jcksn

I don’t know what it means to take a breath. It’s something I’m learning I need to do more often. A lot of family and friends are calling me to ask whats up. And, I’m realizing, I don’t talk to the people that live near me as much as I should – they have email, alas. There is some sort of bell curve shape to communication, with frequency and length of communication as variables. I’d draw a nice chart, If I had enough time. :)

So let’s recap and take a breath. January, I got engaged, to this really amazing woman. July, I married her. July 14th, I started a new job. The end of July we went to Hawaii. The middle of August I went to SF. September is already over and I feel like I’ve done nothing but glue my behind in a chair. October 4th I move into a new apartment (in Canton). The middle of October I leave for company business in another state. It’s good to be busy, but I’ve been far too busy.

After then, for everyone that I’ve been out of touch with, I promise we’ll spend more time together.

Richard Buckminster “Bucky” Fuller (July 12, 1895 – July 1, 1983) was an American architect, author, designer, futurist, inventor, and visionary. He was the second president of Mensa. He lends his name to a family of complex Carbon structures called Buckminsterfullerene also known as Bucky Balls.

[via Wikipedia]

The wikipedia article goes on to explain Bucky in great detail.

One of my favorite tidbits, is this: Ephemeralization is a term coined by R. Buckminster Fuller. It refers to the ability of people to use technological advances to continuously do more with less.

It sums up the ultimate goal: do more, with less. (Design, Money, Words, etc.)

Do you really need a “social media strategy?” Think about its meaning. What does it mean? We hear it a lot, but I think the phrase has come diluted and is now sprinkled about without much real heart behind it.

Is “social media strategy,” just an analog phrase for, “setting up a facebook page and a myspace profile?” Because, in the end, that’s usually what ends up happening.

I think there is a great disconnect between what “social media” actually means and how people are using the term: as an umbrella word for “Web 2.0″ (another analog for “sites built before after 2005 that utilize javascript and other underutilized development techniques“) community products.

What media isn’t social? Print, even, is a social medium. You print to spread words and ideas in hopes of creating interaction. So, why all this hype about “social media.”

eight6 makes things. Most of the time, we make web things. And, when it’s smart, we use communities and other marketing methods to help customers get their message out.

Not ever do we tell our customers they need a “social media strategy.” Because, the entire point of the web, is to communicate. Being social is inherent with the medium. We want to instill smart communication, not mindless socializing. Don’t get me wrong, we like to have fun, but we think there might be a better use of time than “biting chimps” on Facebook. We’re guessing most of our clients’ customers feel the same way.

The web has always been social. Collectively people are finally starting to realize that. The ease of communicating with other people online has increased since the start of the web, absolutely… but underneath it all, the web hasn’t changed much.

Being social is inherent to being on the web. Do smart things that help you build your brand and focus on your business. Don’t let someone tell you that you need an x account or a y profile just to be viable on the web. In fact, your business might be better not jumping on the bandwagon. At the very least, tread (extremely)carefully into the realm of “Web 2.0.”

Jeffrey started a very interesting conversation today. He said:

Content precedes design. Design in the absence of content is not design, it’s decoration.

[Zeldman.]

To me, design IS communication. It helps communicate ideas. It’s a supplement to content.

I find, the biggest problem when building anything, is the human urge to try and find, “the formula.”

As Zeldman noted in his comments: “content,” does not mean “having all the copy.”

Expanding on that: there is no guidebook or algorithim for 99% of the things you do in life, or 99% of the sites you design, but as humans we have a tendency to think there is one.

The real answer: do what works for your particular instance (whether that be a house, or a Web site). Practice makes perfect, and research makes practice (more) perfect. Conventions for everything exist, but a universal handbook does not.

I’ve learned to accept that great creations come from discovery and innovation, not a handbook or strict workflow. It would be easier if that weren’t true, which, I imagine, is why I perpetually see so many people searching for “the magic bullet.”

Next time you find yourself looking for a shortcut, algorithm, or “method to the madness”, stop, let go, and embrace the chaos; however hard it is to do so. Find your own way for each of your endeavors and revel in it.