I recently designed and developed a portfolio website for a friend of mine who also happens to be a very talented, up-and-coming special events photographer.   The final design of this site is very clean and modern-looking, drawing focus on the photography rather than the site design itself.  It’s a departure from earlier design concepts and the previous site layout.

In the world of learning management systems, it seems that Google is joining the bandwagon with cloudcourse.

The LMS space is filled with so many proprietary systems that cost and the risk of over-specializing may be impede and/or limit many organizations from really engaging and participating in an organized approach for their learning goals.  I’ve worked a little bit with other learning management systems, namely, Moodle, and it’ll be interesting to see how the space of more open-source systems may impact on how we manage and approach educational needs from a system’s perspective.

Not too long ago, I transitioned into the world of non-profits.  Recently joining an organization to help support and manage the transition towards upgrading its online presence, updating its digital media solutions to showcase and highlight its projects and research, and providing a more integrated network to meet its many operational, communication, and strategic needs, has introduced me to an area of technology that is focused on the non-profit world.

How one approaches not only their web design, but also how they reach out to their target audience (or constituents) is very different.  A non-profit’s brand is closely intertwined with its identity, and in turn, its identity – what it does, what it stands for and represents, what it creates and produces, what it defends – speak directly to a certain group of individuals.  And it is these individuals who will provide the kinds of brand-building, presence-developing, and ultimately, fund-raising, that most, if not all non-profits depend on.

The ownership of ones’ brand is extremely important, but in some respects, I find that the need to truly own one’s identity, to truly identify what one actually does and specifically, provides and offers, is of particular significant to a non-profit organization.

Certainly, it is increasingly easier and cheaper to spread the world about non-profits.  The lack of resources (both personnel and monetary) are no longer barriers that are insurmountable.  Twitter and its kind (twitpic)

An example of using YouTube to support non-profits (it’s a dated video, but I think still relevant):

I’ll elaborate more about how digital media (and all its fun, related aspects such as online marketing and campaigns, community building, etc.) come into play as non-profits seek to expand their networks, fundraising capabilities, and brand presence.  For the time being, I’ve listed some information here that could be a helpful start.

Useful links:

NTEN: Nonprofit Technology Network

Wild Apricot: a non-profit technology blog

Big Duck: communications for non-profits blog

Mobile Active: global network of non-profits applying mobile tech to serve their needs (this is definitely something I’m very interested in exploring)

A recent article describing how today’s children, having been immersed so deeply with an environment filled with incredible advancements in technology, brings to mind memories of my own childhood experiences of play.  Surrounded by influences of environment, education, and parental guidance, paired with a child’s individual personality and interests, I am reminded of the sort of spirited pursuits of adventure of yesteryear.  There was this inventive curiosity and carefree exploration that seemed to percolate through childhood.  Think about how almost anything could be turned into a toy.  Think about the look of complete wonder on a child’s face when they see a colorful object, a stuffed animal, heck, even a pencil.

Learning the English alphabet with today's technologies

There’s been research probing the role of technology among today’s children and young adults.  What does it mean to have grown up during a time where there was always a cell phone and the Internet?  Moreover, how has the inclusion and use these technologies and games, as well, inform the practices, actions, thought processes, and assumptions that both children and adults make?

At some point, it stopped.  Suddenly, there was all this so-called grown-up concern of things called feasibility, practicality, marketability, and profitability.  How do we address all those things, but still come up with innovative products, tools, and services that achieve these market and profit-driven goals while simultaneously embracing a sense of marvel and open possibility.

I’m reminded of lab experiments conducted during physics classes that involved working with slinkies and using plastic toys and coins (purchased at one of those 99 cent stores) as props for constructing projects.  In graduate school, non-digital game prototypes developed in game design classes stretched my imagination how to use seemingly rudimentary and ordinary items to create and simulate a play experience.  Perhaps as our society continues its rapid and constant transformation and evolution, making use of these sorts of imaginative and creative processes that we seem to situate only in childhood, could play a larger role in how we think about technology – its function and role – in our lives.

Different ways to “see” health information: infographics.

Moreover, Google apparently has a new tool called Google Public Data Explorer, which is meant to support different ways to visualize and present data.  Instead of simply reciting facts and statistics, or displaying a generic line or bar graph, you can now jazz up data and transform them into something that can be more relevant, contextual, and something of which folks can relate.  Well, at least that’s the idea.

For more reference on learning and thinking about how to effectively present information, there is always Edward Tufte himself. A snapshot:

Here are some online health games that I’ve played, experimented, and used in part of a school research project. Try for yourself!

Humana Games
Playnormous
Nutrition Explorations
Nourish Interactive

With more to come at this year’s Games for Health conference

For the past year or so, I’ve been following this movement and call for applying design thinking into business.  Although this is different point on design, this is a great site that challenges designers to reconsider how they think and approach design as it applies and relates to the world.  (It also demonstrates, through the site’s many slideshows, some examples of how graphic design can be used to be informative and instructional.) It’s a call to action for designers to be more actively engaged in thinking about how to design and what to design, and how the processes and outcomes can affect the world.

Taking away the debate of whether or not it should be a designer’s responsibility or role to involve his or her work for these types of social, economic, and environmental issues, I find it rather inspiring to see how we can expand our perspectives of what we do, what we are “expected” to do in a given profession, and imagine and ultimately, act upon greater, far-reaching, positive change.

I redesigned a new site for the fashion designer, Angela Gao, to showcase her growing collection and brand.

Client Site: Home page