Meetup

by Traci Lepore    07/08/2011

I went to my first Meetup event created by people I didn’t know a couple weeks ago and surprisingly, I loved the experience. It was to go Salsa Dancing at a club in Cambridge. At first I was nervous, given I wasn’t sure how easy it would be to find the people from the group. My fears were unfounded though, as we met up even before getting inside! And it was a great time. I wondered afterwards whether the success of Meetup has anything to do with Going’s recent departure? The small, targeted group of people with a similar interest made the Meetup feel much safer than Going ever could. There’s something to be said for helping find niche communities!

The Bike Fixtation

by Traci Lepore    06/30/2011

A bike part vending machine in Minneapolis?! Now this goes above and beyond understanding what it means to be and how to support being a bike commuter. Recently opened was this self-service bike repair kiosk. This takes some old ideas and puts a new spin on them with what is not only great support for the biking community, but also encourages environmentally and physically beneficial behavior.

Volvo for Life

by Traci Lepore    06/28/2011

“Volvo for Life” finds another way to suck me in!

Volvo has always had loyal customers. Their safety, service and overall experience have assured that many people do remain “Volvo for Life.” And OK, I admit, I am one of them! And I love how they keep finding interesting new ways to engage and captivate their enthusiasts. Today I read a tweet about a new augmented reality iPhone game they have. It took me only a second to realize I wanted to download and play with it. Even though I don’t really like video games all that much, this was fun, in a delightful kind of way. It would be cool to be outside somewhere nice and play it to see the background on the game. And it didn’t hurt that the vehicle was an S60, which is, of course, my baby.

Guardian’s Music Timeline

by Traci Lepore    06/27/2011

Now this is applying technology to a fun, but informative use! Music fans and technology geeks alike will enjoy the Guardian’s interactive history of modern music. No gratuitous use of Flash here, it all serves a purpose and comes together in a beautiful package that takes you through 50 key defining moments in music history in different genres. I’d love to see if include a few more moments and bring a little more information to the top from the articles it links to. But, for a music appreciator like myself it’s great fun to walk through some musical history and learn some more about the roots of what we call modern music. Now if only I could block out some time to read all the articles!

So You Want to be a Rock Star?

by Traci Lepore    06/14/2011

Sometimes a music amplifier isn’t just a tool of the trade.

Interactive floor game

by Traci Lepore    05/31/2011

This video shows kids playing with an interactive projector game at the mall. I saw this recently at the Burlington Mall and watched as kids were engaged for long periods of time with the display, even the ads!

Where Innovation Belongs in User-Centered Design

by Traci Lepore    05/19/2011

A fantastic read by Truemper about ethnographic research and holistic design