I just returned from Interaction 10, the always-exciting conference organized by the Interaction Design Association (IxDA).  This year’s event was held in Savannah, Georgia. I know there was a lot of live tweeting, Johnny Holland was there, and the conference site will soon feature loads of videos. Folks have been busy on Flickr, too. So, since the event reporting has been pretty well covered by others, I thought it would be interesting to look at the physical paper trail this conference generated for me.

Interaction with dead trees
I had a client years ago that refused to allow paper into the office. Everything was electronic. Needless to say, this got them a lot of PR, but made them fairly ineffective. Let’s face it, paper is really, really useful. (I’m partial to beermats…for taking notes).

But honestly, is all this paper really necessary? How can we make the world a little more sustainable? Just look at what I dragged home from Savannah:

2 train tickets for the Copenhagen subway
1 printout of a so-called “e-ticket”
4 boarding passes from Delta
2 luggage receipts
5 security stickers of various kinds on passport and luggage
1 receipt for currency exchange at Danske Bank
3 taxi receipts (1 Danish, two US)
1 paper conference badge
4 schedules and maps from inside the badge
1 map of Savannah
17 sundry receipts for meals, drinks, and other conference-related expenses
1 reservation sheet from the Hyatt
1 welcome letter from the Hyatt
1 check-out description from the Hyatt
1 bill from the Hyatt
3 Delta paper napkins (with sketches)
12 pieces of promotional literature from the conference sponsors
14 pieces of United States paper currency
43 business cards

"Empty your pockets in the plastic tray provided"

New Year’s is a time of reflection. In my case, I pondered the many and varied ways we can promote the cause of information architecture. And I think I’ve discovered a completely untapped opportunity: professional wrestling.

Amazingly, there is not a single professional wrestler with an IA background! I’ve considered making this career move myself, but my wife thinks I look dumb in a Speedo (then again, who doesn’t?). So since my plans seem to have been vetoed, let me share my thoughts with you – perhaps someone else will enter the arena to make this bold, long-overdue move.

The name’s the game
First, professional wrestlers have a catchy name. I’ve considered the following:

Leo the Librarian (famous for the “Shssh of Death”)

Doctor Depends (never looks you straight in the eye)

The Terrible Thesaurus (a magical, yet misunderstood creature)

Getting a move on
Next, all wrestlers have “signature moves,” so I think I should have a couple, too. For example, Hard-Boiled Haggerty is famous for his “Shillelagh Swing.” And Cowboy Bob Ellis has “The Bulldog Headlock.” Well, here are some ideas I’ve been tossing around.

The Polar Bearhug
Perfect for tackling large-scale opponents

The Wurman Whirl
Create anxiety through the deadly use of information overload

The Dewey Decimator
796.8 ways to send your foe back to the stacks

The Barbed Wireframe
Box in your target no matter where he happens to be.

The Berrypicking Brainbuster
A shrewd combination of the very best moves available at any given time.

Michigan Leg Swirl
Prevail by degrees (this move is known in the industry as an “MLS”)

The Morville Mindbender
Become completely unfindable in the ring!

The Dublin Corner
Trap your opponent in a maze of metadata

Full Nielsen
Use statistics to pummel your adversaries into submission.

Defining the Damned Thing
A horrifying manoeuvre from which there is no apparent escape.

Moving forward
I have to confess, throughout my years as a professional information architect, I’ve had a secret mentor. I’d like to share his identity with you now:

Happy New Year!
Eric

As a guy in charge for our Zagreb office I’m thrilled and happy to share some news with you. First of them is our little anniversary – today marks exactly 2 months since we have been incorporated and established our first office here in Zagreb, Croatia.

We are the youngest FatDUX office worldwide and as such we see ourselves as an important part of the overall corporate success. We will embrace this blog as well as our Twitter accounts more actively in the future so for this first, introductory post, I’d like to introduce you to our office, our team.

But most importantly, I’d like to celebrate the fact that despite this global economic downturn that is hitting southern Europe and the New Europe countries especially hard – we are thriving, adopting to our client’s needs and, oh well, we are being innovative as much as we can.

Often it is being said that necessity is the mother of innovation – apart from that being just too often cited – there is actually truth in that. Also, one can argue that this current downturn and climate certainly affects the ability of the companies to stay ahead and innovate in a negative way.  However, it is also serving as a catalyser for change, opportunity to rethink your mission, your business and your overall business values.

