranglehold on the hardware guys.

So....does Apple have the new business model? Do we all have to sell our souls to AT&T? Is there another paradigm shifting competitor out there? How can I get out of my new 2 year contact with t-mobile? Do I have to? Will the US ever have better connectivity and basic mobile phone services than Ghana, West Africa or Europe 10 years ago? Answers to all these questions and more during this year's holiday sales push...maybe I will reading it on my new opensource device...is anybody ready for this?

What: 'Got Social Media?' for Non-Profits

Looks pretty cool...and Kelsey is a speaker! Help spread the word?

When: Friday, June 27, 2008 from 08:00 AM - 07:00 PM (CT)
Where: Alamo Drafthouse S. Lamar, Austin, TX
Hosted by: Peanut Butter Media, Access U, and PopLabs

More info at http://gsmnonprofits-invitefriends.eventbrite.com

Web + Designers + Developers = Wild Success.

Microsoft catching up but can they leap ahead? I have been thinking recently about what the next wave of technology will be all about. Of course it'll be web-based but I think it will be the players that change this next wave not the software or hardware. Back in December 2004, Carly Fiorina, now ex-head of HP, talked about the world being more digital, virtual, mobile and personal (I'd also add ubiquitous and usable). If she was right, and it looks like she is, then the creative, right-brainers out there will surely acquire more dominance than they had before. The future though may be much more of a "whole-brained" affair - and quite fun apparently.

The art of the impossible

Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible — St. Francis of Assisi ('nuff said, mate).

There may be some UX work in the project...

Are you kidding me? Instead how about "when can you start with your ux piece and we'll work out what else we need?" or "we've already got the ux kick-off locked in" or "we told them we don't start without ux input, ok?" Have you been living under a rock for a decade Mr. Sales guy?

This (my blog post title) is the most short-sighted 20th (not 21st) century view of software development I have yet to hear. How do you assess that there is some UX work Mr. sales person...because your 'target' says 'UI' or mentions 'ease of use' or that it has to 'pop'. Back in my early days pre-web I was a real hard-nosed purist on usability, navigation, minimalism and the like with my developers, but now after a decade and a half I can plainly see that that youthful exuberance, though tempered and jaded by years of technology underachieving, was only partly erroneous and I have seen the/another light.

The meek shall inherit the earth.

We will no longer see a world dominated by machine-oriented system sellers but instead human(e) oriented experience sellers, mediators and storytellers.

So...here are some (more) safe predictions for 2008/2009:

1. FOSS will begin dominate the mainstream market
2. More traditional vendors and everybody in fact, formally moves to the web to deliver Software + Services
3. New opportunities will open up for those that can talk to the hybrid, creative chasm opening up between (right vs. left brain) groups such as clients+vendors, designers+developers, people+machines

10 things on being a consultant

1. Start small. When pitching a new deal make the prospect your friend. Sell your new friend something small they can use and use to validate all your fancy promises.
2. Start well. If you don't know who the client really is, what their relationship to you is or what their top 3 success factors are then stop and take the extra time to get those answers.
3. Remember who's vision is paying you. The client is not always right but being right is over-rated. The client's needs always come first.
   
4. Listen. You have 2 ears and one mouth. Use them in proportion. Not every similar sounding project should be solved in the same way.
5. Educate and Bridge gaps. As a consultant looking to become a trusted advisor in a long term client relationship you are usually being paid for knowledge, services and vision that the client is unable or not willing to address.
   
6. Start the relationship. Whatever the client asked for deliver that or the very first piece of that quickly.
7. Show value. Visually depict what you mean.
   
8. Be concise. People tune out of long winded documents and conversations.
   
9. Be proactive in exploring scope but tie future recommendations back to what the client originally asked for as well as what prompted you to make that recommendation.
   
10. Be strategic. The higher level conversation that solves the client's overarching business problem in concert with regular tactical execution wins the day.