Good Idea Friday - One real world idea whose time I think has come

Today: May 5th, 2013.

Idea: Instead of providing insurance rebate, provide auto credit for good driving.

Most insurance companies have deep tie-ins with automotive companies. They are integrated into the sales cycle, and provide no-cash facility for service. In the event that you make no claim for a year, they are willing to renew your insurance for a discount. All is good.

However, why not turn this around with a bit of ingenuity? Instead of providing a discount on my insurance payment, offer a slightly larger credit with the automotive dealership. This credit should be applicable to spares, service charges, and even labor costs. It wouldn't be too difficult to bring this in within the existing system and I think it will influence a couple of things:

1. The insurance discount is often viewed as savings, and not a reward - people don't necessarily work for it. With this system, I think people will work to earn that reward at the end of the year - hopefully, creating safer drivers.  
2. With a credit available with the auto companies, their revenues will go up. The delta increase in the reward should easily be covered by the raise in the revenue.
3. Now that the drivers have credit, they will be free to spend that on the upkeep of the car - maybe pay for a service, or upgrade their audio system, or a touch up job to get rid of all those scratches, or a broken taillight. The driver feels more 'rewarded'; happier now that their automobile is 'fixed' or 'upgraded'
4. Some of that money will go into getting a service for the car - maybe... just maybe creating a safer car on the road?

Here is how I envision it to work:

• Level 1: You start with X credits at the beginning of an insurance period. Every accident, traffic violation, and 'irresponsible insurance behavior' gets points out of that X credits. At the end of the insurance period, you get credit at the dealership of your choice.
• Level 2: As you stay with the insurance company for long, you will also be eligible for additional points - so loyalty with the insurance company is built over time.
• Level 3: If you manage to empty the points over an insurance period, you are moved into a higher-risk category. This means additional premium. 
• Level 4: Since there are multiple service centers with whom you can choose to have credit, they can extend discounts (and additional credit) to build loyalty with customer. Also, since the customer might get most of their service 'free' they might be able to sell more of the 'premium service' options (engine flush, interior cleaning services etc.)

So... This is my idea for this Friday - what do you think? :)

Let me know.

Designing Organic Learning

I have always had a problem with the 'learning system'. This stems from one main source - our learning theories always address the learning need at an individual level, how 'a' person learns. However, our learning solutions try to address learning groups - we simply apply the precepts (from the learning theory) of one individual to the whole group. 

This, I feel, is wrong at so many levels - the (learning) dynamics of the group will usually not apply (usually) to an individual. On the other hand, taking a generic 'group' dynamics approach (which we usually do) - we reduce the overall efficacy of learning.

This stuff has been discussed/debated/rued at length by many an ID – and so let us not go there for now.

In essence when we sell eLearning solutions as ‘custom learning solutions’ – we deduce a commonality for the group/organization, take a favored ID theory/methodology/model and customize it for the group. This is believe, causes a very weak, rigid and unusable learning system. I have yet to see/hear of a learning system that really works as it is meant to do. The ‘losses in transmission’ have become too much of a dead weight – and I think we need to look at other means of creating a learning system.

A Learning System

Before I go ahead – let me put in my definition of a learning system. A learning system is a manifestation of a learning solution and will include infrastructure, courseware, curriculum, architecture and a delivery (of learning) mechanism.

To put in ‘English’ – this is where one would ‘go’ to fulfill a learning need.

Customization of Learning

We have been selling the concept of customization of learning (especially in eLearning) for quite some time now. However, what we are offering is only the customization of the delivery mechanism – or at the very best, customization in the interactivity levels of a course. I firmly believe that this is not true customization. As ‘Learning Designers’ we need to think of the learner – how do we customize a learning experience? How to we allow for choice in choosing how one wants to learn.

To put this in more layman terms – what we are doing right now is akin to a fashion designer offering a dress in five different sizes. I am suggesting that we think of the learner and offer the learner 5 different dresses! Now – would that not be more useful?

