Search, this one had come up a few times recently. Products for 2ft or desktop web then you do have to option for either advanced search or filters, but for the lean back experience with 1ft mobile or console (e.g. XBOX One or PS4) then more actionable items take up screen space or is limited via the input device.

My previous few projects I needed to address how would any user get to where they need to if you remove full-functioned searching or are there better options overall than the usual search functionality for digital products? Read More...

1. Transformers 4 proves action/explosions are not a substitute for a plot.
2. Gumshara still makes the best Ramen in Sydney, a close second Ryo’s.
3. Ideas are ideas until they are delivered.
4. Guardians of the Galaxy was far better than I expected, I’d go as far as saying the best movie I’ve watched for 2014.
5. Apple refurbs are still the best valued computers.
6. The ATH-M50 Headphones is the best $125 (inc. shipping) I’ve spent.
7. Clients never buy features. They buy on experience and a compelling story.
8. Some bridges are meant to be burned, so you don’t make the same mistakes.
9. GoT is as shocking to read as to watch. Maybe more so.
10. Ideas are ideas until they are delivered.
11. Responsive design isn’t a business plan.
12. Why did I ever stop listening to Kyuss, Soundgarden and Monster Magnet?
13. South American food is awesome.
14. Problems are never solved by people who created them.

It is rare for me to camp out like fanboy for film, buy the t-shirt and eagerly await the film’s release. However Guardians of the Galaxy I believe deserves the hype simply because it is a complete change of direction for the Marvel studios.

And it’s got a wise cracking talking racoon with a rocket launcher... Read More...

What a year, designing across 5 platforms during the last year have been both challenging and rewarding from what I have learned and produced working within a great team.

If I have learnt anything during the last year for experience and interaction design after working with some great people, there are really seven main points of how to design well that have really stood out to me. Read More...

After a long and tough year, it was great to get the nod for LexisNexis Red via the Mobile Awards.

The most exciting part is being recognised externally for something I had put time and effort into with trying to produce a great experience for the end client. It’s also great to see the team gain the recognition for something they really pushed to hard to release.

Overall not only being a good piece for the folio, it’s also good to know that the creative and UX direction was both on track for the clients and on track for industry recognition.

A big thanks to all the people who help get us there.

With the release of iOS7 I’ve found it to be a very mixed bag, from the one respect we have a new launch via Apple but from the other it doesn’t feel like an Apple products.

I have felt Apple has lost it has way in many regards for design. Where the new iOS7 gave me everything I could ever want out of a mobile operating system, Android Functionality + Windows 8 design. I am more underwhelmed by the new release and the following is why.
Read More...

Speaking with a good friend the other day raised a few good points after they have decided on a completely new career path.

1. Really understand where you want to achieve. Become the maven of your subject.
2. Be a visionary, make it compelling. You will need to learn hard lessons.
3. Define and refine the goals. It’s not a linear adventure.
4. Failure is part of success, so persistence is key.
5. Connect and network. For what is a city without the people?

Two words: Highly Recommended. I had a blast in Singapore, it is a fantastic place because of the food, the climate and the people. It is a place I have wanted to visit for some time and manage to go there for a quick break, experience the location and to check the Asia Broadcast Convention.
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A very good group who I have worked with in the past has just offered me an awesome opportunity to design some graphics for them as a part of some much needed collateral.

After 12 months being out of broadcast weather graphics then jumping back into with a few really cool ideas for apply information and how it’s better displayed rather than raw numbers. It also raised some insights into how on a culture level information can be interpreted and how colour and iconography can overcome the language barrier.

Workible has been a side project since January of this year, a great idea for a digital startup that is really gaining traction within the industry for flexible work.

I fit into this venture as the Interactive Art Director and have managed to set the tone for the business’ branding and UX for their digital and mobile strategy. We have a delivered app on the appstore with a massive roll out of the Beta trials, with some great feedback and interest from some rather BIG players out there.

It’s very exciting for something of this nature to come together so quickly and really take off in such a big way, plus it’s an awesome thing to work with a few very nice and passionate people applying what I love doing to their business gaining support for it.

There is more to come on this one though, I feel it’s just taking off.

