Disqus - Latest Comments for mathewsanders

Re: The Best Massage Guns

mathewsanders — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 12:08:56 -0000

I've been going to PT for a couple months, and in they use the Sharper Image model too (which seems promising since they probably use it for hours each day and they are professionals).

I gotta say, since wirecutter was sold to NYT I've noticed that reviews will have some surprising omissions in their competitor reviews and I'm worried about their neutrality :/

Re: The Invisible Interface | Space and Times

mathewsanders — Wed, 20 Aug 2014 17:40:19 -0000

I used to think about this a lot when I worked at an airline because I also love the power of command line based interfaces. We had a pseudo-windows based booking system that travel consultants used to book, or change flights that took around 2 weeks of training and another 2 weeks of coaching before people were confidant to make changes. But even a simple reroute could take 15 mins (that's why you're always on hold when you call customer service).

The command-line system that it replaced was a LOT harder to learn (probably closer to 2 months learning time), but people who learnt it were masters and could make changes very rapidly ("old timers" could still jump down into the old system to fix a particularly complex booking).

One reason I think the powers-that-be justified a slower tool was justified was that most people don't like working in a call center, and the staff turnaround was pretty high so a tool that replaced learning time at the benefit of efficiency was preferred.

A nice middle ground might be something like you see in IDEs like Xcode where you have a lot of smart auto-completion to help with typing complex but domain-specific commands.

Re: The Design Ego - Zethus Suen

mathewsanders — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 11:11:45 -0000

I absolutely agree with what you're saying about learning-by-copying and that of course no-one can own a style.

But at the same time, I don't think you can compare web design with other art movements. You can't just control-click on the 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon' to look/copy the source and make your own modifications. People could try their absolute hardest to copy Picasso (I've tried and failed) and the result is mostly rubbish.

I think what's happened lately about the style-stealing dramas is that as a community we're still exploring what's acceptable and what's not. It's difficult to draw the line but for me I think it's fine to copy something you like to help you learn, post online to get feedback etc, but to create something as a commercial product (with colours that from what I've seen are exact matches) crosses that line.

Re: To Screwcap or Not to Screwcap, That is The Question

mathewsanders — Tue, 18 May 2010 19:32:46 -0000

We made the switch to screw cap in New Zealand many years ago. I can't remember the last time I used a corkscrew - maybe for some reds, but never whites.

Re: 7 Ways Thieves Target Backpackers

mathewsanders — Thu, 21 May 2009 22:55:57 -0000

Probably a given, but maybe not - is simply looking like a tourist, e.g.
The day packs with national flags you've visited, the tourist attraction t-shirts, the camera over your shoulder, the visible guidebook, map, translation guide, even the clothes you wear can all make you stand out like a sore thumb as a tourist.

I'm not suggesting that you don't take any of these with you (I've never be caught without a camera) but there are ways you can have them on you without looking like a complete target!

Re: Photo of the day: Whirlpool Quiet Partner 1 utensil tray

mathewsanders — Wed, 06 May 2009 20:16:47 -0000

Here in New Zealand we're (well, at least I am) pretty proud of a company called Fisher & Paykel who make some pretty innovative products.

One is the Dish Drawer which instead of having a door that folds down and trays you pull out just has two independently operating draws that can be stacked on top of each other or side-by-side.
http://www.fisherpaykel.com...

This allows you to run a half wash that saves water and power, and in my opinion is just easier to use and avoids the flimsy trays you often get on dishwashers that fall off their rails.

Re: Why I Don’t Have an iPhone (but might someday)

mathewsanders — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 22:03:34 -0000

Agree that the lack of haptic feedback is important (personally I was saddened when the iPod lost a physical click wheel - but not for long!) but usability isn't everything. Don't forget that the touchscreen interface is simply fun to use. Fun trumps usability anyday :)

Re: Are you new here? My top 10 posts

mathewsanders — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 21:54:52 -0000

*waves hello form New Zealand!* hi - I found your from a link on the linkedin user experience group (pointing to 10 Most Common Misconceptions About User Experience Design on mashable)