18 December 2006

XPLANE opens office in Europe!

Here's a happy announcement:

XPLANE is opening a European office. Quietly, last fall, we acquired a Madrid-based information firm called IdeaMaps. I am happy to say that in January I will be going to Madrid to formally launch the venture and train the IdeaMaps team in "the XPLANE way." Going forward, IdeaMaps will be known as XPLANE EU and will be serving XPLANE clients in Europe and neighboring regions.

I'm so excited that I keep hearing Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison singing in my ear:

"The rain in Spain falls mainly on XPLANE."

There will be plenty more to come on this subject, I have no doubt. Meanwhile, if you are in Europe please leave a comment on this post and introduce yourself! I'll be looking forward to meeting you in person.

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How to find movies you would probably like

Well it's the holidays and if you're anything like me you're scrambling for last-minute gifts, preferably ones you can buy on Amazon.com.

The Movie Map is not only an excellent example of visual thinking in action, it's also a cool tool that can help you out with gift ideas (if you like to give DVDs).

Just enter any movie that you like, and the map will show you, for people who liked that movie, what other movies they liked. The search above shows movies you might like if you liked "The Matrix."

So if you have a friend and you know what movies they like, you can find other movies that they would probably like. Bingo, gift idea!

Check it out.

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14 December 2006

DIY Visual Thinking School


Visual thinking school, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

Visual Thinking School (VTS) is a two-hour time slot that XPLANE sets aside each week, specifically for our teams to improve their visual thinking skills.

You can set up and run your own "DIY" version, either at work or at home. Here's how:

The trick is to remember that visual thinking is a holistic skill that involves training the eye, mind and body. The "XPLANE way" is evolving constantly -- most XPLANERs probably learn and try something new at least once a week.

You don't need to be an expert to run visual thinking workshops. Instead of thinking of yourself as a teacher, think of yourself as a learning director. Learning, as opposed to teaching, can be largely self-directed and is usually about a person trying to figure out a way to achieve a goal.

You don't need to be a teacher as much as a goal-setter. Once you have set learning objectives, you can have your team design learning activities themselves.

You could try rotating ownership of VTS to a different person each week.

Give the "VTS owner" a training goal and let them design the session. They can then make calls to subject-matter experts or do some research to fill in any gaps in their knowledge.

You will be amazed at what results you can get with that approach.

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13 December 2006

Still life with book


Still life with book, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

Just listed a couple of paintings for sale on eBay. Details here.

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11 December 2006

The Dutch Golden Age, art markets and the Internet

Still life with cheese by Floris van Schooten

When the Dutch East India Company was established in 1602, the impact on global trade was massive -- similar to the internet's impact on trade today. The art world was changed forever.

The emergence of international trade on a broad scale also set the stage for the rise of a merchant class, who used their new income to buy large houses. They covered the walls of their new homes with art, and in so doing unleashed one of the biggest revolutions in art history.

Prior to this time, most artwork had been commissioned by the rich -- that is, by monarchs or churches, and most subject matter was either religious in nature, or served to exalt royal figures and aristocratic ideals.

But in the Golden Age of Dutch painting, still lives and domestic scenes took their place as worthy subjects for art. Painters like Rembrandt and Vermeer created wonderful paintings of apples and pears, home and hearth, feasts and wine and beer.

Today a similar market revolution is underway; one that threatens to turn the art world on its head. Artists and art collectors can now connect directly with each other, no matter where they are in the world.

Personally, I have decided to start a new blog where I'll sell my paintings by eBay auction, starting at 99 cents. The idea is to let the market decide, and let the market for my paintings evolve over time. If you're interested I hope you'll subscribe.

I am also excited to see how the paintings take on a life of their own, and hope collectors will share photos of how they chose to display the artwork in their personal environment.