The field of learning design (and development) essentially borrowed a LOT from the field of software design (and development) – we see a whole lot of similar terms which have been tweaked to suit our specific requirements; ADDIE, FRC, Waterfall Development, Alpha–Beta–Gold et al. This was fantastic even ten years ago. However, the field of software development itself has left much of these methodologies behind – and has adopted newer techniques. I think we need to take a look at how we offer learning solutions. It is not a matter of playing ‘keep up’ with the erstwhile field – but to finally come into our own as an industry.

Innovation in Learning

 One of the things that I have noticed is that somehow, we tend to be very innovative in adopting a technology – we adopted mobiles, second life, virtual/augmented reality, apple devices, et al. We have a need to be the ‘cutting edge’ in learning design. However, my point is that these are delivery mechanisms – yes, they do influence the users experience, but they do not particularly influence the learning itself. We are still using learning methodologies framed from a different era.

Studies have shown that in the digital age, we have evolved the way we process and store information (and hence learn) – technically, this means that most of our learning theories by themselves don’t hold much water now. However, they are based on common sense – and hence still continue to work.

In recent times, we have heard of ‘Connectivism’ – but even that has not yet become main stream. I am not sure how many professionals have heard of it, are planning to implement it – or even have an idea of how to take it from a theory and evolve it into a methodology and then into a model.

I think it is time to accelerate our paradigms of learning systems... We need to go beyond what we have... We need to go beyond offering customizable delivery options... and verily offer custom learning options.

I believe it is now the time to think about organic learning systems... Allow me to explain...

The Organic Learning System 

I define an Organic Learning System as a system which should be able to tune a unique learning experience for the learner – allowing them to choose their pace, learning style and delivery preference. It should allow a list of configurable items that will help the learner learn - not just in terms of content... but in terms of learning experiences.

So what does this mean?

Multiple Modes of Delivery

The system should allow for multiple modes of delivery. This is the first level of customization - web, mobile, touch-based, system independent learning. Identify multiple means of delivery; the learner should be able to access content truly on demand: from within an ERP system at work, at home just before bed, or while travelling to work.

Delivery of ‘Parts’ of Courses

They should be able choose to learn one part of the course online, learn about the nuances of  the system as a podcast, and have small stick-it notes on their desk that give them critical tips and tricks. They should be able to take a print out of a part of the course – and keep another part in their mails (for access on the move: one source of content that modulates to ‘output’ (in real time) to multiple delivery mechanisms.

Customizable Curriculum

The learner should be able to choose content based on requirement. Place content into discrete chunks - allocate what is ‘critical’ to be learnt by the learner. However, But allow them to grow beyond 'allocation'. Allow them to decide how and when they want to learn. This means that we would need to define the objectives at the entrance of the learning system, allocate a ‘bare minimum’ learning requirement, and let the learner into the system. Testing will be done at the exit of the curriculum – or better still, at the entrance into a performance system and not at the end of a courseware. Enforce a curriculum not by means of testing, but by creating a pull towards curriculum completion.

Organic Curriculum

The curriculum (and the learning system) should evolve regularly. It should not be a ‘go-live’ system, but one that grows with the requirements of the learner base. Do not 'freeze' the curriculum (or the design) – instead develop a phase-wise implementation to start with. Develop a good chunk of content up front, but be prepared to grow the curriculum. As an experience, the learner should see the 'newness' of the learning space – much like new movies releasing every Friday.

Feedback in to the System

One of the things, I believe, makes for good learning is when the learner feels a sense of ownership and oneness with the learning system. To this end, the learner should be able to feedback into the system; this means they should be able to generate new content, discuss older content with other learners (and course owners, make notes, ask questions, extract bits of content, manipulate it to suit their requirements and more.

Non-centralized Content Development

Though I am a strong advocate of there being a centralized source of content development ‘official content’, I also believe that there should be alternative content that is developed from the fringes of the learning network. In this day and age, the people ‘at the ground’ have a better handle of tacit knowledge of the performance system – they should be allowed to push this into the learning system. The learning system on the other hand should welcome such content – and incentivize such content development. Imagine if you will; the kind of information that an upstream system administrator in the O&G domain will have to share with the learning network.

