Jared Spool recently posted about “Why the Valley wants designers that can code.” Basically, he makes the good point that hiring managers at startups are always looking for ways to get more value for their dollar. And so based on that understanding he recommends “If you’re a designer, you don’t have to learn to code. [...]

Was it the first tooltip (or screentip as Microsoft called it) that showed up when you hovered over toolbars in Word for Win95? Was it in 1991 with System 7 Baloon Help? Was it before those? In a game maybe? I don’t really know, and please comment if you do so I can update the [...]

I’ve had this blog post kicking around for awhile. And now, since I’ve been recklessly pontificating about the definition of the term “software designer” I might as well give some background on what I think in detail. If you’ve spent any time following Jackson Fish Market, you may have noticed that we’re somewhat unconventional as [...]

Check out Anita Hart’s awesome sketchnotes from my Web 2.0 Expo talk on aesthetics in software. Thanks for taking such “expressive” notes Anita!

We love making software with incredible attention to detail. I’m not saying we always succeed, but we certainly try. And there’s nothing we love better than using software made by people with the same values. When we needed an e-mail service awhile ago we ended up with some white label piece of crap whose name [...]

I know this is not necessarily on topic, but this blog is sort of about whatever we like anyway so why not. I stopped being a Jay Leno fan decades ago when he decided to stop doing smart political humor and started doing dumbed down middle of the road humor and ass-kissery. I’ve always loved [...]

Conan was interviewed in the New York Times about his shift to the Tonight show. The following quote is about entertainment, but I think it applies to any creative endeavor, or possibly, any human interaction: “In entertainment, you have to stake out what you think is right, you have to put out that signal, make [...]

Our little firm was founded with a healthy dose of engineering and design DNA. And it’s not as simple as pairing up an engineer and a designer. Walter loves creating beautiful usable things, and Jenny loves the power of software. We have shared values around a balance between tech and design, and we try to [...]

There is a simple lesson that all conferences should learn from TED. It’s not to charge thousands of dollars. It’s not to bring celebrities to your conference. And it’s not to only have one speaker at a time. Those may or may not be good things to emulate, but they’re not the most important lesson [...]

Welcome to the second installment of Jackson Fish Market’s Holiday Gift Guide. We’re pleased to share a few gift ideas for your favorite designer, friend, or family member. And if you’re worried about spending in this down economy, we’ve provided gift ideas ranging from a nifty $3 up to a hefty $100 buckeroos. Enjoy and [...]

My friend Steve forwarded this article from Time on the demise of Circuit City and the rise of Best Buy. But if you don’t feel like reading the whole thing, Steve summarizes it quite well: “Best Buy is bright and fun; Circuit City is dark and grim.” Dark and grim don’t make me want to [...]

There are many ways we could mark the official launch of our little business. There was the day our papers went through with the state, or the day we signed our first paying contract, or the day that Jenny, Walter, and I were all finally and officially employed by the company. But the date I [...]

One of the designers of Magic the card game recently got married. He blogs about it in awesome detail. Wouldn’t you know that he and his bride decided to have a super detailed themed wedding. Their theme? Games and puzzles. Whether their theme resonates with you or not you can’t help but love the amount [...]

I admit it. This weekend I attended the 2008 BrickCon conference targeted at Adult Lego Hobbyists (ALHs). The conference lasted for essentially three full days from Friday to Sunday. I even took off work on Friday. Super nerdy? Yes. But before you judge… hear my story. I always loved Lego as a kid. What’s not [...]

Clearly I have some sort of fetish for vintage stuff. So these retro-ized videogame covers are right up my alley. Here’s GTA4: Several more.

In keeping with this week’s mood board theme at Jackson Fish, I’d love to share with you the inspiration for Carbon Grove. If you haven’t been to Carbon Grove yet, it’s a site that let’s you sign up for reminders for small things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint. Users get weekly e-mail [...]

Invitastic is a super simple site for inviting friends and family to events. To convey the simplicity of the experience, I explored a mood board of fun, playful and simple elements. You’ll find bright, happy colors, mod patterns, hand-drawn typography, and party decorations. Even the logotype came from a garland of flags that you might [...]

It’s no secret that a lot of designers use mood boards as a way of kicking off the creative process. What’s a mood board, you ask? It’s a collage of colors, typography, and images that together, helps to inspire a personality/theme/experience. But don’t be fooled into thinking it’s merely a decorating exercise. There are elements [...]

Yesterday I posted a link to my “review” of a really crappy website for the folks at imediaconnection. My original writeup lauded an app I use all the time. While they were looking for criticism, I think my original post is worth publishing as the folks at Less Accounting are doing a great job. Here [...]

I am desperate to live on one of these. “When climate change allows oceans to wash over the lands we once called home, you’re going to want to immigrate to one of the ecopolises that Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut created for his LILYPAD concept project. Callebaut’s cities will float on the oceans swollen by the [...]

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 [...]

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. [...]

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 [...]

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 ooooh and ahhh [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]