It is challenging – for sure

When I’ve left the Microsoft Development Center in Copenhagen where I used to work as part of a really great and international user experience team – I was filled with mixed emotions. Leaving the Microsoft where I used to work and collaborate with for years (counting my Microsoft Croatia experience) and starting the new business from the scratch was huge endeavor. Truth be told – in my personal contacts, over Twitter and even via Facebook bunch of people were saying that I should accept the offers and stay in Denmark with Microsoft or some other company but just few said that I should return back home and start a new business with my team.

And here we are today – two months after official incorporation, after months of prep work, market analysis, team gathering and consultations. I’m bold, proud and thrilled to say that we are here and we are here to stay!

Our team

Our core team in Croatia is rather small but we are utilizing the broad network of our local and international contacts. Antun Debak is our creative director and our youngest employee – may that not fool you – he is extremely talented guy with years of experience working for some big names as a freelancer, Darko Čengija (pronounced as cheng-ee-ya) serves as our external consultant – he is employed at the Poslovna učionica not by FatDUX (though we treat him like he is one of us) and I (Vibor Cipan) am serving as a CEO of the FatDUX Zagreb office.

Three of us have meet several years ago and worked together and collaborated with Microsoft Croatia and their partners on various projects – from design, product development, coding, project management, copywriting… After all these years – it was quite natural for us to start on something together.

After my first meeting with Eric and Søren in Copenhagen while I was living in Denmark, I knew, intuitively, that one day we will be part of our FatDUX family. Months of negotiations, discussions, talks – and we had our deal. Today we are proud part of the FatDUX global family contributing to our client’s bottom line and their success.

How the sayin’ goes: We work hard and play hard. I know it is braggin’ but heck, we went to Rammstein concert for our first team building few weeks ago. Life is fun at FatDUX Zagreb and we love it that way.

Keep in touch

As I’ve mentioned – we will keep in touch on a regular basis now – utilizing this blog, Twitter and all other services we can thinks of. Yes – I guess you can get a clear picture that I’m a pretty much a huge fan of social networking and interaction – significant part of our local business and corporate communication strategy is being shaped by direct contact with. And yes – we love to talk. English, Croatian, Czech and virtually any other language (with a little help from our friends) works for us…

That being said – here is how to keep in touch with us and contribute. We sincerely want to include you in this conversation.

Antun  (@adebak) is on the Twitter – you can follow him there. He is also on LinkedIn. Darko is on LinkedIn too (trying to convince him to join the Twitter) and you can reach me on Twitter (@viborc), LinkedIn and my personal blog – UXPassion.com.

Be sure to follow us there and we also have our official FatDUX Twitter account so – follow us and let’s talk.

Keep in touch!
Pozdrav iz Hrvatske!

Three service experiences from a recent trip to Miami, FL.

At Whole Foods in Pinecrest
Me: “Hi. I’m looking for vermouth.”
Whole Foods: “That’s like beer, right?”
Me: “It’s like a strong wine.”
Whole Foods: “This is the wine department.”
Me: “Yes. I know. Where do you have stuff like port?”
Whole Foods: “Which port? Is this something you got on a cruise ship?”

At Macy’s in Dadeland
Me: “Hi. I’m looking for black, canvas tennis shoes.”
Macy’s: “Canvas? Is that a kind of leather?”
Me: “No. It’s heavy cloth. Like what they make sails out of.”
Macy’s: “Like nylon? We have Docksides. But they’re not made of nylon.”

At Staples office supplies
Me: “Hi. I need an At-A-Glance calendar refill.”
Staples: “What year?”
Me (biting tongue): “2010″
Staples: “But that’s next year.”
Me: “Er…yes…I need a refill for my current calendar.”
Staples: “We don’t carry that brand.”
Me: “You have an At-A-Glance display over there, but there’s nothing in it.”
Staples: “That’s a mistake.”
Me: “That you have the display or that it’s not filled?”
Staples: “Yes. Sorry we can’t help you.”

And we web designers wonder why folks can’t fill out online forms…geez.

FatDUX Zagreb is now well on its way to becoming a reality. Our new Croatian CEO, Vibor Cipan, and his outstanding team, are in the final stages of incorporating the company – and we already have several important clients.

Croatia is a fascinating market with a wide range of opportunities. Obviously, tourism and the hospitality industries rank high. Agriculture, too. But more importantly, Croatia has a growing and highly innovative high-tech sector. In fact, I recently addressed a group of IT executives at a meeting hosted by Microsoft Croatia on this very subject – innovation.