In this thread, let's discuss the following questions:

1. What do you think is happening?

2. How will it impact you?

3. How can we work together to create a new art, for a new world?

4. What other thoughts do you have?

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03 December 2006

Look Me Up Under "Missing Link" on Wikipedia

Timely article in today's Washington Post:

Look Me Up Under "Missing Link": On Wikipedia, Oblivion Looms for the Non-Notable
.

I wish they had called me for a quote!

Funnily enough, I found the article on the Wikipedia talk pages.

Here's the latest installment of the XPLANE Wikipedia saga.

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How can our spaces improve creativity?

In reply to my post about process, anonymous said:
I truly believe if there were more environments that fostered and encouraged innovative and creative thinking...we'd be a different place.

For once I'd like someone to walk up and say "let's reinvent the wheel just for fun." I know these people exist everywhere, I think they just need a little push.

Maybe that's a deeper conversation for another place...sorry for the rambling.
I agree, it's a deeper conversation. So let's have it.

How can we create work environments that encourage innovation and creative thinking? I look forward to hearing your thoughts here.

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02 December 2006

Cityscape for sale on eBay


Cityscape for sale on eBay, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

Ok, here goes. My first original painting for sale on eBay.

It's a cityscape, a view of downtown St. Louis from the south.

I am going to let the market decide what it's worth: bidding starts at 99 cents (plus $10 shipping, if you're in the US).

You can bid on it here.

Bidding ends Saturday December 9th.

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21 November 2006

Stop searching for God and just sit!


Notes and sketches, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

I really like this quote from Carol Righi. You know it strikes me as interesting that when businesses want to see more innovation, they talk about creativity. They hold workshops on how to be creative. But when you talk to most creative people -- like artists, inventors, and yes, bloggers -- they don't talk about creativity, they talk about process.

I share Carol's belief that our processes and practices are the primary drivers of real creative endeavors. It's like the zen buddhist said, "Stop searching for God and just sit!"

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20 November 2006

XPLANE proposed for deletion from wikipedia

The XPLANE entry on Wikipedia has been marked for deletion.

Update: The page has been deleted based on the opinion of Wikipedia editors that the company is not notable enough. There were dissenting opinions. You can read the discussion at the articles marked for deletion page -- but please don't edit the page as the discussion has been closed. I have put the article up for deletion review, which means a larger pool of editors reviews the decision to delete.

However, anyone who believes differently is always free to write a new article about XPLANE. Be aware that any article must cite evidence of notability, such as multiple, independent, reliable sources, writing about XPLANE in some significant way. If anyone is interested I will be happy to supply such references.

And as always, please leave a comment and share your thoughts.

Thanks in advance,

Dave

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10 (or more) ways to a killer blog


Just click it!

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13 November 2006

Handouts or no handouts?


Notes and sketches, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

User Experience Designer and Product Manager Jeff Lash, speaking at the 2006 St. Louis User Experience Design Conference (STLUX).

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The (almost) lost art of conversation

OR: are we really afraid to connect with each other?

Robb Lucy, of www.eyelearner.com, shared the following article with me. I hope you enjoy it:

Here’s my theory: everyone’s got a story, and some of them are damned interesting. But why are we hiding them? Or is it just that we don’t know how to share them? In a very wired world with communication technology capable of so much, why do we stink at connecting with one another? Are we afraid?

A story. We just got back from a short cruise. We’ve done lots of cruises since the early 80’s, and my favourite time has always been dinner. I loved getting to know some fascinating people and learning from their different, and rich, experiences.

But now there’s a new trend in cruising, and I think it’s a sample of our unconnectedworld. You’re not assigned a table anymore, ‘forcing’ you to eat with, and get to know, ‘strangers’. You can eat anywhere you want, at any time. Eat by yourselves or with people you know every night.

I think it’s a huge opportunity lost. Here’s why.

One year we sailed out of Naples, Italy. We got on the ship a couple of hours before sailing and wandered the decks looking at, and sizing up, the passengers. I took note of one couple; she was short, heavy, dressed in black, very Italian. Her husband was from central casting; white hair, suit, and following behind her.

