Aart searches brecht :-)

Created with cinemagr.am

Third attemp with cinemagram tool and not staged, rather well I think.

When I parked my car at a Park and Ride this summer in Kent, I saw this sign. My first thought was “Whisfull thinking of the city planners to warn about deers”. Only when I saw that there were a dozen of these signs I understood that it wasn't a warning but an indicator for where I parked. I saw that another area of the parking space had a realistic wolf. This is where someone didn't understand how pictograms / metaphors should work, they should be abstract and translate the environment towards the reality, indicate your space or actions via something else so one can predict what the result of the action should be or for example where one is. When I see a traffic sign of deer, I don't think “I parked in the deer section”. I think -stupid as it may sound- be careful when parking there are deers here.

Take for example the pictograms for the parking lot of Schiphol Airport, worldwide known for the best use of abstract pictograms and metaphors. What the London tube did for abstract maps, Schiphol did for icons. Clear abstract pictograms. Not drawn to resemble traffic signs and thereby confuse the reader but the Schiphol icons are clearly an indicator by themselves. All in the same language, pictograms of what foreigners think as “Typical Dutch”, wooden shoes, tulips, windmills etc. Borrowing from that was is good for the purpose of the objects but not steeling bad metaphors like a traffic sign with a red border generally associated with “forbidden”, not like blue sign that is associated with “information”

What you can learn from this if you use graphical metaphors IRL or in an application.

1. Think about what you want to say
2. Think about how you want to say this
3. Think about how someone else will and can read this
4. and do hire a designer :-)

I am not an artist, but my wacom and Inkist (just bought, 7 euros in appstore) are a fine combination.

I use y kinect a lot for Augemented Reality and gesture based control on my mac. And do dig the fact that cheap hardware in combination with open drivers can lead to lots of new creative ways to use a computer or make for example music.

Recently I bumped into divit.hr

We are a young, dynamic and enthusiastic company with a multi skilled team of professionals.

Powered by years of experience in the software product development domain, we at divIT Systems have acquired extensive knowledge in a huge diversity of technologies.

We corroborate our excellence by providing high quality technological expertise to the utmost satisfaction of all clients. We serve you with the best to achieve your goals and to enable you to fulfil your business needs, letting you prosper beyond your expectations.

Be sure to checkout their facebook feed with lots of cool videos.

One -if not the only one- of the reasons I bought an XBOX instead of PS3... The Kinect. The coolest piece of hardware from the last decennium.

More information about the possibilities soon.