Comments on: Flowmaps and Frag-Grenades, Part 1 http://boxesandarrows.com/flowmaps-and-frag-grenades-part-1/ Boxes and Arrows is devoted to the practice, innovation, and discussion of design; including graphic design, interaction design, information architecture and the design of business. Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:43:59 +0000 hourly 1 By: olivier http://boxesandarrows.com/flowmaps-and-frag-grenades-part-1/#comment-7743 olivier Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://boxesandarrows.com/flowmaps-and-frag-grenades-part-1/#comment-7743 The following bothered me enough to register. I cannot understand why a site that writes about usability uses such a small line-height for the text. It’s currently at 1.3em which many find too low for easy reading. Just increasing it to 1.4 makes the text much more readable. Sorry for the rant but it is a pet peeve of mine.

]]> By: holger_maassen http://boxesandarrows.com/flowmaps-and-frag-grenades-part-1/#comment-7744 holger_maassen Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://boxesandarrows.com/flowmaps-and-frag-grenades-part-1/#comment-7744 @ Bryce – Clear and brief talk – It was just a trifle too short and too brief for my liking. I am eager to read the next part
@ Olivier – Why didn’t you post your opinion under the topic forums? http://boxesandarrows.com/topics – Your comment has nothing to do with this story. Sad!

]]> By: btelles http://boxesandarrows.com/flowmaps-and-frag-grenades-part-1/#comment-7745 btelles Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://boxesandarrows.com/flowmaps-and-frag-grenades-part-1/#comment-7745 Bryce, thanks for the story…it’s very inspiring to hear stories like Colm’s–of interaction designers being taken more seriously.
If you’re planning to talk with Colm again, would you mind asking which specific methodologies transferred most easily from the consumer app industry to the gaming industry? Or about the differences between consumer application methodologies and game methodologies? It’d be interesting to know which methodologies apply to more industries.
Thanks again!
Bernie

]]> By: bryce http://boxesandarrows.com/flowmaps-and-frag-grenades-part-1/#comment-7746 bryce Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://boxesandarrows.com/flowmaps-and-frag-grenades-part-1/#comment-7746 Thanks Bernie! Part 2 of the interview does indeed get into specifics a little more deeply and touches on some of the methods and deliverables that Colm employed during the H3 development process. So, tune in again…

]]> By: doiveo http://boxesandarrows.com/flowmaps-and-frag-grenades-part-1/#comment-7747 doiveo Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://boxesandarrows.com/flowmaps-and-frag-grenades-part-1/#comment-7747 Bryce. I submitted this to Digg because it is something that audience would find interesting. I’m regretting it now however. It is my fault I didn’t do the due diligence and read the entire article carefully.

The two part thing is crap. Your business module (of gaining subscribers) is in direct conflict with your users’ needs. On a usability site none-the-less. The only user-centric valid reason a for time delayed 2 part article online is you don’t have the information yet. If you were running a batch of tests and want to report the first half – that makes sense. All you are doing here is transcribing an interview and the first part barely introduces the subject. If you wanted a couple pages, fine. But this is manipulative and excessive.

]]> By: bryce http://boxesandarrows.com/flowmaps-and-frag-grenades-part-1/#comment-7748 bryce Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://boxesandarrows.com/flowmaps-and-frag-grenades-part-1/#comment-7748 L long — I just wrote the thing, I don’t decide how it’s apportioned and doled out to you. Take it up with the fine folks at Boxes and Arrows. (Tho’ I suspect that their reasons are less manipulative and Machiavellian than you seem to think — the reason I was given is that they try to keep articles to a reasonable length and this one goes longer than that average.)

And I, too, regret your decision to submit to Digg if your brand of ‘crap’ is typical of the quality of insight and analysis that appearing over there will bring over here. Don’t blame me for your hair-trigger Digg finger. (Since when is ‘reading the damn article’ considered ‘due diligence’ anyway?)

]]> By: doiveo http://boxesandarrows.com/flowmaps-and-frag-grenades-part-1/#comment-7749 doiveo Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://boxesandarrows.com/flowmaps-and-frag-grenades-part-1/#comment-7749 Then I pass my crass disapproval on to them.

Why knowingly crass? Because I was treated as an ad impression instead of a reader. Give me a low marginal value and I will return the favor.

I don’t buy the reasonable size argument because this whole page is under 100k with the comments. The text is only 9k compressed. None of the constraints in other mediums apply: there’s no paper costs to cover and you don’t have to fit into a 30 minute time slot.

Here are just a few ways to present an extra long article and leave the choice in the readers’ hands:
- Link to full article at the end of intro. The reader will know what they are getting into.
- Pagination would allow limitless content in manageable sizes.
- Editorial titles to delineate conversation topics.
- Make content more stimulating with relevant images and figures (I’m guessing these are in the next part??? This is about a richly designed video game and not even a screen cap.)

I never blamed anyone for my mistake. This was feedback. Interesting to see if any real conversation will occur over my feelings however. So far only smug deflection.

]]> By: russiandoll http://boxesandarrows.com/flowmaps-and-frag-grenades-part-1/#comment-7750 russiandoll Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://boxesandarrows.com/flowmaps-and-frag-grenades-part-1/#comment-7750 Interesting start to an article… but ditto on splitting into 2 parts being annoying. There is no mention of when the next part will be posted.

]]> By: bryce http://boxesandarrows.com/flowmaps-and-frag-grenades-part-1/#comment-7751 bryce Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://boxesandarrows.com/flowmaps-and-frag-grenades-part-1/#comment-7751 And now, by… er… ‘popular’ demand, Part 2 of this interview is now up and available for comment.

]]> By: andrewrench http://boxesandarrows.com/flowmaps-and-frag-grenades-part-1/#comment-7752 andrewrench Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://boxesandarrows.com/flowmaps-and-frag-grenades-part-1/#comment-7752 Bryce,
I’m curious about your answer to “And how did you get the job?”…
Did you ask for direct feedback in the phone interview or did they offer it to you and open the door for a 2nd chance to prove yourself? Getting honest feedback from a phone interview and getting a chance to redeem yourself is unique. I’m usually left guessing what went wrong when a phone interview doesn’t pan out…

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