It’s interesting that here in Denmark, where “innovation” is on every company’s list of so-called “value words,” true innovation remains as rare as tits on a turtle. But in Croatia, they don’t talk about innovation, they just do it.

We’re delighted to have this opportunity to effect real change in Southern Europe. And we look forward to building our professional network in the region.

I’ve been involved in choosing venues for conferences for a couple of years now. I’m curious as to whether the international Olympic Committee uses the same methodology I do – and examines similar user-experience issues. If so, they’re going to choose Rio de Janeiro tomorrow for the 2016 Olympics. Here’s why:

The case against Tokyo, Madrid, and Chicago
Everyone is busy making the case for their city. But being best is not how decisions of this kind are usually made. The slimy truth is, decision-makers always start with the case against a given venue. Here, are four considerations:

- has the city already hosted an Olympics recently?
- is their geographic area interesting in terms of promoting the Olympic concept?
- is a particular choice going to get the Committee into political hot water?
- is a particular choice going to rob the Committee of a PR opportunity?

Evaluating the venues
Tokyo – not likely. This was the venue back in 1964. And they got it primarily because the start of WWII cancelled the 1940 Tokyo Olympics (in fact, my mom was to have been a U.S. high-jumper at that event). The Committee is probably going to look at other options before returning to Japan.

Madrid – forget it. Barcelona got the Olympics in 1992. Two Spanish cities within a 25-year period? I just can’t see this happening.

Chicago – slim chance. With Los Angeles in 1984 and Atlanta in 1996, there’s been too much U.S. exposure. And honestly, pulling in Barack and Oprah to plead the case is simply overkill; this may ultimately work against the Chicagoans (no one wants to be perceived as buckling under to pressure from American superstars). Moreover, with the U.S. spearheading military “conflicts” in two theaters of operation, I think the Committee will go for more neutral ground.

The case for Rio
South America has never held an Olympics (Mexico City doesn’t count). In this age of sustainability, holding the Olympics in the country that governs the greatest part of the Amazon rain forest can focus the world’s eyes on the country – and hopefully bring about positive change. Rio is only an hour ahead of New York in terms of time-zones, which means events can be scheduled for TV transmission at optimal times for U.S. viewers. Finally, the Brazilians could use the money – South American economies are not the strongest around.

A final note
Mr. President, Ms. Winfrey, please don’t doubt my loyalty to the cause. As an ex-Chicagoan, I would love for our “toddlin’ town” to play host. But I just don’t think it’s going to happen.

I’ve used Eurocard (the European equivalent of MasterCard) for about 20 years. That’s why we also chose Eurocard for the FatDUX corporate cards. My particular card was set to expire sometime in 2010. So I was surprised when I got a new card in the mail with a nice cover letter already in April 2009:
 
“Here’s your new Eurocard Corporate Gold”
 
“New card, new name, same code…”
The letter went on to tell me that now that they had added the word “Corporate” that it would be easier for me to distinguish this particular card from the others in my wallet – not really a problem as far as I was concerned. Buried among the other services that were promoted (none of which were new), the letter discreetly suggested that I contact any companies that had my card number on file and let them know that it had changed.
 
Yikes. I could barely remember all of the places this particular card is registered. Why couldn’t they simply let the card expire normally? Was there a security issue? I could understand that. Or an improvement to the built-in chip? Who knows?
 
Bother disguised as improvement
I asked the company. After all, there was basically no advantage, just a lot of bother to me.
 
Janni Hansen of Eurocard Customer Service wrote back to tell me: “We had to make new cardnumbers on all Eurocard Gold Corporate cards, because of ‘Corporate’ had to be on the front of the card.”

No word as to why “Corporate” had to be on the front of the card. Or why the company had to issue new card numbers, etc. You’d think that if they could retain the PIN, they could also retain the card number.
 
And then the fun started…
Having missed the really fine print that explained the old card was soon to be cancelled, I unexpectedly found myself barred from the Copenhagen Airport Business Lounge.
 
Our electronic pass that automatically paid the toll-bridge to Sweden no longer worked.
 
Basecamp wrote a nasty letter:
“This is your first failed credit card transaction. You have 6 more days to update your credit card information before your account is frozen.”
 