Respect for the Learner

This is the most important aspect of any learning design – respect the learners, their requirements, their abilities and more. They are intelligent adults, who should be given choices – and the freedom to learn. The learning system should respect this freedom and should be designed to allow the learner to exercise their freedom at any cost. Technology should be an enabler and not a hindrance to such systems.

This is definitely not an exhaustive list – this is the result of a frenetic session in a very boring flight. Please do let me know your thoughts, and also, if this should/can be taken to the next level. I am always game for something interesting!

Love,

-A 

Posted via email from Learning Design

Designing Organic Learning

I have always had a problem with the 'learning system'. This stems from one main source - our learning theories always address the learning need at an individual level, how 'a' person learns. However, our learning solutions try to address learning groups - we simply apply the precepts (from the learning theory) of one individual to the whole group. 

This, I feel, is wrong at so many levels - the (learning) dynamics of the group will usually not apply (usually) to an individual. On the other hand, taking a generic 'group' dynamics approach (which we usually do) - we reduce the overall efficacy of learning.

This stuff has been discussed/debated/rued at length by many an ID – and so let us not go there for now.

In essence when we sell eLearning solutions as ‘custom learning solutions’ – we deduce a commonality for the group/organization, take a favored ID theory/methodology/model and customize it for the group. This is believe, causes a very weak, rigid and unusable learning system. I have yet to see/hear of a learning system that really works as it is meant to do. The ‘losses in transmission’ have become too much of a dead weight – and I think we need to look at other means of creating a learning system.

A Learning System

Before I go ahead – let me put in my definition of a learning system. A learning system is a manifestation of a learning solution and will include infrastructure, courseware, curriculum, architecture and a delivery (of learning) mechanism.

To put in ‘English’ – this is where one would ‘go’ to fulfill a learning need.

Customization of Learning

We have been selling the concept of customization of learning (especially in eLearning) for quite some time now. However, what we are offering is only the customization of the delivery mechanism – or at the very best, customization in the interactivity levels of a course. I firmly believe that this is not true customization. As ‘Learning Designers’ we need to think of the learner – how do we customize a learning experience? How to we allow for choice in choosing how one wants to learn.

To put this in more layman terms – what we are doing right now is akin to a fashion designer offering a dress in five different sizes. I am suggesting that we think of the learner and offer the learner 5 different dresses! Now – would that not be more useful?

The field of learning design (and development) essentially borrowed a LOT from the field of software design (and development) – we see a whole lot of similar terms which have been tweaked to suit our specific requirements; ADDIE, FRC, Waterfall Development, Alpha–Beta–Gold et al. This was fantastic even ten years ago. However, the field of software development itself has left much of these methodologies behind – and has adopted newer techniques. I think we need to take a look at how we offer learning solutions. It is not a matter of playing ‘keep up’ with the erstwhile field – but to finally come into our own as an industry.

Innovation in Learning

 One of the things that I have noticed is that somehow, we tend to be very innovative in adopting a technology – we adopted mobiles, second life, virtual/augmented reality, apple devices, et al. We have a need to be the ‘cutting edge’ in learning design. However, my point is that these are delivery mechanisms – yes, they do influence the users experience, but they do not particularly influence the learning itself. We are still using learning methodologies framed from a different era.

Studies have shown that in the digital age, we have evolved the way we process and store information (and hence learn) – technically, this means that most of our learning theories by themselves don’t hold much water now. However, they are based on common sense – and hence still continue to work.

In recent times, we have heard of ‘Connectivism’ – but even that has not yet become main stream. I am not sure how many professionals have heard of it, are planning to implement it – or even have an idea of how to take it from a theory and evolve it into a methodology and then into a model.

I think it is time to accelerate our paradigms of learning systems... We need to go beyond what we have... We need to go beyond offering customizable delivery options... and verily offer custom learning options.

I believe it is now the time to think about organic learning systems... Allow me to explain...

The Organic Learning System 

I define an Organic Learning System as a system which should be able to tune a unique learning experience for the learner – allowing them to choose their pace, learning style and delivery preference. It should allow a list of configurable items that will help the learner learn - not just in terms of content... but in terms of learning experiences.

So what does this mean?

