Author Chris

Jul 9, 2010
Design, Tech

Developing a Smarter Client

via U.S. National Archives (http://bit.ly/bSisuf)

Given the intimate size of our company, we often find ourselves fulfilling numerous roles throughout the day. One moment we’re handling client phone calls, the next we’re in a creative brainstorm, or reviewing mockups, or visiting the printer for a press-check, or…

If you were to divide our working hours into groups, they’d include categories such as “Creative Conference” and “Account Research,” in addition of course to “Graphic Design” and “Web Development.” When combined, those activities lead us towards solutions for our clients, and from a business perspective, provide valuable revenue that keeps Airspace Workshop in business. However, tucked between the deliverables and bank deposits lies a valuable byproduct that benefits both our clients and our business. [Continue...]

Jun 10, 2010
Music

El Niño No Ka ‘Oi

Jun 3, 2010
Design, Tech, Travel

Bank of Hawaii’s “Fast Cash” is Relatively Slow

Show me the money!

During a recent trip to San Francisco, I found myself face-to-face with a Bank of America ATM at the Ferry Building Marketplace. Our encounter would be brief. After sliding my debit card through the reader and entering my PIN, I was presented with a number of options on the touch screen, including multiple cash denominations. Rather than pressing “OK” or “Enter” and being presented with various transaction types, I simply selected the amount I wanted. Moments later my cash and receipt were dispensed and I was on my way. Total number of keystrokes, including a 4-digit PIN: five.

Yesterday I made a withdrawal from the Bank of Hawaii ATM located in Kaimuki. First off, it “eats” my card, as opposed to swiping it. Then it requests my PIN, and instructs me to “Press Here After”. OK. Select a transaction type, “Fast Cash”. Select an account (even though I only have one), “Checking”. Select a preset amount, “$20″. Some whirring occurs and the cash is dispensed. Shortly after, my card is ejected, along with a receipt. Total number of keystrokes, eight. That’s 60% more effort than the Bank of America ATM required for the same transaction, and an unexpected lesson in how thoughtful design can substantially improve usability and user experience.

Mar 5, 2010
Blog, Tech

Dropbox Comes Correct*

* DeLorean not included.

If your workflow requires shuffling files between two or more computers, then you are well aware of how difficult it can be to manage that process. It’s inevitable that one day you’ll forget to sync your work from home, only to realize your mistake when the client arrives for a design review. Even worse, you overwrite today’s work with yesterday’s file, then spend the rest of the night repeating your efforts. Yippee!

My current solution involves Chronosync and an iPod, which is very effective, but still susceptible to user error (I’ve forgotten the iPod at home, or at the office, numerous times). Recently I discovered Dropbox, which is perhaps the most elegant solution I’ve come across for syncing files on various computers. The service is web-based, but tightly integrated with the operating system, creating a seamless experience. Simply drop files onto a folder and voila, they are now available on your other Dropbox enabled computers, as well as the web.

There are numerous things that Dropbox does right. They clearly explain what they provide and the benefits of using their software. The design aesthetic reflects the product’s simplicity and elegance. They eliminate risk by providing the software free of charge. The product is truly top-notch, but it’s a marketing twist they’ve integrated into the service that got my attention.

The Dropbox business model is based on…

Feb 28, 2010
Media, Tech

Tsunami Generates a Surge of Social Media

Mokapu Point Buoy - Saturday Feb 27, 2010

The Mokapu Point buoy displaying swell direction oscillation during the Hawaii tsunami

In today’s Star Bulletin, Erika Engle discusses the role of social media during Saturday’s tsunami, including a mention of Buoy Alarm, which was flooded with Twitter traffic yesterday after people discovered the Mokapu Point buoy twitter feed (@buoy51202).

While NOAA utilizes a completely different system to monitor tsunami activitiy (DART), the effects of the surge’s ebb and flow were noticeable at the Mokapu surface buoy, mainly in the oscillating swell direction between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. HST. I suppose many chose to follow the buoy on Twitter expecting to see a dramatic spike in wave height, but when you consider the tremendous volume of water in the Pacific, to have it shift direction 9 times in approximately 5 hours is actually quite remarkable, and requires an amazing amount of energy. [Continue...]

Feb 23, 2010
Blog, Tech, Workshop

Finding Value in a Non-Monetary Economy

In October of 2009 we released a customizable Tumblr theme entitled M82. My intentions at the time were motivated by a desire to learn the Tumblr theme engine, polish my CSS skills, and rework the look of my personal blog. The theme was one of the first to integrate the then-new Appearance option tags, allowing for customizable fonts and images, as well as Twitter, Streampad, Disqus and Google Analytics integration directly from the Tumblr Dashboard.

M82 has been available in the Tumblr Theme Garden for about five months, and during that time the theme has organically grown an installation base of 5,150 users (and counting), including some popular sites with a significant number of followers. What I did not realize five months ago, was the important lesson I would learn regarding the value of social capital. [Continue...]

Feb 9, 2010
Blog

Jan 26, 2010
Tech, Workshop

M82 Themed “Letterheady” Featured on Tumblr Tuesday

Every Tuesday Tumblr selects a handful of blogs from their 3,123,301 (and counting) users to highlight, and today Letterheady led the pack. Aside from being an inspirational resource to corporate identity designers, Letterheady is using the M82 Tumblr Theme we designed. Sweet!

You can see the theme in action on the M82 demo page, or if you’re already Tumbling, you can one-click install it directly from the Tumblr theme garden.

Dec 21, 2009
Photography, Slideshow, Sports, Workshop

Eddie Would Shoot Film

The 2009-2010 Quicksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau at Waimea Bay. A selection of photographs from the event, shot on 100TMX and 400TX in both 135 and 120 formats.

Dec 14, 2009
Media, Tech, Workshop

The Real-Time Web & Tweeting Objects

The theme of the recent Le Web conference in Paris was “Real-Time Web”, and given the multitude of “live” distribution channels emerging across the Internet, this is definitely a hot topic. LeWeb founder Loic Le Meur’s current endeavor Seesmic seeks to enhance user experiences within the real-time web via online and mobile applications.

The real-time web is indeed an exciting new online ecosystem, and thousands of entrepreneurs are scrambling to lay claim to a piece of the pie. What a surprise to find a mention of Buoy Alarm amongst the real-time chatter! With so many other robust applications attempting to tackle much larger issues, such as real-time search, it’s neat to see our humble little idea pop up in the discussion.

Follow Buoy Alarm on Twitter, or my personal favorites Buoy 51001 and Buoy 51201, for real-time swell information.

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