40% of us feel fine. 1,217 feel weird.

Pam Pfiffner at Creative Pro blogs about her design epiphany while visiting Adobe , where she gets synchronistically clued into a site called weefeelfine.org. Maybe it's the introspection of fall, but I feel compelled to look at the wriggling data points about feelings, or at least poke around to see all the ways the designer is presenting the data.

This beguiling site is “an exploration of human emotion on a global scale.” The site searches the blogosphere for instances of the words “I feel” or “I am feeling” and tracks the emotion attached to that phrase. The information is saved into a database that parses such information as location, age, and gender. Through a visual interface, site visitors can explore what people are feeling at any moment all over the world. Click on a dot representing a blog post and the “emotional” words in that blog posting appear. For example: “I feel like I don’t know how to have fun anymore.” Click those words and you’ll be taken to that person’s blog for more context.

Interact 10 Ways

Okay, I've been finding all kinds of excuses not to post. I thought I’d be the first one in July but Calixto beat me to it. Since what I’m currently working on consumes my waking moments and prevents me from blogging, I’ll just share it.

While searching for inspiration on the web front for possible ways to engage our audiences. I came across this fun, visually experimental media site. Several design groups collaborated with Gettyone to create it. You’ll need some time. Each of the 10 pieces takes a minimum of a few minutes to experience. Let me know which one(s), if any, you like. And which one(s) kept your attention the longest! www.interact10ways.com

You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares...

When you're having one of those days:

where you feel like pulling all your hair out...
and releasing that pent-up silent scream...
if you hear just one more inane remark about how to design...
what to move and where...
what's wrong with the font you've chosen...
or receive one more insane deadline...

then go to this comforting, sly site called:

AdVerbatims

And read what kindred souls have heard. Best of all, you can add your own accounts to the mix.

You're gonna be all right now.

Social design: designing for the social lives of users

Public Affairs invites you to a group viewing of the next UIE Virtual Seminar:

Social Design: Designing for the Social Lives of Users

For more information, please see program details here.

Wednesday, April 11, 10-11:30 a.m.
300C, 2195 Hearst (see directions below)
R.S.V.P. to Allison Bloodworth

Directions:
The seminar will be held at room 300C in 2195 Hearst, on the corner of Hearst and Oxford streets. As this is a secure building, all visitors must be signed in and escorted to and from the third floor. Because the seminar starts at 10am, please plan to arrive at the building by 9:50 to allow time to sign in. You will need to call the second floor IST receptionist from the phone in the first floor lobby, who will bring you the second floor to sign in. You will then wait as a group in the lobby to be escorted to the third floor conference room at 9:55. If you are late someone will have to leave the seminar to bring you up, so we really encourage you to be on time. However, if it is urgent, you can call Allison Bloodworth at 415-377-8243 to be escorted up.