Bloghttp://www.newtrality.com/blog/Mon, 02 Apr 2012 22:24:39 +0000en-USSquarespace Site Server v5.11.81 (http://www.squarespace.com/)First GigMusicJoe DyerMon, 02 Apr 2012 22:21:30 +0000http://www.newtrality.com/blog/2012/4/2/first-gig.html981483:11318652:15698456The Aurora Crash Debut Show (Photo Credit: Julee Dyer)The Aurora Crash played our first show in Fort Worth on Friday night and it was a blast. We look forward to many more local gigs.

]]>http://www.newtrality.com/blog/rss-comments-entry-15698456.xmlLate MX2012 ReduxConferencesPresentationsTravelUXJoe DyerSun, 11 Mar 2012 02:40:16 +0000http://www.newtrality.com/blog/2012/3/10/late-mx2012-redux.html981483:11318652:15382809

Just a few of my stream of concious notes from Adaptive Path's MX 2012.

From Geneveive Bell, Director of Interaction and Experience, Intel Labs

  •  Geneveive Bell explained the difference between exogenous vs. endogenous organizations. It greatly impacts the organization's culture.
  • UX needs to work ahead -- way ahead of the rest of the company.
  • We have moved from an economy of interactions to a economy of relationships.
  • UX Ethnography -- We're not just a bunch of glorified tape recorders.
  • Remember, you are the custodian of your users' stories.
  • Tell users' stories right. Give them power.
  • On every new product or redesign ask the same question: where are your insights?

UX is a point of vew. UX is an assemblage. UX is an intervention. An intervention is disruptive.

"I am asking for a different outcome."

UX Recruiting in a Competitive Landscape by K. Myers and M. Fuentealba

  • Make a roadmap for recruiting – Like requirements and features for a product, a resource can be planned for in the very same way.
  • Create accurate job descriptions – A lot of managers make the descs too broad out of desperation and needing to cast a wider net. This is actually more detrimental to the remainder of the hiring lifecycle.
  • Partner early with recruiters – Whether internal or external, frequent meetings to really mind meld about the person/hard skill set you are seeking.
  • Rally your core interview team – Meet in advance and really have a plan for the interview. Never interview without them.
  • Make them love you – This is a critical step. You have to differentiate why your company and particularly your team are better than any place else they may choose to work. Court them.
  • Act fast – Most UX pros interviewing nearly always have multiple interviews. They will take a slow response to mean that they might need to take an offer elsewhere.

And now random stuff without much in the way of attribution. 

  • Organizations in which people feel they have little influence over matters that affect them become cultures of complaint. - from Exercising Influence by B. Kim Barnes
  • Three trends creating new opportunities and threats: ubiquitous access, social networking and collaborating, Internet of Things (aka The Industrial Internet).
]]>http://www.newtrality.com/blog/rss-comments-entry-15382809.xmlEarthshaking Day at MXConferencesTravelJoe DyerTue, 06 Mar 2012 03:38:27 +0000http://www.newtrality.com/blog/2012/3/5/earthshaking-day-at-mx.html981483:11318652:15314467View From the Wobbly Room
I was in San Francisco attending Adaptive Path's MX 2012 conference when I was 'gently' awakened by an earthquake. Although it was only a 4.0 on the Richter Scale, it felt like it was punching above its weight as I felt in on the 15th floor of my hotel. Nice bit of amplification indeed. Being in a wobbling highrise was a first for me. It was actually kind of cool. It would be even cooler if it never happens again.

]]>http://www.newtrality.com/blog/rss-comments-entry-15314467.xmlWheels Up for GermanyJoe DyerSun, 22 Jan 2012 08:38:00 +0000http://www.newtrality.com/blog/2012/1/22/wheels-up-for-germany.html981483:11318652:14695219

Heading to Germany for a week of meetings and Ethnographic study. So many places to go. So little time to do it all.

]]>http://www.newtrality.com/blog/rss-comments-entry-14695219.xmlWheels Up for LAXTravelUXWorkJoe DyerThu, 12 Jan 2012 13:53:05 +0000http://www.newtrality.com/blog/2012/1/12/wheels-up-for-lax.html981483:11318652:14549351Heading to Los Angeles

On the early Virgin America flight out to LAX. Two days of meetings. Two days of really listening and discovering how and where my team and I can improve a lot of existing applications that yearn to be overhauled from a user experience perspective.

