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Instead of ‘Anything else?’ ask 'What else?’. The slight shift in frame makes all the difference.…Instead of ‘Anything else?’ ask 'What else?’. The slight shift in frame makes all the difference.WWW…
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Explaining the world one sketch at a time
Yesterday’s weather
I learned about this nice principle from agile software development. Basically, that when thinking about how much you’ll get done next week, what you got done this week is a good proxy. Sure this week was different because you had that external presentation and an offsite, a bug to fix on live and Amy was sick. But the reality is things will interrupt you next week too. Just like the weather, what happened before is a good first guess at what will happen next.…I learned about this nice principle from agile software development. Basically, that when thinking about how much you’ll get done next week, what you got done this week is a good proxy. Sure this week was different because you had that external presentation and an offsite, a bug to fix on live and Amy was sick. But the reality is things will interrupt you next week too. Just like the weather, what happened before is a good first guess at what will happen next.WWW…
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Classical columns: doric, ionic, and corinthian
Always good to share with friends and family your knowledge of doric columns, ionic columns or corinthian style classical columns when you spot them in the wild.…Always good to share with friends and family your knowledge of doric columns, ionic columns or corinthian style classical columns when you spot them in the wild.WWW…
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Mapping
The standard reference for this is The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman where he discusses stovetops and their controls in some detail(!). In this case it should be clear, unlike for our stove, which burner each control controls. Same goes for light switches. Same goes, as much as possible, for controls in a nuclear power plant.…The standard reference for this is The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman where he discusses stovetops and their controls in some detail(!). In this case it should be clear, unlike for our stove, which burner each control controls. Same goes for light switches. Same goes, as much as possible, for controls in a nuclear power plant.WWW…
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Survivorship bias
We usually only see the winners. The losers tend to disappear from the record. Which is why all the fund managers in the papers seem to be giving great returns, or starting the next Whatsapp or Instagram seems like such a sure fire way to get rich. We don’t see all the funds, apps and entrepreneurs who never made it.…We usually only see the winners. The losers tend to disappear from the record. Which is why all the fund managers in the papers seem to be giving great returns, or starting the next Whatsapp or Instagram seems like such a sure fire way to get rich. We don’t see all the funds, apps and entrepreneurs who never made it.WWW…
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Draw what you see, not what you think
It’s very easy to draw what we think something looks like, rather than what we’re actually seeing. One of the things art classes teach you is to measure what you’re seeing to not let your eyes be fooled by your common sense. An art teacher in a class at Berkeley once, memorably, sat on the classroom floor to illustrate foreshortening like I’ve shown here. It has stuck with me.…It’s very easy to draw what we think something looks like, rather than what we’re actually seeing. One of the things art classes teach you is to measure what you’re seeing to not let your eyes be fooled by your common sense. An art teacher in a class at Berkeley once, memorably, sat on the classroom floor to illustrate foreshortening like I’ve shown here. It has stuck with me.WWW…
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