Multiple Choice

I love it when you can manipulate and manage the same data in multiple ways.

Dealing with the same information in different ways allows more flexibility for the person dealing with that information. The trick here is to avoid so many options you do not know what to do with all the options staring you in the face.

Sometimes the simple is so obvious it eludes you until someone shows you how to do it right.

Take VoiceCloud's version of voicemail. You can receive messages directly to your mobile phone in a text message and you can also listen to the original message in your email as an MP3. As shown below.



Manage all of your messages by way of email, without going through the linear "old-fashioned" way of one message then another when there are many to deal with (such as after a vacation or being a very connected person).

Where to park?

Don't even get me started on the signage within California state. Which will be a post at some point.

The image below demonstrates how assumed and accurate signage ideologies merge, and can easily confuse people without constant exposure to the norm. My perspective stems from: "What if a foreigner arrives and there are no examples given to follow?"


The image above shows "normal" vehicle parking positions, as the signage is marked in San Diego, California. But that is simply my point. The parking signage shows bounds that do not completely apply. Look at the direction of bounded enclosure space for the vehicles. If you followed the bounded enclosure, you would think that San Diego allows for double vehicle parking, as shown below.


Pretty cool, no? Not unless you want to get a parking ticket.

The appropriate boundaries should be marked as follows.


Simple, straightforward and not confusing.

Case closed. Well at least until the next California signage posting.

Multiple Lenses

People see things in different ways. Even individuals have their own perspective due to their experiences. Take any object and have many people describe it and you will receive different answers.

This is concept is similar to applying themes to so-called Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs), so prevalent today and mostly useless. Themes are applied with: mobile phones, email (such as Google Mail), Operating Systems, etc.

What if you could switch that around and have completely different interfaces, instead of themes, to the same information?

Case in point. Check out Henri Derudder's portfolio.

First of all he uses one of the most fundamental questions on the Internet, asking which language you would like to view the site. Most web sites are under the assumption that the whole world speaks one language.

Once you have chosen a language, the site loads and presents you with a modifiable interface. Loading with thumbnails of the work done.

Additional interfaces can be selected in the top left including: thumbnails, circular, chronology. Each one presents the information (Mr. Derudder's portfolio) in a different manner.

On top of that, each interface can be filtered with the category of work.

Brilliant. The first time I saw the site, I was amazed and spent a bit too much time than I should have. Probably one of the best uses of interface design presently on the Internet.