Dinner time, 8pm. We walked into the large dining room looking for table 41. And there she was. Well, not much conversation with them I thought, knowing they were quite Italian. Beside them were a pleasant looking couple, also about 25 years older than us, probably American.

It turned out she was a superior court judge in New York State, and she knew everybody. He was the best joke-teller I’ve ever encountered. The other couple were travelling the world, she recovering from breast cancer. We told stories, laughed and cried every night. Our table was the first to fill, and the last to leave. We connected with each other and it enriched us.

It happened again on a ship through the Panama. We walked up to our table and it was a sea of white hair, average age 75+, but fascinating people, every one. America’s leading sociology textbook writer for colleges. An 85 yr. old firecracker who had nursed in 25 countries. A 45-year teacher in a one-room school who travelled to a different country every summer. Every subject resulted in animated conversation. We left the ship for a few days and brought them back gifts from Machu Pichu. They cried, and the picture of all of us is still on our kitchen wall.

Yes, travelling is a great way to connect to new people, but why don’t we do it all the time? Are we afraid to be open and tell our stories? Afraid to offend by asking for their stories? Don’t want to enter someone’s space? I’ll bet if you talk to a hundred people, a high percentage will be proud of their family, their accomplishments, their experiences & dreams. And they'd probably like to tell them, but they don't know how and they don’t feel safe.

A good conversationalist just knows how to ask questions. CBC Radio’s Barbara Frum was the best, and all of us can learn something from her. Open-ended questions find out what’s important to the person you’re talking to. Barbara often just said: “tell me about…” and the game was on!

When you’re next on a plane, a ship, or waiting for a bus, open up a conversation with a few non-threatening questions. Tell me about your work? What’s the most fun you have with your family? If you could do one thing tomorrow, what would it be? And have your stories ready so this isn’t just an interview. The worse that will happen is they don't want to participate, and your antennae will let you know. The best is you make a new friend. You will walk away feeling enriched. They will tell their friends and family they met an interesting person... and a new friend.

Successful business people know this works. They build a connection, a relationship, and business builds as a result.

And connecting isn’t just a rich experience with people you don’t know. Good conversations help existing friendships grow much deeper.

Four us spent a recent New Year’s weekend at beautiful seaside lodge. We decided to learn more about each other by answering questions in the past, present & future. We answered questions like “A book that affected me?”, “A person that affected me?”, “A skill I will learn?”, and “An experience I will have?”. The result was deeper friendships with people we knew more about.

Everyone’s got a story, and feeling connected to more people, and ourselves, means listening to and telling those stories. Doesn’t the popularity of devices that help us ‘communicate’, like cel phones & Blackberries, show a yearning to stay connected?

Problem is, we are less connected to each other. But if we just take the risk to tell about ourselves, and carefully listen to their stories, that will change.

And hey, who doesn't need new friends?

Robb Lucy is a Vancouver, Canada entrepreneur, writer & producer – rlucy@eyelearner.com

Thanks Robb! Readers, please share your thoughts.

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12 November 2006

Best practices on file naming

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Conversational terrorism

Have you engaged in conversational terrorism? Or perhaps you are a victim?

Read this -- then come back and share your experiences.

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11 November 2006

The horizontal city

More and more people in the "real world" have been asking me about blogging. "What's the big deal?" they say. I talk to them about how conversations are unfolding online. "So what?" they reply. After awhile, I realized that the best way to explain blogging is to talk about the horizontal city.

The horizontal city is an idea based on some of Tom Friedman's ideas, presented in The World is Flat. I tell people that the internet is like a city that slices through the world horizontally. Anyone with internet access can visit the horizontal city -- and every time you visit a website or go online you are visiting.

But if you don't have a blog or some similar internet presence you are a tourist -- you don't live there and you don't enjoy the same benefits as the people who do. As far as the citizens of the horizontal city are concerned, you're invisible.

