Alright, I know, it’s Thursday. Still, we’re cutting ourselves some slack this week because tomorrow is a day off. Happy independence day everyone. Enjoy these:

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   I know, random, right? Posted by flickr user hhhitshayley

For those of you who are interested, I make an appearance around the 10:40 mark. Hope you enjoy it!

We’re also on the lookout for:

• Sloths
• Capuchin Monkeys
• Squirrel Monkeys
• More Howler Monkeys
• Colorful Frogs

All animals may apply.

No animals have been hurt in the making of this blog post.

It is gorgeous here. The drive to Monteverde was 4.5 hours long and the end was extreeeemly bumpy. We climbed to the top of a mountain on a tiny dirt road. Great stuff. I’ll post pictures when I get home.

Today we toured a cheese factory (great cheese). Tomorrow is a canopy tour. Monday is canyoning near Volcan Arenal. Woo!

More later when I’m on a faster internet connection (hopefully).

Today I want to talk about something a bit academic. More of a thinking game than anything else. I chose to start with Graphic Design because, well, it seems a bit more established as a field than Interaction Design and I think there’s a lot we could learn from them.

In two-dimensional graphic design, a core set of elements have been defined to specify the designer’s most basic toolset. These three elements can be combined to create a rich array of visual objects that give the designer near limitless options. Let me explain visually:

Consider the Point

A Point simply denotes a position in space. Many points in space can show contrast, and from an appropriate height will tend to show texture. This is the most basic of the basic graphic design elements. But oh so much can come of this simple dot.

Many Points Make a Line

If a Point is made the first time a piece of chalk is touched to a chalkboard, then a Line is created as that chalk is dragged across the surface. That Line is an infinite chain of Points, or the connection between two starting and ending points.

Lines create Shape

Moving the chalk perpendicularly to the original line creates an intersection. Multiple intersections eventually create shape. That is, when multiple Lines are strung together, they take Shape. Shape is where we begin to embrace the power of visual imagery. People will create meaning out of multiple shapes strung together, and the meaning that is elicited is the core goal of Graphic Design.

Where are my elements?

Of course, this is by no means all a Graphic Designer must know to be successful. This is just the start. In Part 2 of this series I’ll consider Dan Saffer’s Elements of Interaction Design. Prepare yourself for that.

Florida’s site has a Place Finder survey that attempts to rate which cities you should consider moving to. Here are my results:

1. San Francisco, CA
2. Chicago, IL - My current residence
3. Tel Aviv, Israel
4. New York, NY
5. Los Angeles, CA

I’m not so sure I agree on all counts, but it is quite an interesting result. One that I wasn’t expecting.

Of course, the survey is all self-report, so it’s definitely bound for some level of error. But still…it’s interesting to think about: in this ever so mobile era, where will any of us live a year from now?

If you’d like to take the survey, you can do it right now! Check it out:

I need to idle. I’m ready for a break. In 3 weeks Karen and I leave for Costa Rica. We’re not running away (this time). For now we’re just off for a quick vacation. Any recommendations? We’re looking for good stuff to do.

I’m home this week. It feels good so far. It feels like a real change of pace. Part of me just wants to stay here indefinitely. Travel is hard on the body and soul, and I’m in need of some repair.

Look out for some more substantive posts. Soon enough, my friends, soon enough. Tide yourself over with my sister’s adventures throughout the middle east.

So you wanna be a rock & roll star? Well listen now to what I say: Just get an electric guitar, take some time, and learn how to play.”

Well, when you put it that way, it seems pretty simple really. Now I should go take this inspiration & do something with it…

“You’ll be bothered from time to time by storms, fog, snow. When you are, think of those who went through it before you, and say to yourself, ‘What they could do, I can do.’”

- Antoine de Saint-Exupery, Wind, Sand, and Stars, 5

No deeper applicable meaning, just thought it was a good quote.