Most days, Jack and I inhabit very different parts of the internet. Occasionally, we’re drawn to the same things independently: this project from Tokyo-based studio YOY was one of those things.

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We get a little worked up about user experience, online and in daily life. (Why are horizontal door handles clearly meant to be pushed ever acceptable on pull doors?!)

Jack sent me this little snippet last night, and it’s really great for a bunch of reasons.

If you don’t have time or inclination to watch, the main takeaways are:

• Your user is not stupid, but they also don’t know the thought process behind your design;
• Your user doesn’t have the time or inclination to care about the details of your design the way that you do;
• Your user shouldn’t have to think about what to do next;
• Your user is not stupid.

What UX designs do you find most frustrating on the regular?

video credit: Squareweave, via Entermotion

Jack and I spent part of Sunday riding out to Blue Hills, and then hiking to the summit. (To his credit, Jack would have preferred to ride to the top; I refused to make that climb on my fixie.)

It was unfortunately overcast, but the views were worth it anyway – it’s so good to see so much greenery back in our lives.

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If the pollen lodged in my eyes during this morning’s commute is any indication, spring bloom is still in full force in Boston despite the sudden summery temps. (Such is New England.)

Hatsuki Miyahara’s colorful compositions caught my eye this weekend, reminding me of the incredible array of blossoms visible in our neighborhood this time of year as well as of the fundamental color wheel.

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This music video isn’t the first of its kind, but it’s a current favorite in our house.

A song for your Saturday night: enjoy!

video credit: Potato

In the interest of looking ahead, we’ve been starting to plan our summer adventures. While I ponder my first ever Sperry purchase (gold or classic brown?), Jack is daydreaming about our return trip to Sturdivant Island with friends and hoping it will resemble this. (It won’t. Not quite.)

As the week winds down, take a peek at the delightful packaging for the delightful-sounding Quinetum cordial from the folks behind Hendrick’s gin, peruse Ethan Barber’s photos of Boston’s Public Garden at night (collectively posted at Pop & Circumstance, and amidst other adventures at Barber’s blog), consider 2013′s color trends as they apply to web design, and smile broadly at Jaime Moore’s birthday portraits of her daughter posed as influential women in history.

Cheers!

image credit: Quaker City Mercantile, via Lovely Package

earlier this week: 1,2,3,4,5

his jam | her jam

Yesterday was cold, rainy and basically blustery; today, highs are hoving near 80 and the sun is shining. We are so ready for some summer weather.

I’ve been catching popsicles popping up all over the place – art featuring them, stationery modeled after them, recipes for making them – and with today’s abrupt summer feel (even the grass was freshly cut along the SW Corridor this morning), a review of all things popsicle seems appropriate.

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We were supposed to be closing on a house today.

But we’re not. It’s a long, complicated story that was two months in the making, but the short version is that someone else’s oversight caused things to fall through in the eleventh hour. We’ve been a little bummed about it, a little adrift, and it’s been a little quiet around here since we got the news – but now we have a few new projects on our desks, a few visitors lined up soon, and a few more free weekends for summer adventures with friends.

Here’s to facing forward.

snippets from instagram, top to bottom, left to right: 1-Hubway to Toro; 2-Sweet Cheeks; 3,4-WINE Club Boston’s Gatsby Party; 5-Lilac Sunday; 6-running in the Fens; 7-Cambridge Cemetery; 8-Barry McGee at the ICA; 9-data visualization

I was a fan of Trevor Baum’s arrow illustration when I first came across it beside a city skyline on Pinterest.

The horizontal counterpart I later found on MATTER’s homepage seemed a perfect pairing.

For more from Trevor Baum, visit his portfolio; the arrow image may have been lost to MATTER’s archives, but their site is worth a peek.

image credits: 1-Trevor Baum, via Dribbble; 2-MATTER

Over the weekend, Jack and I stopped by the Cyberarts Gallery on a whim, and caught the interactive projection art of John Carpenter.

dandelion clock uses data mapping techniques (with which Jack is much more well-versed) and a sensor to allow the viewer to interact with the glowing sparks that resemble familiar dandelion seeds: an approach or the flick of a wrist sends them scattering about the wall before gradually resettling to the center.

This piece was incredibly fun to interact with. Other installations by Carpenter similarly engage the viewer with a silent, graphic presentation of a natural element - a simulated wheat field waves as you approach, or a wall of shadows shifts as your movements rustle imaginary leaves. For more about Carpenter’s work, including longer videos of the installations in action, visit his portfolio; to see dandelion clock in person, swing by the Boston Cyberarts Gallery.

image credit: Union Jack Creative

video credit: Union Jack Creative (on Vine)