Multiple Modes of Delivery

The system should allow for multiple modes of delivery. This is the first level of customization - web, mobile, touch-based, system independent learning. Identify multiple means of delivery; the learner should be able to access content truly on demand: from within an ERP system at work, at home just before bed, or while travelling to work.

Delivery of ‘Parts’ of Courses

They should be able choose to learn one part of the course online, learn about the nuances of  the system as a podcast, and have small stick-it notes on their desk that give them critical tips and tricks. They should be able to take a print out of a part of the course – and keep another part in their mails (for access on the move: one source of content that modulates to ‘output’ (in real time) to multiple delivery mechanisms.

Customizable Curriculum

The learner should be able to choose content based on requirement. Place content into discrete chunks - allocate what is ‘critical’ to be learnt by the learner. However, But allow them to grow beyond 'allocation'. Allow them to decide how and when they want to learn. This means that we would need to define the objectives at the entrance of the learning system, allocate a ‘bare minimum’ learning requirement, and let the learner into the system. Testing will be done at the exit of the curriculum – or better still, at the entrance into a performance system and not at the end of a courseware. Enforce a curriculum not by means of testing, but by creating a pull towards curriculum completion.

Organic Curriculum

The curriculum (and the learning system) should evolve regularly. It should not be a ‘go-live’ system, but one that grows with the requirements of the learner base. Do not 'freeze' the curriculum (or the design) – instead develop a phase-wise implementation to start with. Develop a good chunk of content up front, but be prepared to grow the curriculum. As an experience, the learner should see the 'newness' of the learning space – much like new mo

vies releasing every Friday.

Feedback in to the System

One of the things, I believe, makes for good learning is when the learner feels a sense of ownership and oneness with the learning system. To this end, the learner should be able to feedback into the system; this means they should be able to generate new content, discuss older content with other learners (and course owners, make notes, ask questions, extract bits of content, manipulate it to suit their requirements and more.

Non-centralized Content Development

Though I am a strong advocate of there being a centralized source of content development ‘official content’, I also believe that there should be alternative content that is developed from the fringes of the learning network. In this day and age, the people ‘at the ground’ have a better handle of tacit knowledge of the performance system – they should be allowed to push this into the learning system. The learning system on the other hand should welcome such content – and incentivize such content development. Imagine if you will; the kind of information that an upstream system administrator in the O&G domain will have to share with the learning network.

Respect for the Learner

This is the most important aspect of any learning design – respect the learners, their requirements, their abilities and more. They are intelligent adults, who should be given choices – and the freedom to learn. The learning system should respect this freedom and should be designed to allow the learner to exercise their freedom at any cost. Technology should be an enabler and not a hindrance to such systems.

This is definitely not an exhaustive list – this is the result of a frenetic session in a very boring flight. Please do let me know your thoughts, and also, if this should/can be taken to the next level. I am always game for something interesting!

Love,

-A 

Posted via email from Learning Design

Designing Organic Learning

I have always had a problem with the 'learning system'. Our learning theories talk about an individual learning style, while our learning solutions try to address learning groups - we simply apply the precepts of one to the whole. In essence when we sell eLearning solutions as custom learning solutions - we are merely customizing it for the group, and not for the system. I have a problem with that now.
Why are we not building (or even designing) learning experiences for the individual? We seem perfectly capable of doing it in other fields... Dining or fashion for example...
I think it is time to accelerate our paradigms of learning systems... We need to go beyond what we have... We even need to go beyond offering customizable options...
I believe it is now the time to think about organic learning systems.. Allow me to explain...

