Political campaign design has historically been quite boring: red, blue, maybe a flag, and a safe typeface were more or less what we expected from candidates. But in the past decade, that has all changed. New technologies mean that candidates who leverage design skillfully build momentum faster, control their narrative ...more +
8 years ago
When a neighbor's slip in sanity turns Jordan's neighborhood into a bustling rat metropolis, he's forced to confront the beasts head on–along with his feelings on the sanctity of life itself. Years removed from his very first rock show, Jordan's knowledge of rats (informed mostly by urban folklore and minstrel ...more +
8 years ago
It’s important that we take care of ourselves and each other. Even though that’s implied by the mission statement I established in the first volume of this column, I wanted to restate it because those words are helpful among the slew of grim headlines. Our feelings as human beings are valid, ...more +
8 years ago
To quote one of the most influential characters of my generation, Ursula from The Little Mermaid, “Never underestimate the power of body language.” The simplest gestures like a smile or a nod can have the most profound effect on the emotional reactions of the people around you. “Excellent nonverbal communication skills tell ...more +
8 years ago
When most people think of poor ballot design, they think of Florida, the 2000 election, and Gore vs. Bush. Unfortunately, the problems and errors that result from poorly designed ballots are a recurring issue. It is estimated that, in the 2008 and 2010 elections, over half a million votes were ...more +
8 years ago
Nathan didn't want the job. It sounded good when the recruiter described it over the phone–in his pay range, on the train line, neckties optional–but not so good when he looked at the firm’s sprawling, verbose website. Page after page of dueling bullet lists and densely packed blather about helping ...more +
8 years ago
Get out the vote. Rock the vote. These are familiar phrases, but over several decades of use, they’ve lost their impact. And there are varying opinions on how to motivate voters. You could utilize guilt (No vote? No voice!) shame (You can’t complain if you don’t vote!) or populist inspiration ...more +
8 years ago
We all have smartphones. Some people even have a smartphone and/or a tablet in lieu of a computer. The rest of us still rely on laptop or desktop computers, sometimes multiple, in our daily lives. My office is lined with ugly black desktop PCs sitting underneath thousands of desks, each ...more +
8 years ago