I’ve since talked to a dozen different business entities. And I keep finding new places where our card number no longer works – from Amazon to Avis. Honestly, Eurocard, I’m so irritated this may well mark the end of a long and profitable relationship for you guys.
 
As I generally say when people disguise inconvenience as better service, “Don’t pee on my boots and tell me it’s raining.”

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We couldn’t pass up an opportunity to wish our favorite duck happy birthday. That’s right, Donald Duck is now 75 years old! Appearing for the first time in a Silly Symphony cartoon back on June 9, 1934 (The Wise Little Hen), Donald has since become an icon in his own right. In fact, in some countries, he’s even better known than his Disney compatriot, Mickey Mouse.

Of course, there are also compelling arguments that Donald was actually born on March 13 (see http://www.simplecodeworks.com/ndcc/313/). But since we missed that anniversary, we’ll celebrate this one instead.

Congratulations – and quack, quack!

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Sometimes great news has a way of waiting for you back home. We just got back from an energizing 10th Information Architecture Summit in Memphis, Tennessee, to discover that our Big Duck, Eric Reiss, had been elected “Best Professor” for the first intake of the Master in Digital Marketing at the Instituto de Empresa Business School in Madrid, Spain.

The Master is run by the combined talents of 15 brilliant teachers. Eric, an Associate Professor of Usability and Design, was chosen by more than 80% of the graduating class, an exceptional result especially given the fact that Eric is a de facto first-timer at the IE Business School.

Marta Pérez Lidón, Executive Director of the Master in Digital Marketing degree program, wrote Eric a couple of days ago while we were out drinking having the most interesting conversations in Memphis, to tell FatDUX HQ about this coveted award and to share some details.

Eric will accept the award via video-conferencing during the graduation ceremony, which will take place in the University’s Aula Magna in Madrid today March 25th around noon. I think there is going to be some drinking involved as well and some secret recipes for a Manhattan, but I don’t have all the details and I’m not sure Eric can share. Business is business, after all.

Congratulations, or, as they say in Madrid, felicidades!

Update

Eric Reiss accepts the coveted “Best Professor” award via video at the IE Business School commencement ceremony in Madrid, Spain. Notice the Manhattan in the lower right-hand corner…

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CEO of Cleantech Motors Jesper Boie Rasmussen and I have known each other for years. Not only do we like classic cars, but we’re both Jaguar freaks. I drove a Mark II for years; Jesper has a stunning MK IX.

After I somehow ripped the front bumper off my aging Sovereign, I ran into Jesper at the Jaguar dealership here in Copenhagen. He had just purchased a brand-new XF – Jaguar’s magnificent four-door replacement for the popular S-type.

Don’t worry if you don’t know all these silly naming codes from Jaguar – it’s taken me 20 years to figure them out. But here’s the point:

Jesper, a physicist by training and creative by nature, is well on his way to building Europe’s first luxury electric car. Not a hybrid, mind you, but a true 100% electric car. “I’d love to come by and show you what I’m up to,” said Jesper. An offer that was clearly not to be missed.

A couple of weeks ago, Jesper dropped by and invited us to participate in the project. Not only is it fascinating from an automotive standpoint, from a user-experience point of view, it is priceless – how to retain the thrill of driving a Jag that hums rather than growls when you put the pedal to the metal. Sounds are important. G-forces are important. Handling is important (batteries and electric motors change the weight distribution). And before we knew it, FatDUX Copenhagen was deep into the assignment – which we promptly named Project Green Light.

From left: Cleantech CEO Jesper Boie Rasmussen, FatDUX CEO Eric Reiss, and FatDUX Director of Business Development Kim Schultz admire the new XF.

Yesterday, the car ran a test circuit of the innovative CO2 race that will be held in Copenhagen later this year. This was its last run before the diesel motor gets pulled. And logos from all of the partners in this project decorated the side of this “not your average NASCAR”.

The soon-to-be-electric Jag humbles the little yellow Fatmobile parked next to it. (Notice the FatDUX logo on the front wing of the Jag!)

The plan now is to develop a working prototype ASAP. The Copenhagen Climate Council (with Sir Richard Branson and other luminaries) will be holding a World Business Summit on Climate Change in Copenhagen in late May. And COP15, the United Nations Climate Change Conference – one of the most important environmental get-togethers of the year – will take place in Copenhagen this December.

We’re incredibly proud to be part of this project. Who says user experience is strictly for digital media?

Jesper Boie Rasmussen and the E-Jag

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