When you set up a blog, you are moving into the horizontal city. You are putting yourself -- your passions, your ideas, your beliefs -- online, and by doing so you make yourself linkable. People can see you. They can point to you. They can talk to you. You're a citizen.

At first it's just like moving into a new city in the real world. It's lonely. You don't know anyone. Nobody talks to you. But after awhile -- just like in a real-world city -- you start meeting people and having conversations. You leave a comment on someone's blog, or you link to one of their posts. Then they come to your blog to see who you are. The momentum builds and before you know it you are a member of a community -- maybe several communities.

It's like moving to a city in other ways, too. Putting yourself online is not without risk. You're more vulnerable -- to criminals, stalkers and the merely boring. But it's no different than a real city: you take on more risk but you also enter a thriving metropolis, bursting with opportunity and ideas.

Sometimes people say, "So what? I already live in a city. What's so great about the horizontal city?"

My reply is this: As Dave Weinberger has pointed out, the web runs on our collective passion. When you put yourself online and make yourself linkable you are making your passions explicit, linkable and clickable. Because of this, the people who find you and point to you tend to share your passions.

On the web, your "hit rate" of interesting people is much, much higher than it is in the real world. How often in the real world do you meet people who truly fascinate you? If it's more than 10 percent of the people you meet, I'd say you are very lucky.

But on the web, your "hit rate" is much higher. I have been blogging only a year, and already, quite a few people whom I have met online have become offline (real-world) friends. And almost without exception, they are fascinating, passionate people who are fun to talk to and energizing to spend time with.

And that (I say to my non-blogging friends) is why blogging is a big deal.

Related post: "What's the big deal about blogging, XML and RSS?"

As always -- please, share your thoughts!

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09 November 2006

robotic self destruct and self healing chair

Thanks to Mark Beam for pointing me to this.

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30 October 2006

Divergence, convergence


Divergence, convergence, originally uploaded by hawkexpress.

Hawk Sugano started this thread that has me thoroughly engaged.

It's about using index cards to capture your ideas. What is the best size of index card? What is the best way to store them? How do you use them?

If you find the subject interesting, please join Josh, Hawk, Edward and me: Share your thoughts!

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29 October 2006

Designing for emergence


Notes and sketches, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

Eugene Eric Kim speaks on emergent design.

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17 October 2006

Doc Searls on open source


Notes from Airlie retreat, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

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Tom Friedman on context


Notes from Airlie retreat, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

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01 October 2006

Valence


Valence, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

The beauty of visualization.

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18 September 2006

A visual thinking assignment

This is an assignment for students in the information design program at Bradley University. But anyone else is welcome to try it as well.

Your assignment is to read and synthesize two articles by Kevin Kelly, and create visual communication materials that clearly and visually communicate the key concepts in a visual form. There are two products that you will create for this assignment:

1. A 24-inch by 36-inch poster designed to be hung on the wall. This poster should not require anyone to explain it -- it should fully explain itself, including why you should read it.

2. A brief PowerPoint presentation that can be delivered in 5 minutes or less. This is designed to be presented by a speaker. In fact, you will present it and your presentation will be part of your grade.

Here is a link where you can download the files.

This assignment is due Monday November 6, or Tuesday November 7, depending on which section you are in.

If you have questions about the assignment please post them as comments on my blog, Communication Nation.

Good luck!

Update: The assignments are complete! And the project was a lot of fun. See the results.

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Greetings from San Diego!


I am in San Diego for a couple of days for a board meeting. If you are nearby and want to hook up you can text message me at +1-314-496-6129 and I will reply with my location -- if I can figure out where I am!

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15 September 2006

14 September 2006

Job opening at XPLANE


We have an opening for a Senior Information Designer at XPLANE. If you're qualified and interested I encourage you to apply. Here's some more information on the opening:

XPLANE is a global leader in visual communication and we are looking a Senior Information Designer to join our creative team. You will work with top managers from Fortune 500 companies around the world to creatively visualize complex processes and technologies.