It's always exciting to start new, really big projects like this. I wonder where we land at the end of it all. But for now, landing at LAX will be a good start.

]]>http://www.newtrality.com/blog/rss-comments-entry-14549351.xmlStylish Guitar CaseDesignMusicJoe DyerTue, 27 Dec 2011 02:21:29 +0000http://www.newtrality.com/blog/2011/12/26/stylish-guitar-case.html981483:11318652:14336240Julee surprised me with a MONO Case M80 Bass Guitar case for Christmas. MONO Case is a company that  truly understands design. And I am not talking about just the drop dead looks that their cases and accessories. They use design to solve problems — reducing snapped headstocks and how to disperse energy away from the guitar when the case is dropped. Do take the time to check out the pedigree on MONO's fine designs. Company founder Daniel Kushner is a drummer and IDEO alum.

Some may look at the price and think it is pretty steep for a soft-sided case. These are hybrid cases. They offer nearly the same protection as a hard-shell case are but are extremely light and offer many nice touches for musicians on the move. Guitar Player Magazine said it best:  "Damn, MONO cases are friggin' cool! With a NASA-meets-REI aesthetic, they also ride the line between a hard case and a gig bag."

They look like they could take a lot of road abuse. Time will tell. But I'll be sporting some style in the mean time.

 M80 Bass Guitar Case by MONO Case

Pampered Fender American Standard Precision Bass

]]>http://www.newtrality.com/blog/rss-comments-entry-14336240.xmlLetters to SantaHolidayParentingJoe DyerFri, 23 Dec 2011 19:26:21 +0000http://www.newtrality.com/blog/2011/12/23/letters-to-santa.html981483:11318652:14306759Nothing says Christmas like watermelonPerhaps nothing has revealed as much about the personalities of our progeny as their recent letters to Santa. Obviously, their ages reveal the need for dictation. Why that should include pink watermelon stationery shall  remain one of the great mysteries of the ages. The personalized touches of crayon add to the unique perspective they have of the holiday.

For posterity, a cataloging of the requests is in order.

Jenna: Flowers (pink, yellow, red, green), balloons (blue), doll as big as Jenna, Grandma to come to Jenna's house and Uncle Eric too.

Jason: Star War lego kind, guns (5 kind), 15 light sabers, lego sets, Transformers.

And with that I give you the résumés of a bona fide sweetie pie and a criminal mastermind wanted by federal marshals.

]]>http://www.newtrality.com/blog/rss-comments-entry-14306759.xmlSilent RehearsalMusicJoe DyerMon, 19 Dec 2011 03:47:56 +0000http://www.newtrality.com/blog/2011/12/18/silent-rehearsal.html981483:11318652:14177100Nothing is more beautiful than personal headphone mixes while playing in a band. As cool as the new JamHub setup is, I would still admit that we are getting the hang of it. Much more work is still needed on overall levels and particularly the sound and level of guitar patches. But the old adage is true. Once you go in-ears, you never go back. Here are a few scenes from our third JamHub rehearsal in my media room.

Scenes of Silence

]]>http://www.newtrality.com/blog/rss-comments-entry-14177100.xmlProgressMusicParentingJoe DyerFri, 09 Dec 2011 20:43:01 +0000http://www.newtrality.com/blog/2011/12/9/progress.html981483:11318652:14046237Things are progressing as they should.

]]>http://www.newtrality.com/blog/rss-comments-entry-14046237.xmlArchitecture in Kansas CityArchitectureTravelJoe DyerTue, 29 Nov 2011 19:43:31 +0000http://www.newtrality.com/blog/2011/11/29/architecture-in-kansas-city.html981483:11318652:13907017Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I got the chance to explore a little more of Kansas City than I have on my previous three trips. I was pretty impressed with the sheer amount of things to do, the music scene and venues, and as seen below, a very rich and diverse representation of architecture.

Here are just a few of the buildings I shot with my iPhone. More photos will surely follow after another trip in a warmer season.

Just a small sample of Kansas City Architecture

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