This game is called Crayon Physics Deluxe. I can’t describe it better than Austin Grossman did on (excellent new Gawker site) i09. It’s essentially a “magic book”. Watch all the way through. Every new scenario continues to amaze.

With stuff like this still being invented we haven’t even scratched the surface of what kind of interesting [...]

I’m not a huge Second Life fan or detractor. Mostly I’m annoyed that what seems like such a cool opportunity is marred by a horrible user experience and downright ugly graphics. Maybe Blue Mars (based on the Kim Stanley Robinson novel I’m guessing) is the answer.

Gorgeous, but with steep hardware requirements to accompany it. Some [...]

I don’t know what took me so long to find the community of Lego builders showing off their incredible creations. My favorite blog that features some amazing creations is The Brothers Brick. Three things I found there recently that simply blew me away.
Minas Tirith from LOTR:

Church of Our Lady from Dresden, Germany (And even the [...]

At JFM, we have no shortage of design lust. We’ve come up with a dozen holiday gifts will keep your designer friend/colleague happy, productive and feeling appreciated.

1. 1923 Manual of Linotype Typography.
It’s a total gem if you can score one (try Alibris or eBay). I promise your design peers will [...]

I love to learn about all the little things that go into creative pieces that you may not realize are there. When it comes to high quality creative expression I have found that there’s always more that goes into it than most people realize. Fans and connoisseurs are usually the folks who take the time [...]

While I don’t love the music (and I’m not a Halo guy), I did really enjoy the ad for Halo 3 where a grizzly battle scene is constructed out of action figures in all sorts of cool hand-painted detail. After two attempts to view the ad on official sites that didn’t work (no clue why) [...]

Just saw the third installment of the Bourne series. Aside from some nauseating camerawork early on, and some moments where the lead character walks away unhurt from crashes that invite disbelief even from an eager action movie audience, the movie was good.

What was lacking though was the user interfaces presented in the movie. Usually these [...]

As the lead flower harvester for the “florists” at They’re Beautiful!, I thought I’d share with you how the flowers were made.
To get some basic understanding of what it’s like to be a florist, I spent half a day job-shadowing Nisha Kelem, owner of Seattle’s Fleurish. We met early one weekday at the wholesale flower [...]

So many product offerings (in any category) fall down because there’s a mismatch between what the manufacturer/producer says about their product and the actual product experience. A simple example…

Near our office in Pioneer Square is a soap store. I walked by it a couple of times when I finally noticed a cool retro package of [...]

A few months ago I got to see the Cirque du Soleil show put to the music of the Beatles - Love. I have mixed feelings about Cirque du Soleil. Frankly, I’m not a fan of French Clowns. My feelings are best summed up by this still hysterical Expedia ad:

At the same time, I have [...]

I have a fascination with Art Deco architecture and design. I am specifically in love with Office Buildings created in this style. While I don’t remember specifics, I imagine that I must have once as a kid gone into the Empire State Building — a treasure trove of Art Deco office building goodness. But I [...]

Get On Board is the latest branded software experience to come across our screens. (See our index of branded interactive experiences). Built to support the new movie Evan Almighty (sequel to Bruce Almighty) the site is much closer to our definition of Branded Software than some of the other sites coming out these days. It’s [...]

Last week Hillel shared some thoughts on Let it Out, a brand experience sponsored by Kleenex. The TV spots do a bang up job in telling really engaging stories about the most emotional and important events in peoples’ lives. The message is clear and meaningful. But when you get to the site, Let it Out [...]

This past weekend was the 35-hour marathon opening of the Seattle Art Museum expansion. Though, I have to say that calling it an “expansion” is really an understatement. It’s almost like the city got an entirely new, real museum, with a real broad art collection housed in a building that I personally think rivals the [...]

It’s exciting to be at the inception of a new category of software experiences - branded ones to be specific. Needless to say, in these early days there will be many missteps for every step forward. Let It Out from the friendly folks at Kleenex represents both. Backed by a television advertising campaign, the folks [...]

Star Wars stamps are coming here in the U.S. on May 25th. Courtesy of the US Postal Service you can get hi-res images of all the upcoming stamps “for news reporting purposes ONLY”. Perfect for all your graphical re-mixing and desktop backgrounding needs.

I wonder if the “news” of these lovely stamps needs to grace the [...]

Anyone who builds software for a living sees the similarities between the architecture and engineering of real-world structures and the software we build every day. And anyone who is trying to build something original, authentic, detailed, and beautiful can’t help but look at the real-world structure of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome with awe as [...]

Given our penchant for the “old school” aesthetic (or is that “skool”) around here it should be no surprise that we appreciate the retro fonts over at Font Diner. And it’s not just fonts that catch our eye. Seattle is filled with great examples of early 20th century architecture and signage. I often take more [...]

Through the magic of MetaFilter we recently came across a new branded experience from the California Milk Processor Board (the “Got Milk” people). When it comes to nurturing a brand, these guys get it (see the second comment), are very good. Note the chocolate chip cookie on their site. They don’t even have a picture [...]

Who would have thought that the iron grates and manhole covers that dot a city’s streets could be an opportunity for creativity, and small moments of wonder. I love that even in the most unexpected places somebody on the planet has the vision and execution to discipline to deliver beauty and quality. I started noticing [...]

It’s a new take on an existing electronic device. It’s wicked cool. And I am desperate to get one. The iPhone? No. A Chumby. And the world of clock radios wll never be the same. I’ve never even seen one up close but to me the Chumby makes me feel like I felt when I [...]

Given how important I think authenticity is in delivering a great experience you may be surprised to hear that I love Las Vegas. I don’t mean old classic Vegas either. I mean every brand new themed mega hotel/resort/casino complex. Thinking that I should feel like I’m in Paris while I’m in the Paris Hotel is [...]

Not only have the people at Cuban Council invented a time machine and kept it from the rest of humanity, but they ripped off our cool street scene masthead and travelled all the way to 2004 to put it on their site to give the impression that they had it first. To the folks at [...]