Qualified candidates will demonstrate skills in visual communication, process mapping, creative direction, people management and business technology. We will also be looking for strong organizational and interpersonal skills.

Computer skills: Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office Suite, and any capability with Web 2.0 tools a plus.

Education/Experience: College degree in visual communication, information design or journalism is preferred. Five years of real world experience is required.

Travel: You will typically spend at least 5 days out of town per month. A passport will be necessary.

Salary/Benefits: Salary is commensurate with experience and we offer a complete benefits package.

Send your resume along with 3 samples of your best work to Scott Matthews, Managing Partner, XPLANE, at smatthews@xplane.com. No phone calls.

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09 September 2006

Beautiful sky in Toronto


Beautiful sky in Toronto, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

There were some beautiful skies in Toronto yesterday. The light reminded me of paintings by Spanish realist Antonio Lopez.

If you happen to live in or near Toronto I will be here all weekend (Sept. 9-10, 2006) and want to socialize a bit and enjoy the city. If you'd like to connect text message me at +1-314-496-6129 and I will reply with my location.

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01 September 2006

28 August 2006

Visual thinking workshop in Toronto

A while back I asked if any of you would be interested in workshops. Well thanks to your feedback, I am giving a 3-hour visual thinking workshop in Toronto on September 8, 2006. The title of the workshop will be "The Power of Pictonics: Using Visualizations to Tell Your Technology Story."

I am really looking forward to this.

There will be plenty of hands-on exercises to help you hone your visual thinking and storytelling skills. You'll also learn some of the "secret sauce" that goes into making visual explanations.

This will be a pretty special event, to be held in the beautiful and hi-tech MaRS convergence and innovation center in the downtown Discovery District. It also happens to coincide with the Toronto film festival, one of the best film festivals in North America in my opinion. So if you've been meaning to visit Toronto you couldn't pick a better time.

You can get more information on the workshop here.

The workshop is on a friday, so if you're in or near the Toronto area, join me for the workshop, then stay the weekend and enjoy some first-run films!

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27 August 2006

Evolution of the speech balloon


"Here you can study various experiments and variations and the gradual change from bands to balloons. Even the later examples sometimes have tiny leftovers of the 'bands' on the other side of the balloon."

Thank you xblog.

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26 August 2006

Logical paradox


Logical paradox, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

What do you think?

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Animals on the underground


Seventeen years ago, Paul Middlewick was on his way to work when he noticed an elephant staring at him from the London Underground map. Since then he has discovered birds, whales, and emu and even a wombat, not to mention the fish shown here.

Take a look.

Thanks again arno!

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25 August 2006

Fun with index cards

Since August 8, a blogger sporting the mysterious name Old Bag has been posting a series of pretty hilarious diagrams on index cards, at a rate of several cards per day.

If you like this one there's plenty more at indexed.

Thanks to arno and Josh for the link.

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13 August 2006

Unreasonable requests


What is an unreasonable request? According to Lisa Haneberg:

"Unreasonable requests are big requests that you are generally too chicken to make. Outrageous requests make great things happen. A well formulated request, when accepted by the person you ask, can reroute your progress and enable you to zoom to success.

Unreasonable requests that are turned down can also serve as important catalysts because often a compromise solution is offered that is still higher than you would have normally expected. Mahatma Gandhi said, “If you don’t ask, you don’t get,” and I believe this to be true."

Matt Homann on unreasonable requests

Curt Rosengren on unreasonable requests

Here's my unreasonable request: Watch this video. Then leave a comment with your unreasonable request.

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07 August 2006

The resume of the future


Paul Goode just sent me my first video message.

This video thing is definitely the wave of the future. There used to be financial barriers to this kind of thing. Publishing is rapidly becoming the province of everyone who has a computer and internet access. The walls continue to crumble.

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On the road with Steve Smith


Steve Smith is a local blogger and entrepreneur here in St. Louis. Last week he took me on a drive and since I wanted an excuse to learn about iMovie I decided to videoblog the experience. If you live in or are interested in St. Louis Steve is a fascinating character. Check out his blog for more.

