Category Archives: learning

Briefly: O’Reilly PhoneGap webcast, Feb. 21, 1 pm EST

Posted on by Four Hewes

About three weeks ago, I sat in on Jonathan Stark’s O’Reilly Webcast, “Building Hybrid Apps with PhoneGap” (Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013)

Stark covered:

  • How to judge which platform is best for one’s project: HTML5, native dev SDKs or a hybrid approach, such as Phonegap.
  • How to access device APIs with JavaScript – specifically the camera.
  • Packaging apps locally
  • Compiling apps using the PhoneGap web service – pretty cool automagical cloudness.
  • Using native code to extend PhoneGap – the juicy part of the hybrid model.

His arguement was compelling.

IDEs used by the audience included jQuery mobile and Sencha Touch 2, Cordova, xCode, PhoneGap, Kendo UI, Rhomobile and Air.

To paraphrase the webcast spiel:

Native mobile app dev can be resource intensive. Mobile web apps are a relatively inexpensive alternative, but they can’t access desirable device APIs (e.g., camera, file system). Stark demonstrates how PhoneGap bridges this phone gap by wrapping web apps in native code using PhoneGap Build to create versions for all major smartphone platforms.

Jonathan Stark is author O’Reilly’s of ‘Building Android Apps with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript’ and ‘Building iPhone Apps with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript’.

Signed up: Lean UX webcast, Wed., March 13th, 1 pm EDT

Posted on by Four Hewes

Update: 50% ebook sale JUST TODAY on Jeff Gothelf’s O’Reilly book “Lean UX: Applying Lean Principles to Improve User Experience“. Get the deal: the ebook is $9.99, usually $19.99. Use the promo code: DEAL

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I’ve registered for O’Reilly’s Webcast, “Lean UX: Agility through cross-functional collaboration“.

(Registration ends soon.)

Last month I sat in on Jonathan Spark’s “Building Hybrid Apps with PhoneGap“

The webcast’s brochure takes a pretty standard view of the conventional process and role of digital design in product development:

Designers have long relied on heavy documentation to communicate their vision for products and experiences. As technology has evolved to offer more complex and intricate interactions, the deliverables we’ve been creating have followed suit. Ultimately though, these deliverables have come to serve as bottlenecks to the creation process and as the beginning of the negotiation process with our team mates — a starting point for conversation on what could get built and launched.

In my work, I’ve “long relied on” drawing to communicate my vision for products and experiences. Sketching mostly.

It’s always confounded me that designers don’t push back on clients’ expectations for rigid, written documentation to design and communicate designs. Paragraphs, outlines and complex diagrams are such an inadequate means of designing OR communcating with others.

Designers work so hard to present themselves for hiring. But many don’t feel that they’re rare, necessary skills give them any power in their workplace to lead the definition of design communication.

I look forward to hearing Jeff Gothelf (@jboogie) give his pitch for collaborative UX. What power does he ascribe to the designer within the power structure of the product team?

Design methodologies are important to explore and improve. Until designers take the question of their professional and economic power seriously, the rest is just dancing around without really changing the state of the work of design.

Maybe I’ll become interested in his book: Lean UX: Applying Lean Principles to Improve User Experience. (O’Reilly Media, February 2013, 152 pp.)

To change thinking, change the model (Fuller)

Posted on by Four Hewes

R. Buckminster Fuller puts it succinctly. Twice.

“If you want to teach people a new way of thinking, don’t bother trying to teach them.

Instead, give them a tool, the use of which will lead to new ways of thinking.”

And:

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality.

To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”

― R. Buckminster Fuller

This is a fundamental approach I take to solutions to my clients’ problems.

This is the strategic aspect to strategic design.

This is at the root of design thinking.

Joined: DC Tech (Meetup)

Posted on by Four Hewes

Just joined Washington, D.C.’s DC Tech Meetup.

Looking forward to connecting with that scene.

As I told DC Tech co-leader Peter Corbett, I’ll be in D.C. from time to time and I would like to connect with the group’s members to build my professional network in the DC Metro area by listening and contributing. I seek to develop new development partners and clients in 2012 and D.C. is one of my targets, along with Boston and New York and San Francisco.

Also recently joined MoDevDC Meetup.

Both look to be thriving groups. I’m looking forward to participating as much as I can from out of town.

Avalanche Class

Posted on by Four Hewes

Learning outdoors, natural science skills and understanding snow!

This is something I want to do next year!

AMC Outdoor Explorations
Avalanche Awareness: National Ski Patrol Level I Avalanche

http://www.outdoors.org/lodging/explorations/multiday/avalanche.cfm

March 12-14, 2012
Joe Dodge Lodge at Pinkham Notch
This three day course is essential for winter backcountry travelers – hikers, skiers, and mountaineers. The goal is to help winter outdoor enthusiasts identify avalanche terrain and minimize risks of avalanche hazards. Classroom time on Friday and Saturday studying avalanche mechanics such as terrain, weather, and snowpack, will be interspersed with hands on outdoor experience with rescue equipment and techniques, as well as field observations of classroom material.

Minimum age is 18.

Reserve today—call (603) 466-2727.