Category Archives: Visualization

Terrible User Interface

on September 25, 2019 in Visualization

Here’s one of the worst user interfaces I’ve seen. I hope you enjoy it. It doesn’t get me every time, but it still does after years of using it.

Your Daily Environment, day 001: The New York Times

on July 22, 2019 in Audio, Nature, Visualization

I’ve thought about recording news talk, like AM radio hosts, from an environmental leadership standpoint for a month or so. I’ve learned the way to learn is to start. I don’t know if the best way is audio only, video, showing me talking to the camera, showing the news, etc. Should I start a channel? What host should I use? How long should I make each episode? Should I prepare?[…] Keep reading →

Beware arch problems

on July 13, 2019 in Visualization

“Arch problems” is my name for problems where their would-be solutions exacerbate the problem. Their cure is the disease. Why “arch”? Arches in architecture are strong under pressure, supporting something. If you think an arch is weak and try to help it by supporting it, you weaken it, which may lead you to support it more. This cycle of weakening it by supporting it more can lead to either the[…] Keep reading →

The Story Behind Initiative’s Cover

on July 12, 2019 in Creativity, Education, Visualization

I wanted to share the story behind Initiative‘s cover. Layout The designer first sent a few cover designs. They were contemporary and appropriate for 2019, but they didn’t feel right. I couldn’t point to anything wrong with them, but they didn’t resonate. When we spoke to review his first designs, I told him that they felt “now,” but I considered my book timeless. It’s not about making apps, blockchain, or[…] Keep reading →

Freedom: Zero Inbox

on July 4, 2019 in Freedom, Visualization

I don’t mean to make light of the freedom people fought and died for, but I reached an empty inbox for the first time in I don’t know how long today and it feels like freedom and liberation. Here’s a screen shot of my mail reader: Launching Initiative put my inbox count into triple digits, including many detailed messages about complicated relationships. But July 4 is about freedom and I[…] Keep reading →

Bold, Striking Portraits by Azael Montejo Jr.

on June 5, 2019 in Art, Creativity, Visualization

Sharp-eyed readers of my blog and social media will have noticed the new portraits I’ve switched to. Also my portrait in my new book Initiative. A friend introduced me to Azael Montejo Jr — aka Ozzie — founder and CEO of Online Personal Training. Mostly we spoke about our lives and passions. At one point, he started describing a vision he saw from how I spoke about my work. The[…] Keep reading →

The most beautiful, life-giving places on Earth, we paved over

on November 9, 2018 in Nature, Visualization

Humans seem drawn to the most beautiful places. Our ancestors probably settled where life was easiest—that is, providing the most for life. Then we make them easier for us to live there—a hut here, a path there, a well, a dock, a road, etc. In other words, we’ve likely paved the most beautiful places on Earth. Here’s Manhattan before and after. Here are two pictures of Thailand jungles, then two[…] Keep reading →

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