Diversionary Daily

Elsewhere

Work’s kicked up a few gears and we’re in the middle of some great but exhausting projects, so posts might continue to be on the few-and-far-between side for a little while yet.

In the meantime, I should keep adding fresh links to the Elsewhere linked list (if you’re in a feed reader, grab a feed of Elsewhere links) so there’s still some life about this place.

Posted on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 | 0 Comments

On the Move

257 days after I skipped the country, this Sunday I'll be stepping back on board a plane headed to Australia. I'll explain more soon, but in summary I'm upping sticks and moving to Sydney to work with the great team at news.com.au.

I'll be sad to leave behind friends old and new here in London, but I can't wait to discover a new city and meet new folks in Sydney.

If you're in Perth, I'll be back for a weekend some time soon to catch up with everybody. And if you're in Sydney drop me a comment or email and let me know your tips for the city... I might even buy you a beer in return.

Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 | 9 Comments

Growing

In work-related news I'm excited to announce a few changes at the Cube today. Cube7 (that's us) will be merging with Bam Creative, another Perth design company, from August 1, 2006. It's been a while in the making, so I'm glad we can finally talk about it openly.

Everybody here's looking forward to working with Miles, Myles and the rest of the gang at Bam, they're a great bunch of people. In the meantime we're all flat-out working on a stack of great new projects, and there's plenty more exciting things ahead for the combined gang.

It's funny, I've been wanting to tell everyone about "the plan" for a long time, but now that it's public I can't think of much to say other than I can't wait for everybody to move in together and make one big happy family... It's going to be a lot of fun.

There's more info on the merger site, which also has a photo that might look familiar...

Posted on Friday, July 21, 2006 | 5 Comments

After the Flurry

After a brief flurry of posts to mark the end of June, I let the first nine days of July go by without a word.

Or photo.

The end of June this year was marked a bit of a milestone, one I'll explain another day when there's a bit more time. In mean time I'll no doubt be immersed in a few random client projects at work.

One of the joys of doing client work is becoming an expert on fairly abstract subjects for brief periods. For a month or three I'll know everything there is to know about wine, then that'll be kicked out of my brain so I can learn up on carbon offset politics, public architecture, coffee or (most recently) marine biology.

Posted on Monday, July 10, 2006 | 4 Comments

Wired (Reprise)

I've previously mentioned that having a coffee place across the road from the office is bad, haven't I?

In other (slightly related) news, I have reliable reports that this may well be the winter that sees Italian hot chocolate catch on in cafés here in Perth. Once I get more details I'll pass them on.

Posted on Thursday, June 8, 2006 | 4 Comments

In Other Words

It's getting a little redundant to say that I've been busy at work, so I've decided that if I do have to lower myself to that level of dull-excuse-for-not-posting again, I'm going to run with one of the synonyms offered by the handy dictionary on my new laptop (more on that bit later):

occupied, engaged; rushed off one's feet, hard-pressed, swamped, up to one's neck; on the job, absorbed, engrossed, immersed, preoccupied; informal: (as) busy as a bee, on the go, hard at it.

So, there we go. I've been occupied.

My question for you is: say I'm busy and can't think of anything intersting to write. Would you prefer:

1. a photo with no wordage at all; or
2. a photo with some semi-creative wording involving one of the above alternatives to "busy"? (I'll even cross them off as I use them — this post counts for 'occupied').

Inquiring/lazy minds want to know. Cast your vote now.

Posted on Monday, June 5, 2006 | 7 Comments

Up close

I'm busy at work (again) so here's a photo instead of a wordy post about chairs, music or music at work.

I guess that means I need to write a post about chairs at work.

Sadly I sit in a nondescript leather executive chair, and not an Aeron or Mirra. But I can dream...

Posted on Friday, June 2, 2006 | 0 Comments

Somewhere else

In amongst painful browser-wranging this morning, Emiliana Torrini's Sunnyroad came up on iTunes' shuffle like a musical ray of sunshine. If you haven't heard it, this is a song so blissfully sweet that it makes everything okay with the world. At least for the three minutes and four seconds you're listening to it.

This morning it was followed by Simon and Garfunkel's similarly mellow The Only Living Boy In New York, which I can now report has a slightly disconcerting stereo effect on the vocals when played on headphones.

Posted on Thursday, May 25, 2006 | 3 Comments

Neutral

We've just launched a new client site at work for a new company called Elementree, who are all about neutralising the carbon dioxide produced by your lifestyle. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Posted on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 | 3 Comments

Wired

As previously predicted, moving our office across the road from a coffee shop has been my undoing.

I think I'm a little addicted to the caffeine hit. Worse still, my workmates are converting me to not only a coffee addict, but someone who drinks coffee first thing in the morning.