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31 July 2006

Design meme: think orthogonal


Stand out from the pack, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

KAYO books in San Francisco has discovered a wonderful way to make a very ordinary storefront feel lively and inviting. A lot of good thinking and a little work makes the store stand out on a street where a lot of signs compete for your attention. The design works because the designer decided to stand out by thinking orthogonally.

Are you designing anything? If so, take a moment to think of a really simple way to make your design stand out from the pack. Is there a way your design can be "orthogonal" to its competitors?

Think orthogonal.

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30 July 2006

The lifehacker's dilemma


Vitruvian Mann, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

Too many distractions, too little time. Co-developed with Merlin Mann of 43 Folders.

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28 July 2006

The grand-daddy of business visualizations


Shadow, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

Yes, the Toronto Globe and Mail has proclaimed me the grand-pappy of business visualizations.

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12 July 2006

What is twttr and how do you pronounce it?

I just had dinner with Evan Williams and his lovely fiance Sara Morishige. Somewhere between the kalua pig and the bannana bread pudding, Evan gave me a hot scoop: his company, Odeo is about to launch a new service called twttr. It's pronounced "twitter" and you can find it at http://twttr.com (If you're less hip and more literal, like me, you can also find it at http://twitter.com).

The idea is that you can keep your friends informed of where you are and what you're doing by text-messaging them from your mobile phone. If you think about it it's a pretty cool idea: You can subscribe to text messages from your friends and they can "blog" their wheareabouts and doings. So, for example, if you're going to be in a certain city, or a certain coffee shop, or a certain club -- you can text message all your friends in one go, for example: "I'm going to the Starbucks at Market and Polk. Meet me if you want to play Scrabble."

People will get your text message immediately no matter where they are -- it's more immediate than a blog or email, and if they happen to be nearby, you haven't missed an opportunity to hook up.

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30 June 2006

Take a coffee break with me


Yes, I know you're busy, but you can spare a couple of minutes, can't you? C'mon, let's go.

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11 June 2006

Shepherd market, Mayfair, London

If you're reading this and it's Sunday June 11th, then I am loose in London.

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01 June 2006

Location

Update on my itinerary: Just leaving Houston. Home in St. Louis over the weekend, then headed for Denver, then London. If you want to hook up in Denver or London please send me an email!

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28 May 2006

Graph of a typical business meeting

Cllick here to read more notes and commentary, and to add your own!

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25 May 2006

Social media


Social media, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

Why doesn't the typical meeting work for you anymore?

Why, when you see the laptop come out and the lights start to dim, do you feel a vague sense of dread?

Maybe it isn't so vague?

Maybe you've become used to a different way of interacting; a different kind of media. Social media.

What is social media? I think of it as a group of media producers that is primarily it's own audience.

I was first introduced to this idea by Alex Vieux of Red Herring, who defined the Red Herring media ecosystem as a global social network of entrepreneurs, technologists, and financiers who were primarily interested in each others' activities and ideas.

A short while later I sat next to Ross Mayfield of Socialtext, who for three days running attempted to convince me of the power of wikis -- I am sad to say, without success. Those of you who know me are aware that I can be quite slow on the uptake sometimes.

Later I met Jerry Michalski, who is so passionate about social media that he named his company Sociate.

You wouldn't be reading this if you weren't already connecting to the world of social media. Which is why, I submit, that meetings of the traditional type don't work for you any more. You're no longer a couch potato, watching TV in the evening, being spoon-fed your media. And you don't want that role in your business meetings either.

You've become a part of the social media ecosystem. In addition to being a consumer of media, you're now also a producer. You've become accustomed to having a voice in the conversation. Social media is a clear phenomenon and it isn't going away.

So you can imagine my surprise when I searched the web for a simple, clear definition of social media and came up empty.

My definition is in the picture above.

What's your definition? Please leave a comment and share your thoughts.

