It’s important for software developers to know the products they work on, both inside and out — the code, the components, the user interface, everything. That way they understand the application both from the technical side as well as the user’s standpoint and can provide greater value to their team at all points in the product lifecycle. Unfortunately, sometimes project constraints are such that the development staff spends the majority of their time working on code and getting to know the product has to take a back seat. By only glancing at the UI here and there during testing, but never really using the product as an end user would, developers lack understanding of what customers feel is good or bad about the software being developed. These sorts of challenges are what make working with the CMS product Sitecore 4 mp digital camera such an excellent experience and such a change from the norm.

In Sitecore, developers create look and feel and available user interactions by writing code (as usual), but the workflow for populating the templates and designs has all been created by Sitecore ahead of time. To see their work and test functionality, developers need to become thoroughly familiar with the Sitecore front end, just like any other user. The benefits to this are enormous because this process will reveal flaws to developers right away. They fix things and set up processes to make their work easier, they will be making things easier for users at the same time. It also allows developers to be more helpful when troubleshooting issues with end users, and the product knowledge they gain can be leveraged in future Sitecore-based projects.

There are of course other benefits to using Sitecore in addition to those listed above, but the core advantage of having developers work with the product as much from the front end as the back is a huge value add and makes Sitecore a must-see product for any company considering using or building a CMS.

Hanson Dodge Creative is a Sitecore CMS implementation partner and is currently implementing the product for multiple Active Lifestyle customers. UX is one of the many reasons we’re stoked about this product.

Okay - it’s not active lifestyle, but it is lovely: a quietly surprising promotional video for the graphic novel, Alan’s War, written and illustrated by Emmanuel Guibert.

When Alan Cope joined the army and went off to fight in World War II, he had no idea what he was getting into. This graphic memoir is the story of his life during wartime, a story told with poignant intimacy and matchless artistry.

Across a generation, a deep friendship blossomed between Alan Cope and author/artist Emmanuel Guibert. From it, Alan’s War was born: a graphic novel that is a deeply personal and moving experience, straight from the heart of the Greatest Generation; a unique piece of WWII literature; and a ground-breaking graphic memoir.

Usability matters. See how a simple UI tweak resulted in major payoffs.

How Changing a Button Increased a Site’s Annual Revenues by $300 Million

It’s hard to imagine a form that could be simpler: two fields, two buttons, and one link. Yet, it turns out this form was preventing customers from purchasing products from a major e-commerce site, to the tune of $300,000,000 a year. What was even worse: the designers of the site had no clue there was even a problem.

The form was simple. The fields were Email Address and Password. The buttons were Login and Register. The link was Forgot Password. It was the login form for the site. It’s a form users encounter all the time. How could they have problems with it?

Read the rest of the story here.

Trend Central has an interesting article today about how the economy may be having an unexpected effect on fitness. While straight-up gym memberships are down, free and/or fun novelty fitness activities seem to be on the rise. Specifically mentioned — hula hooping, jumping rope and even burlesque dancing.

It will be interesting to see what other childhood fitness activities* catch on while we bounce back from our economic slump.

p.s. While doing a little background research, this caught my eye.

Read the Trend Central article.

*Which do NOT include burlesque. At least not around these parts.

One newsletter (amongst the hundreds I get every month) that never fails to entertain or educate me is my Ad Council Creative newsletter. Each month they highlight a number of their public service campaigns that are beautifully conceived, designed and executed. Some are funny, some are heartbreaking. But they never fail to get my attention. Here’s the latest:

Click here to sign up for their newsletter.

p.s. On a personal note, the Cheerleader one is my favorite. R-O-W-hoo!-DY!

An interesting story from the New York Times…

More snowboard makers than ever, from grass-roots innovators like Mervin in Sequim, Wash., to multinational companies like Burton, are offering green or eco-friendly boards this ski season. And the trend is just beginning. Boards made with sustainable materials account for just 2 percent of the $140 million board market, according to Snowsports Industries America, a trade group.

Read the whole NYT story here.

Bonus link: There is an interesting commentary (Can a Snowboard Be Green?) about these green snowboards on Treehugger, a leading online source for modern sustainability design issues.

If you’re a fan of handmade toys, you might want to take a minute – right now, if possible – to vote to amend the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008.

In August 2008, after numerous incidents of unsafe toys imported from China, Congress passed the CPSIA to hold manufacturers accountable for ensuring their toys are safe. Unfortunately, the Act, as written, does not exempt small businesses or individuals (such as Etsy sellers) from the same expensive testing and labeling standards as large manufacturers.

The act goes into effect on February 10, 2009, so please act now.

Get more info here:
Handmade Toy Alliance :: Help Save Handmade Toys in the USA from the CPSIA

Vote here:
CHANGE.ORG :: SAVE SMALL BUSINESS FROM THE CPSIA
(click the “vote” button at the upper left of the article)

(Irma The Pig available at Mahar Drygoods, a retailer and supporter of gorgeous handmade and vintage toys.)

• merry christmas download

Couldn’t afford Yale? Can’t take time off work to take a cooking class? Just want to let your little inner autodidact run free? Thank heavens for the interweb.

If you’re a curious soul, you might want to grab your headphones and Mountain Dew and head over to iTunes U. For the price of a click, you can learn about hundreds of topics from hundreds of universities, museums and organizations across the globe.

Have kids? iTunes U offers plenty of topics for the shorties, too.

No grades, no tests. Just the good stuff.

Learn more about iTunes U here.

In a peculiar and charming mashup of technology and performance art, two artists worked with Google to create unique street views of Pittsburgh’s Sampsonia Way.

On May 3rd 2008, artists Robin Hewlett and Ben Kinsley invited the Google Inc. Street View team and residents of Pittsburgh’s Northside to collaborate on a series of tableaux along Sampsonia Way.

Neighbors, and other participants from around the city, staged scenes ranging from a parade and a marathon, to a garage band practice, a seventeenth century sword fight, a heroic rescue and much more…

STREET WITH A VIEW: a project by Robin Hewlett & Ben Kinsley

(via Brooklyn Museum)

We’re big fans of reuse and creativity, so this HSBC Australia campaign hit the sweet spot.

To inform consumers of HSBC’s offerings JWT Sydney printed five sets of origami instructions on the back of ATM receipts. People can literally fold the piece of communication and keep it as a reminder.

BestAdsOnTV.com (registration required)