Working at a new company is like learning a new language. All you do is adjust you skills to a new syntax. Apply everything you already know to a new set of rules and get on with it. Along the way you find yourself grateful for built in functions and syntax shortcuts, but find shortcoming around every corner. Where Perl kicks ass at parsing, PHP kicks balls at its support, frameworks and with 5 all the OOP additions. So what I am getting at is colleges are like those predefined functions and the new syntax is like an unfamiliar process (if it exists) that you have to get used to.

I haven’t gotten the chance to actually use the browser, but even reading the docs is fun. Someone show me any technology documentation that is a real page turner. Scott McCloud banged this one out and what a job he did. Even show me fully illustrated docs like this for anything.

Google once again is revolutionizing technology and proves it down to every little detail. Well done boys, I cant wait to get my hands dirty developing for this browser, not just Web stuff, but actual plugins and extensions for it. Should be a breeze!

I have been thinking about my understanding of interaction design as I am preparing for a BIG round of interviews starting Monday in New York. I still haven’t quite gotten over my Jeff Benjamin SNAFO and I am trying to make sure It doesn’t happen again. So with that this is my idea of interaction design’s place in the process and why I take to it.

I am passionate about strategy. School pounded it into my head and it is almost all that I think about on projects. But all too often does a great idea fall to pieces because of poor execution. And what a disappointment it all becomes.

With regards to interactive assets for brands the piece that takes idea into execution is interaction design. It is the liaison between the two and done properly can drive the execution to success. Interaction design allows for so much input into strategy and execution it is the obvious spot for me.

The happy medium is the wonderful squeeze between idea and execution where interaction design lives.

Like they say, start the campaign at digital and build out. But it takes a bit more than that. What does digital mean on the local level? How can a brand leverage events, activities, parties, anything on the local via digital or the web? There is a bunch of hype about location based anything. But we always cry privacy there. And we can always just build a new social network for every community that ever existed. “Mayan Space” for the Mexican restaurant on 10th and Morrison, that makes sense.

I tend to always think the key is integration. We don’t need any more stand alone social networks, or opt in location based SMS messages with coupons. How about turning away from the brand and towards it’s product (or service) and appeal what the brand offers on a local level. The web is all about personal customization - Firefox and Google lead that revolution. But those are digital assets, it’s time to get some traditional brands to appeal their products on the local level. And their brand will follow.

I want to see a brand bring a community together through its product. I want somebody to show me that I can join in with my city or neighborhood to design or create my local version of Nike Dunks. I want to collaborate with 100,000 other people via the web to make the perfect Portland shoe. People have a lot of pride for their city, why don’t we see brands leverage this more?

Take this idea down to the university level. A 20,000 person online collaboration to make the University of Oregon iPod. How much longer until the web is no longer a global communication tool, but a local one? I think we are on the way.

I figured this is probably something I should think about. After a bit of searching I found Chad Vavra’s Philosophy. I like it, and it lead me to come up with my own:

“Complexity, born out of straightforward technology, creates meaningful connections between the human mind and the technological brain. Users and their technology are melded together as the later becomes aware of the formers expectations, desires, and necessities.”

I think defining or philosophizing about ID is a bit cliche among digital people. That is to say, how do we come up with something unique or innovative and not just come back to simplicity? It seems to me that when talking about digital assets we always come back with simplicity being the shoe that fits best. Clearly I think this comes from people with little knowledge & desire to explore technologies and become comfortable. Eventually we can throw the simplicity model out the window. Probably not until all the oldies are dead and we only have the generations who grew up with this stuff. But until then - SIMPLICITY I guess.

The biggest curse for a brand it having split personality disorder. Something I was definately suffering from. So with this comes the Zach Blank creative revolution. SitB&R will become active again and will explore creativity, branding, strategy, development (brand & code) and try and share some funny thing now and them.

I will be working on developing a new voice again that makes sense, a writing style that works and a purpose to make this all worth while - for me and you.

Next post will be AWESOME!

I wouldnt be suprised to see more talk about Wordpress turning into a suite of tools to be used in this sense. Really cool.

For those in education (not me anymore!) Adobe Flex Bulder 3 is FREE. I signed up last night and am drooling over my free lagit copy that is soo to be. No idea what I am going to build with it, but it will be sweet to learn. I am fresh with the Actionscript 3 craze, so i hope i can jump right into this puppy.

Ideas?

1. You see something and remember making a note to fix it later.
2. You make another note.
3. You don’t reset CSS - ‘meh I’ll deal with it if (when) it becomes a problem.
4. You say yes to a client so you don’t have to explain ‘are you kidding? not for this price!’ and email them later to say it’s out of budget.
5. The design requires PNGs. ‘Time for lunch!’
6. Doesn’t work in IE. Time for Lunch, Time for a snack, times for a snack, time for a snack, time for dinner, time for a snack.’
7. The client asks about a blog. You respond ‘Wordpress.com.’
8. Obviously the code doesn’t validate, and you REALLY couldn’t care less. Frick, the client doesn’t even know what that means.
9. You don’t update whatever OpenSource code you are using. ‘Who would notice but me anyway?’
10. You have tedious updates and changes to make and you write a blog post instead.

Any others?