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23 May 2006

Meshforum 2006


Meshforum 2006, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

As you may know I recently attended Meshforum 2006 in San Francisco. It was a wonderful event -- I took a lot of photos, and copious notes on index cards.

A few people joined the event late and asked what they had missed. Instead of trying to explain it I was able to hand them a stack of index-card notes. The notes gave me a way to share personal impressions of the event without losing my focus on what was currently happening.

I have taken photographs of the events and put them alongside the index-card notes, in roughly chronological order. Looking at the photos and notes in sequence may give you a feeling for a personal experience of the event -- I hope you enjoy it. Take a look.

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22 May 2006

Visual thinking with Legos


2006FEB121501, originally uploaded by bootload.

Peter Renshaw uses Lego building blocks as a visual thinking tool.

It all started when Peter and a friend (Russell) went to lunch with pens, paper, books, folders and a whole heap of Lego blocks. Each block represented a function or layer of code. They got a few odd stares, but ended up with a set of building blocks that they thought could solve the problem.

Lego blocks allowed Peter and Russel to clearly visualize what they were trying to do. Think of it as three-dimensional sketching for object-oriented programming.

Assemble a whole lot of modules that can be plugged together to accomplish something.

Peter and Russell were inspired by SAP, the global enterprise software company. Over time, SAP has compiled a tightly integrated grid of modules which can be plugged together in various ways to build solutions.

Here's Peter on how they do it:

"There's no special meaning to the choice of colour or size of blocks, aside from the fact that we join the blocks together to see, and, more importantly, think, how they can come together. Each block or module is uncoupled. That means it does one thing and one thing well.

This is the advantage of using blocks. Click them together to see what you need to acheive a particular task. Its not quite UML and we may miss something. But its cheap, and if used intelligently, does the job."

Click here to look at the annotated photo and read more thoughts from Peter.

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Robert Scoble's "living room test"

I asked Robert Scoble how he handles comments on his blog. His answer above. He calls it "the living room test."

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18 May 2006

I'm in Washington DC


I'm in Washington DC, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

I am in DC today (Friday) and Saturday. Send me an email if you would like to hook up Saturday at dgray [at] xplane [dot] com. Cheers!

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16 May 2006

The digital handmade



"Skepticism about the consumerist frenzy in the technology industries has led some practitioners to work with low-tech or outdated equipment, deliberately refusing the allure of commercial polish in favor of handmade aesthetics. Many of these self-styled creators deliberately turn to low-tech production platforms in order to make work that is accessible, inexpensive and often innovative in unexpected ways."

Take a look.

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15 May 2006

Pen and paper porn


Workspace, originally uploaded by jazzmasterson.

I love paper, but Josh DiMauro is a true paperhaulic. His Flickr photostream is the ultimate in GTD porn.

For those of you who don't know yet, GTD stands for Getting Things Done, a set of approaches and ideas by productivity guru David Allen and evangelized by Merlin Mann of 43 folders, John the Baptist of GTD and inventor of the hipster PDA.

Josh's blog, Paper bits offers a wonderful romp through his paper-loving world, where index cards, coin envelopes, binder clips take on a new life as productivity accelerators.

Josh isn't a luddite though, he embraces technology for the things that it's good for. But Josh and I agree: Always start on paper.

Related posts:
The best technology ever invented
The back-to-paper movement
Why techies are leading the back-to-paper movement

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14 May 2006

Liquid browsing


Check out the liquid 2D scatter space.

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Change is in the air


Change is in the air, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

The economy is changing. The environment is changing. The ways that we communicate and interact are changing. It feels like everything is in flux -- there is a monumental shift in the air.

I can sense it. Can you sense it too?

There is a huge gap between we measure the value of a company and the way the market values it. New models of work are emerging -- the idea of a company as an individual entity is evolving into the idea of a company as an ecosystem.

Would Dell be Dell without its sophisticated network of global suppliers and information systems? Would Wal-Mart be Wal-Mart?

