Sara Smith
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's an ... alicorn?

When determining if one is a unicorn, it is important to consult an expert, like a good patient would consult a specialist (or, perhaps, even two). In this instance, I was able to locate one in the tri-county area who focuses on mythical creatures and Greek mythology. Okay, so she may be twelve, but she is well read and very cute (insert parental bias here). I posed this question to my daughter first, “Do you think a unicorn is the best creature?” Her reply, “No! An alicorn is the best creature. It is a cross-between a unicorn and a pegasus. It has all the qualities of a unicorn, but it can also fly!” My next question was for myself, “Could I be an alicorn?”

Sara Smith
Too Late to Apologize?

Copyright is exclusive, but the internet is not, nor are its users. The lines between right and wrong can become blurred, and decisions can become compromised when it comes to technology. Piracy without concern for consequence is disconcerting.

Sara Smith
Putting All the Pieces Together: Strategic ...

Understanding is the key to strategic design.

Proper planning, listening, viewing, testing, reporting, designing, iterating, and so forth, can only be successful if they stem from understanding the user's tasks, overall goals, current processes, etc., from the start of the project.

In order to move forward, we need to know the moves that the user has previously made.

Sara Smith
How to avoid making your UX testing purple …

When a lawyer is in court, presenting his case, he or she is told to not ask leading questions, as to not elicit testimony the witness would not otherwise volunteer. The same is true for usability testing, whereas you do not want to lead your participant into the answer.

Sara Smith
Striving for Failure

To fail is to succeed. When we are in school we are taught lessons. We are tested on these lessons and expected to retain the information through our studies, and then as a result, score high on tests. The expectation is to succeed, not to fail. The opposite is true of design. Failure is desired, because failure sheds light on where improvements can be made.

Information Technology

Humans Remain Vital, Despite Technology Advancements

Good news! The glass is half full. Humans still have vital roles to play, this is according to Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAffee in their book, The Second Machine Age: Work, Progress, and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies. (188)

Change is a Constant

In 2014, Thomas L. Friedman wrote in the New York Times editorial piece, “If I Had a Hammer,” about “Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee’s fascinating book, ‘The Second Machine Age.’”

Friedman emphasizes in the article that “something very, very big happened over the last decade. It is being felt in every job, factory and school.” He is describing the technological advances that Brynjolfsson and McAfee focus on in their book. Friedman concludes that the authors are saying that the technological advances, that our generation is seeing “will have more power to improve (or destroy) the world than any before, relying on fewer people and more technology.”