Unless you have been living under a rock (or don't care about Apple), you probably already know about the new MacBook lineup.
From a design perspective, it is just as good looking as all the other products from Apple, and it too features Apple's new wonder-trick... to shape the edges to make it look a lot slimmer.
But I think the most important new feature is not the outside or how it looks, but how it is made. Instead of highlighting the design, Apple has spent an enormous amount of time talking about the inside of it.
Just take a look at this video:
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(via Apple)
Apple has found that in order to make really remarkable products; design and engineering has to go together. Remember the old axiom of interaction design?
What comes first, (interaction) design or development?
Well guess what, none of them comes first. If you want to make a really remarkable product, you have to bring design, development and engineering together. You also have to bring in feel and touch, weight, speed, affordability and ease of use.
The time has passed when you could simply design a cover, much like what most other computer manufactures does (or mobile manufactures for that matter). To be successful today, you need to design something that looks as good at the inside as it does on the outside.
And more importantly - design is not actually the right word to use. Most people see design as something that is visual. That is only a part of it. It is the sensation, the emotion, the feel, the energy and motivation you get from using something that matters.
This is not just about Apple, this is even more so about you, and the amazing products that you make. If you are working on a new web application or website, or just some project for a client, you need to look at how you "design" every single part of your experience.
To be able to create a remarkable web application today, you need to stop looking at your site as front-end and backend. There is no such thing any longer. Both have to come together and both have to be design to perform in a remarkable way. And they have to be designed as one combined experience.
So...
What comes first, (interaction) design or development? Neither!
The first thing everyone must do is to create a remarkable experience
- then you can worry about how to design and engineer it.
Later today, Apple is having yet another one of their mystery press events, where they are expected to talk about iTunes. One very strong rumor is that they will extend iTunes into the online renting business, allowing US customers to rent TV shows at 99 cents.
Earlier today, Facebook launched its location based service called Facebook Places. We all knew it was coming, and that it would not be highly innovative, but there were still a few surprises.
There where two interesting stories this week about emerging digital markets. First, we heard from Amazon that the sale of ebooks has now surpassed the sale of hardcover books.
It is not unusual for many websites to lose 20-50% of their traffic during the hot summer months. It happens every year, because people rather want to be outside with their friends, having fun barbecuing, than sit inside in front of a computer.
Gatorade has released a video of their social command center. It is quite impressive, and ultra-geeky. It looks more like something from Norad, than anything you would expect from a soft-drink company.
You might have heard the stories about Digg losing 50% of its traffic in just one month, based on data from Compete.com. They are all asking the same question. Is Digg dead? (no it isn't)
I was watching several of video from the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce - or simply the RSA. Besides having a YouTube channel filled with interesting content, they have created some of the best story telling videos I have ever seen.
Traditional marketing is pretty simple. You ask your graphic designer to create a beautiful presentation of your product. Next, you give a magazine a handful of money to buy exposure to a certain amount of people. That’s it. You create an ad, pay money, and get exposure.
Isn't it odd that so many companies fight change instead of embracing it? Shouldn't we welcome it with open arms? See it as huge opportunity to get ahead of our competition?
Companies are constantly trying to come up with something new and exciting, but most of the time they to tend to focus on the wrong thing. Instead of creating a story, they make a book. Instead of creating interesting articles, they created a printed magazine. Instead of making remarkable products, they design a new website.
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