To use Dieter Rams as a muse design is wonderful, done correctly it’s invisible and an intangible factor that can make something delight.

However there is more to creative than making it look pretty or making it work, it is about the entire holistic brand and UX experience. It should be well considered with the right customer discoveries focused on, validated for the qualitative factor then built across the appropriate channels.

Simple isn’t simple rather the result of highly visceral process. Read More...

I managed to have a great chat the other day with a good work friend the other day, interestingly enough we spoke about why people leave a business.

Retention is the challenge companies face, where there are plenty of theories floating and excuses why people leave. I consider it to be three things why people stay these are the people, the pay and the position but are these the same or is there one specific reason why a person a would leave a good position?

Interestingly a great point was raised, employees generally fire bosses. His point being that ultimately all leaders are accountable to and by their employees, thus fairness, integrity, openness and recognition play huge role with why anyone would respect and want to continue working with a leader.

Thought provoking nevertheless.

Great success! LexisNexis was named in the number 12 on the BRW Most Innovative Companies for 2012.

Ok, so why I am so excited?

The submission was based upon LexisNexis Red which I’ve been leading the UX and creative for since June, so for a very young product we are smashing out great designs for the clients and getting noticed in the process.

What makes Red not only successful but highly innovative for the clients it focuses on mobility and integration via targeted user research and validation of the product with key user groups.

The end result giving us the KFC herbs and spices to create a stunningly awesome app the clients love to use. Also there’s a great article for the NSW Police using my work.

Next stop, the Mobi Awards because I am looking for some more silverware :P

1. Dark Knight Rise, better than I was hoping for.
2. Quoting Bane for the week after watching it will annoy. Then I give you permission.
3. The Avengers movie was also worth it, though Soundgarden at the end, nuff said… Do those guys actually get old?
4. A Loco Moco is the breakfast of champions.
5. The best way to see a mass exodus of staff is to cheap out with the end of year party.
6. Every second Bond film is AWESOME.
7. Why did I ever stop using 50mm prime lenses?
8. There is no cafe on the 5th level at Tiffany’s in New York despite what people tell you.
9. Tandoori tans are not a good look on anyone.
10. Eva Longoria’s cookbook is actually worth buying for the quality of the recipes (I am serious here, the Tortilla Soup is brilliant).
11. No good story ever start with “I had a few salads”.
12. Most importantly you don’t have to do what you don’t want to do.

With the release of some really great tablet devices during the last few months like the Nexus7, Surface and iPad mini it started me to think of with so many of them targeted heavily to the different platforms where would this lead the end consumer?

Each tablet hardware and OS is suitable for different specialised tasks though there is some cross over. During the next few years I can see there is going to be 3 devices within a connected user’s workflow. Read More...

Over ten years of creative experience has given me 5 key rules that in my opinion kill innovation and creativity in its tracks. Via some CSI and Dexter techniques, I am going to explore these killers of innovation. Read More...

Buzzwords (Argumentum verbosium)… I keep hearing, they are ideals senior management tend to jump on and embrace. Diversity Alignment Empowerment Strategy sure does sounds awesome in a keynote but how does it translate to business operations, specifically tactic and strategy?

After starting my new job as a Senior UX Designer it is interesting seeing the crossover of brand design and how it is applied to UX. On a semantical level good UX really does shape the perception a user or client has towards both brand and product. Read More...

Linkedin it’s great, a Facebook for work. I have noticed a few things that have kept popping onto to the network I thought I’d post a quick article about. Read More...

Marketing vs development is an interesting beast, the marketer in me always would like to see new features that I probably would never use while the developer would rather see refinements in the overall experience. Which is better?

Good marketing will get you through the door (or to quote Edwin Land, Marketing succeeds where products fail) however good development will allow you to keep the client thus a balanced approach is needed.

For a larger company this really isn’t an issue because you have enough resources to assign them to the right places to ensure the is a balance but for a smaller business that isn’t really the case. Read More...

A real highlight for me in NYC was going to the Delta Grill on 8th Avenue (no affiliation to the meh Aussie singer), it was a Southern styled bar and restaurant with a very cool vibe to it. I’d recommend giving it a try even just for the Bourbon Pecan Pie after a show on Broadway.

