Recently I’ve been reading quite a few articles on chatbots and Conversation UI (aka having conversation back and forth on screen with a human or a bot). Apparently, they are one of the hottest trends in the technology world. Given the fact that most users do not download even one app vs an increasing amount of apps published in app stores per month, companies and developers are looking for a better way to productize services and ideas. A conversation-based UI has become one of solutions that gets applause and supporters. I agree that this opens up many new opportunities, including voice-based interactions, but also concerned that people will follow the trends without thinking it through.
Continue readingPost Category → Creativity • Products • Designs
Life: Things Are Built on Top of Each Other
You can only connect the dots when you look back.
Continue readingBe A Maker!
Yanbin and I went to the annual Maker Faire in San Mateo. It celebrates creativity and the process of making. It is a very family-friendly event, especially good for kids, because there are so many fun things to see and try. We loved it!
Continue readingHow to Put Art on Your Shoes
Two Fun Parts of A Problem-Solving Conversation
There are two fun parts in a conversation with problem-solving topics: problem discovery and solution discovery.
Continue readingHow to Choose A Typeface
A typeface (aka a font family) is a set of fonts that share common design features. For example, Times New Roman and Arial are different typefaces. Times New Roman is commonly used in newspapers; Arial is commonly used on digital interfaces. There are many other beautiful typefaces out there for people to use. How to choose a typeface?
Continue readingCan You Add Meanings to Socks? — A Practice on Denotative and Connotative Images
I did some interesting practice on making denotative images and connotative images. A denotative image is a direct representation of an object from real life, whether it be cartoonized or realistic, made by pen or something else. A connotative image added an extra layer of “meaning” to the denotative image.
To start, I needed to choose an object. I chose a sock. My mission was to quickly do 10 denotative images (using different ways) and 3 connotative images on paper. A lot, huh? I thought so, too. After all, how can socks be sketched differently into that many images? But I decided to give it a try.
Continue readingBook Notes: Creative Confidence — Get Products to the Real World Early
In this fast-paced, you will need to get your products to the real world early, rather than handing it over to the users when it’s perfectly built, because that will be too late.
Continue readingBook Notes: Creative Confidence — Where to Get Ideas? Keep a Bug List
The creative juices come from life. To be mindful of all the surroundings and engage with the world in a more proactive way one pumps us with ideas.
Continue readingBook Notes: Becoming Steve Jobs — A Growth Story
“Becoming Steve Jobs” is a great book. As the authors Rick Tetzeli and Brent Schlender say, this is a growth story about Steve Jobs — how he grew from a two-person team to managing a company that has thousands of employees. There are a lot of books and articles depicting him as a complete genius and at the same time, a complete jerk. From this book, I saw his soft side, his care about his employees, friends, as well as his and others’ families.
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