The Organic Learning System
An organic learning system should be able to tune a learning experience for the learner allowing to learn at their pace, style and liking. It should allow a list of configurable items that will help the learner learn - not just in terms of content... But learning experiences.
So what does this mean?
• The system should allow for multiple modes of delivery. This is the first level of customization - web, mobile, touch-based, system independent learning. Identify multiple means of delivery, the learner should be able to access content truly on demand... From within an ERP system at work... At home just before bed... Traveling to work as a Podcast talking about the nuances... Via Audio, video or text...
• The learner should be able to choose content based on requirement. Place content into discrete chunks - allocate what is required to a learner... But allow them to grow beyond 'allocation'. Allow them to decide how and when they want to learn... Enforce a curriculum not by means of testing, but by creating a pull towards curriculum completion.
• Dont 'freeze' the curriculum (or the design). Develop a phase wise implementation - develop a good chunk of content up beginning but be prepared to grow the curriculum. The learner should see the 'newness' of the learning space - much like new movies every Friday.
• The learner should be able to feedback into the system, generate new content, discuss older content, make notes, place bookmarks, extract bits of content, manipulate it... Interact with the learning system.
• Though there should be a centralized source of content, develop avenues of alternate content coming into place.
• Test not at the end of courses but at the exit of the learning system or the entrance of the performance system. This ensures that irrespective of the learning method, everyone has a benchmark of assessment/ performance... These assessments should be based on objectives stated at the entrance to the learning system (not the course). This places the onus on the learner to learn... Not the course...
•
I have always had a problem with the 'learning system'. Our learning theories talk about an individual learning style, while our learning solutions try to address learning groups - we simply apply the precepts of one to the whole. In essence when we sell eLearning solutions as custom learning solutions - we are merely customizing it for the group, and not for the system. I have a problem with that now.
Why are we not building (or even designing) learning experiences for the individual? We seem perfectly capable of doing it in other fields... Dining or fashion for example...

I believe it is now the time to think about organic learning systems.. Allow me to explain...

The Organic Learning System
An organic learning system should be able to tune a learning experience for the learner allowing to learn at their pace, style and liking. It should allow a list of configurable items that will help the learner learn.
So what does this mean?
• The system should allow for multiple modes of delivery. This is the first level of customization - web, mobile, touch-based, system independent learning. Identify multiple means of delivery, the learner should be able to access content truly on demand... From within an ERP system at work... At home just before bed... Traveling to work as a Podcast talking about the nuances... Via Audio, video or text...
• The learner should be able to choose content based on requirement. Place content into discrete chunks - allocate what is required to a learner... But allow them to grow beyond 'allocation'. Allow them to decide how and when they want to learn... Enforce a curriculum not by means of testing, but by creating a pull towards curriculum completion.
• Dont 'freeze' the curriculum (or the design). Develop a phase wise implementation - we've borrowed a lot from the software development process
I have always had a problem with the 'learning system'. Our learning theories talk about an individual learning style, while our learning solutions try to address learning groups - we simply apply the precepts of one to the whole. In essence when we sell eLearning solutions as custom learning solutions - we are merely customizing it for the group, and not for the system. I have a problem with that now.
Why are we not building (or even designing) learning experiences for the individual? We seem perfectly capable of doing it in other fields... Dining or fashion for example...

I believe it is now the time to think about organic learning systems.. Allow me to explain...

The Organic Learning System
An organic learning system should be able to tune a learning experience for the learner allowing to learn at their pace, style and liking. It should allow a list of configurable items that will help the learner learn.
So what does this mean?
• The system should allow for multiple modes of delivery. This is the first level of customization - web, mobile, touch-based, system independent learning. Identify multiple means of delivery, the learner should be able to access content truly on demand... From within an ERP system at work... At home just before bed... Traveling to work as a Podcast talking about the nuances... Via Audio, video or text...
• The learner should be able to choose content based on requirement. Place content into discrete chunks - allocate what is required to a learner... But allow them to grow beyond 'allocation'. Allow them to decide how and when they want to learn... Enforce a curriculum not by means of testing, but by creating a pull towards curriculum completion.
• Dont 'freeze' the curriculum (or the design). Develop a phase wise implementation - we've borrowed a lot from the software development process

Posted via email from Learning Design

IF...

Ohh My GOD...!

I remember reading this poem a loong loong time ago... around the time i discovered 'The Jungle Book' and its creator Rudyard Kilping... I remeber being wowed by it...

I stumbled uopn this poem years later... and now... I am absolutely floored by it... I even gor a video naration of the poem (Only wish he had done the ending a little differnet though)

The poem then...

IF

By Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
' Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

The Video Here

Mumbai... The place to be...!

Technorati Tags: Mumbai,city,bangalore,hyderabad,life,living

An old line from a Javed Jaffery song... Mum-bhai!