Foodwise, all of the regular Southern vitals were on the menu including Dirty Rice, Gumbo, Jambalaya, Po’ Boys not to mention some good fusions New York styled dishes with a Southern twist.

There was also an awesome arrangement of imported beers and a great selection of cocktails very well done. Great food that got me motivated to make a Louisiana Styled Jambalaya when I arrived home, here’s my take on Jambalaya. Read More...

For all who don’t know I’ve just returned from my honeymoon in New York City. My wife and myself had the time of our lives over there in one seriously awesome city.

I thought it would be a great opportunity to post some things not most would think about with visiting the Big Apple and also hopefully to explain what I was doing on hiatus for 2 weeks (which was having seriously awesome time). Read More...

After trying the Soup Man’s Lobster Bisque in New York City it got me motivated to create something similar, though Lobster was out of season I thought crabs or prawns would (or could) work as well.

Here’s my take on the Bisque, it’s actually really easy and quick to make and I’d suggest serving it with a crusty French Roll. Read More...

Prometheus - Trailer 2 from Ante-Cinema on Vimeo.

I admit it I am a film nerd, but not to the effort of dressing up in Star Wars kit. After seeing the new Prometheus trailer I am pumped to see the prequel to the Alien saga, it looks like it won’t disappoint considering the cast and Ridley Scott at the helm.

From the snippits of the trailer I think Scott is trying to mix in the myth of Prometheus to the Alien and Predator universe and it does look like it’s going to work a treat with developing a solid plot and really explaining the origins of the series.

I cannot wait to see it (but not in 3D), can’t wait till June 8th

There’s nothing better than getting up on a Saturday morning and starting the weekend by cooking yourself a breakfast you don’t usually get the time through the week to do.

I’m a real foody at heart and really want to share this one, I’ve had many friends ask me what is a Loco Moco? Where can I get it? How can I make? This will hopefully answers that and inspires this dish to cross some borders.

It’s great, it’s tasty, it’s easy to make. Trust me. Read More...

If I could predict one thing for this year I would really have to say it’s the rise of the machines, well all things mobile that is.

Smart phones and mobile computing will be king for 2012 and the real winners are going to be the company who cannot only create a great experience on them but also really integrate the social to the mix. Read More...

Weather Graphics Demo from Shamus Hart on Vimeo.

I know I’m the weather guy, but here’s something I’ve been extremely happy with creating as a demo concept it’s enable me to embrace FCP and Motion 5 to create something a little more engaging than the usual stills.

If I had learnt two things from this process, Motion is seriously resource hungry and Photoshop layers can’t be opened very well (or at all) in Motion 5.

Enjoy

I haven’t had much opportunity to matte paint or composite video for a while now, so when I got the request to mock something up for a demo I welcomed the opportunity to “brush up” on Photoshop and Motion to create something sweet.

So far it’s a single frame and still needs a little polish but I think it’s getting there, once completed I’ll post a high resolution image and video. Stay tuned.

For nearly ten years I’ve worked in and around graphics and creative, the one thing that I’ve noticed pops up at nearly every place I’ve been is the absolute need for innovation and creativity.

Every brand or product wants to be innovative and creative well this is the general direction most want. But really does everything need to be innovative or creative, is this notion practical?

From experience some things just don’t need to be rather they just need to do what they’re supposed to do and do it well. A well designed product of any kind that gives the end user or customer a great experience will always fare better than an over designed or innovative one. Read More...

Though I usually on use this blog I occasionally use this for something that gets me pumped, there are some seriously awesome films and I can’t wait to see (and buy) this year.

Last year my highlight movie would have been a tie between X-Men First Class and Captain America, and of course I’m going to have to mention Inception again. Great movies I had been looking forward to in 2011 so what about 2012? Read More...

This has been a thing I’ve been ask about a lot lately, the best kept secret in my opinion for buying a mac is the Apple Refurb store. My last 3 Apple purchases were from the refurbished part of the site, generally you’re getting new computer with a 20%-35% discount this I think is pretty darn good.

My Early 2007 Macbook Pro was purchased via the site, so instead of the $2699 price tag I managed to get it for $1749 which at the time I thought was an extremely good price. Read More...