kirabug’s idea files

• Weeding paths and rocky areas?Try boiling water.
• I’d like to eat at the Conflict Kitchen. For a long time I’ve had a theory that no people who make decent food can be all bad, and I’ve yet to find a culture where I couldn’t find anything I could eat. These folks are pretty much saying the same thing. Too bad it’s in Pittsburgh – that’s a 5-hour drive.
• In the 70s, when a method for separating male and female sperm was developed, making the ability to choose the sex of your child possible, there was a fear that doing so would only make America more patriarchal. Now there are good reasons to believe that patriarchy is being destroyed altogether, and a matriarchy is on the horizon.
• Art made of Rubik’s Cubes
• Design for readability first. I tried to do this here, but I might take another swing at it now that I’ve got a better idea of what “readability” means with each passing day.
• When tabbing through forms on your Mac, would you like Safari to highlight drop-down menus as part of the tab flow, the way Windows does? Here’s the solution.
• Have a Mac and Keynote? Do you wireframe for a living? You could use Keynote for your wireframing. (I wonder if this would work on my iPad version of Keynote!)

And now: Kittens riding a Roomba.

There’s design challenges, and then there’s design challenges. Designing a game about losing your virginity when the design is supposed to be autobiographical, well, ouch. But it definitely stretches the idea of a video game.

The winners? Two women, who had mere days to beat out the competition that had weeks to prepare.

I like seeing comics being put to good use. (I’m biased. Who’d've guessed?) I’m also more than a little interested in effective design, whether it’s web UI or a better way to structure my garden. So anything that combines the two tends to catch my attention.

Anyway, here’s a great article on cartoon characters being used for New York recycling, and why it’s not only a cute program, but also good design.

OK/Cancel is a niche comic about User Interface Design, and it’s pretty darn cool. Check it out!