And it goes without saying that companies like Google, eBay and Yahoo are emerging into dominance by finding new ways of defining and creating value.

More than 20 years ago, management visionary Peter Drucker wrote, "The economy is forever going to change and is biological rather than mechanistic in nature."

And yet there is still so much we don't know and have no way to measure.

Yi-Tan means conversations about change. On Monday, May 14th (that's tomorrow for those of you who are reading this on Sunday, or today if you're reading this on Monday), I will join Jerry Michalski on his weekly Yi-Tan call to discuss how visual thinking is changing the way interact and communicate.

The topic: how to build shared visual meaning inside a company. We'll discuss:

-- When is visualization especially useful? How is it changing org charts and other common tools?
-- How do you engage work groups in visualization work?
-- How might we create better shared visual memory? Better visual contexts we can return to over and over?

This is the second call in a series on shared visual meaning. The first one was a group dialogue and I was one of the guests on that one too. You can listen to that call as a podcast here.

We will use a free Web document-sharing service that includes chat capabilities.

At the start of the Yi-Tan call, please head to Vyew and join meeting number 568542. If you'd like to practice with it first, join us in that meeting a half hour before the call starts. Jerry and I will both be there.

Date: Monday, May 15, 2006
Time: 10:30 PDT, 1:30 EDT
Primary Dial-in Number: 1-800-615-2900 (Toll Free in USA and Canada), or 1-661-705-2005 (for callers outside the USA and Canada)
Participant Access Code: 778778

Wiki goodness at www.yi-tan.com

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13 May 2006

In the event of emergency...


In the event of emergency..., originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

Before you take care of anyone else, be sure to put on your own oxygen mask first.

Some of you out there are taking care of other people and neglecting your own welfare.

You know who you are.

Take care of yourself first.

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THE PROBLEM IS NEVER THE PROBLEM

Found on a wall in San Francisco.

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Time-management software -- offline version

Bill Westerman has joined the back-to-paper movement. Here are a couple of Bill's ingenous methods for managing his time and to-do lists in his notebook.

Bill prefers the Miquelrius notebook (shown here).

I have annotated the photo to show how Bill's system works. To see how it works, click here and look at the notes.

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Notes from Meshforum 2006: Howard Greenstein


Meshforum 2006, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

For those of you who missed Meshforum 2006, Howard Greenstein took some excellent notes.

Howard also wrote an article for Optimize magazine called Web 2.0 meets the enterprise which is worth a read.

Howard Greenstein is currently the Senior Director of the Center for Management at the School of Continuing and Professional Studies at NYU. In this role he is the administrator for 9 management-related programs including Coaching, Business Continuity, Project Management, and Human Resources.

You can learn more about meshforum here and see more photos here.

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The power of visualization


The power of visualization, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

Visualization has the power to reveal things that are hidden and generate new insights.

Theyrule is a perfect example. It allows you to visually map the kieretsu-like relationships between board members of major publicly-traded companies.

I used theyrule to make the map above, which shows how the boards of Microsoft and Xerox are connected via General Electric.

The data was collected from company websites and SEC filings in early 2004, so it may not be completely accurate - companies merge and disappear and directors shift boards.

See what you can discover.

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16 Dumpsters


16 Dumpsters, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

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12 May 2006

Notes from Meshforum: Two questions

Day three of meshforum employed the open space format. Michael Herman told me that he gets many questions during a typical open space meeting; questions like "Would it be okay to...?" or "Can we...?"

He said that regardless of the question there are only two answers:

"What do you really want to do?" and

"Why don't you take care of that?"

You can learn more about meshforum here.
and see more photos here.

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Web developers clean up with AJAX


Meshforum 2006, originally uploaded by dgray_xplane.

Day three of meshforum was held in the offices of adaptive path, the company who coined the term AJAX for web applications. Their office is also the home of application development company Rubyredlabs. So I wasn't surprised to find ruby red AJAX in their kitchen.

You can learn more about meshforum here.
and see more photos here.

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