This can only end badly.

Coffee: good thing? Bad thing? Discuss.

Posted on Monday, March 27, 2006 | 8 Comments

Ideas

If you're in Perth and interested in the web or design make sure you check out Ideas3, an event with two world-class speakers being organised by Port80, the Australian web industry association.

At Ideas3, typographer and brit-pack blogger Mark Boulton will be speaking along with Australian CSS guru John Allsopp. They're both fresh from speaking at the SXSW festival over in Austin (one year I'll make it there).

Should be a great night -- hope you can make it.

Posted on Thursday, March 23, 2006 | 1 Comments

Design Is

The other day I had a fairly frustrating conversation with a client trying to discuss the merits of a design. In hindsight I think the frustration boiled down to our different interpretations of of the word 'design.' I was talking about design as a mix of form and function while they were talking almost exclusively about form.

Over my (short) career as a designer my own philosophy has shifted further to the function-first side of the form vs function debate. Which is saying something, since I was never really one for pointless eyecandy when I started designing.

To me, design is about problem-solving and effective communication. Something needs to work first and foremost, and the style comes from (or after) that function.

The iPod's iconic design is driven by a clear function: it plays your music, and the design of the iPod aims to make achieving that task incredibly simple. The Eames Lounge Chair, easily one of the most famous chairs of the last century, is at heart an incredibly comfortable chair (if you haven't had the pleasure, track down a showroom and try one out). London Underground's geography-defying tube map makes understanding a complex network of train lines easy by adopting the visual language of circuit diagrams, and in the process created a new standard for the presentation of route maps across the world (and even for showing the mixing of music genres).

Me? I think in most instances form should follow function.

So then, what does design mean to you?

Posted on Tuesday, March 21, 2006 | 1 Comments

Flashback

I got tired of staring at a blank wall in the office and decided to scatter some photos around the place. So I ran some wire all the way along the wall and clipped photos to the wire using weird little paper-clip-type-things.

The photos range from brand new shots through to some of my first photos from way back in 2001 when I got my first digital camera.

It's like some kind of weird flashback sequence. Just a weird, abstract and textural one.

I also discovered how many photos I've taken but never posted on here, so I'll have to try and clear the backlog at some point.

Posted on Friday, February 17, 2006 | 8 Comments

Makes Jack a dull boy

Guess when my holiday finished? Yep, right about when I stopped posting.

Posted on Thursday, January 5, 2006 | 0 Comments

Diversionary by request!

A friend of mine pointed out that for someone claiming to be "a little weird about chairs" I've been a little quiet on the subject of late. So, just for you, here's a post about chairs.

Last week was a something of a career record. Two real, actual conversations with web design clients about designer chairs.

Two!

And both conversations included egg chairs (be still my beating heart!). It even turns out that one of my clients is a bona-fide chair freak like me -- someone who thinks it's perfectly normal to spend unhealthy amounts of money on designer chairs.

Her: It's like having artwork on the wall.
Me: Exactly!

It was creepy.

I'm also kicking myself that I missed out on some el-cheapo chinese knock-off Egg chairs on ebay which were going for $250 each (Australian, including delivery) in any colour/fabric/leather. As much as getting cheap copyright-infringing imitations doesn't sit well (sorry) with me, it would mean that I could easily justify getting an egg chair or three to lord over us all in the office.

And what office is complete without an egg chair?

Posted on Tuesday, December 20, 2005 | 3 Comments

On paper

Unfortunate downside of printed proposals: wasted paper.

Posted on Monday, December 19, 2005 | 1 Comments

A reasonable likeness

I brought my trusty travel etch-a-sketch into the office last week.

We're already being etch-a-sketch-bullied by our new officemates (who obviously have way too much time on their hands).

FYI, that's me on the left.

Posted on Monday, November 28, 2005 | 3 Comments

etc

It's busy at work. Say no more. Some projects I can tell you about right now (I'll be dropping by the Gloucester Park Super Special Stage at some point this weekend, if I get a chance I'll be out at one of the country stages too). Some are hush-hush and will have to wait till next week.

Incidentally, that's a photo of some graffiti in Richmond from the trip.

Posted on Thursday, November 10, 2005 | 0 Comments

Stronger

It's been a rough week.

But if it doesn't kill me...

Posted on Sunday, October 30, 2005 | 0 Comments

Friday 4.50pm

Four days back at work and I'm officially a wreck.

I'm tired, I'm cranky and I want my weekend. Conveniently, it's almost 5pm and I'm going to declare this working week officially over.

This weekend's plans revolve around sleep, a Whitlams gig and generally soaking up the forecast "Fine. Sunny. 28°C" conditions on Sunday.

What's your weekend got in store?

Posted on Friday, October 21, 2005 | 4 Comments