Mumbai has long since been the city of dreams in India... a city that has been the epicenter of all 'happening'... A city which has been described with such passion that few other cities have managed to gather... a city - where the denizens are passionate in their cry of 'Amchi Mumbai'...

Friends from Mumbai are passionate about their city... this seems to be a common thread amongst all of them... I always wondered what it was that the city had that set it off from other cities... what was the sprit of Mumbai...?

I have lived in Hyderabad and Bangalore and consider myself to be part Bangalorean and part Hyderabadi... these cities are close to my heart... but a few days ago - when I set foot in Mumbai, I think I realized what it was that made Mumbai...

Mumbai is organic... it is a mixture of extremes... everything in Mumbai is '0' or '1'... there is no in-between... it is the mixture of these 0s and 1s that gives the illusion of flavors...

Let me explain...

The extremes... people are caring... people don't give a Damn... There is a slum right next to a set of 5 star hotels... people in Audis try to squeeze past the auto rickshaws... regardless of your CTC - the trains are a good way to travel... It is Hot... it is Cold... It is crowded... it has open spaces... It is cunning... it is innocent... It is gross... it is beautiful... it is busy... it is relaxed... it has finance... it has dreams...

In Mumbai you have to micro-belong... you HAVE to have an affiliation... you have to belong either to the audi club or the rickshaw club.. you have to belong to the vada-pau club or the Hyaat club... but you have to belong to these clubs... it is the permutations and combinations that provides the flavor...

It is these permutations and combinations that makes each Mumbai-ite unique yet similar in spirit to each other... each of them is a different set of characteristics... but because of the complexities.. they are bound together in the complexities... Bound together by the sprit of being Mumbai-ites...

Life is living in Mumbai...

Mumbai is organic... You cannot afford to ignore Mumbai while in Mumbai... You are 'wakif' with the city as long as you are there... It demands that of you...

In Bangalore... you can live in Jayanagar and work at ITPL travel 30-40 Kms on a daily basis and never be affected by what happens in... say, R.T Nagar... Hell you might never even know where the hell R.T Nagar is...!

In Hyderabad... well it is a little more complex there... you are familiar with areas there... the area where you grew up... the area where you went to college... the area where you haunt the food joints... you know the pulse of these areas... the rest of it disappears off the map... they don't much exist for you... and sometimes when you visit a new area - it is a very foreign experience.

Mumbai I felt the urge to belong... and yet to stand aloof...

Baz Luhrmann in his 'Sunscreen' urges "... Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft..."

Mumbai is both... live in Mumbai... but keep a watch out for your soul... if it flies free in the diversity of its experiences... stay... else you will never leave...

Love

-A

The Sound of Thunder

I travel a long distance to work... I am thinking a LOT of random thoughts on the way... 

Scene... Bangalore in the morning... riding my gorgeous bike to work... traffic lights... Bangalore has a pretty long wait time at some signals... 2-3 minutes... and since there is pretty much nothing to do at that time... the devil comes out to play...

I ride a 500cc Enfield Machismo to work.. and though this machine is muted compared to other (earlier) bikes from the same stable... it is pretty loud compared to a lot of the plastic stuff out there... Advantage One...

Standing in a traffic light... eveyone has their vehicles on idiling... and are driving/riding to work almost on auto-pilot... I doscovered one thing... the collective energy levels of the crowd at the signal is a function of the noise levels... the more the noise... the more the activity (energy)..

so... I tried a small activity... everyone is on Idle... and suddenly... out of nowhere... I raise my machine and let her roar a litte... almost immediately... bikes and cars rush into action... bikes budge forward to fill up spaces... cars inch ahead trying to get ahead... I just stand there watching... then they realise it was a false alarm and get back to they sedentary poses.... 

I tried this at various junctions and at all times of the day/night... it works EVERYTIME... Without fail...

What could this mean? why this collective behaviour? Why does this happen?

I have a few thoughts...

One... people dont really want to drive (or drive in bangalore) and are looking to disengage at every chance they can get... traffic signals create that oppurtunity... what does this mean? people are not alert at signals... and immeditely when they start off from signals... they are liable to not be completly aware...

Two... as a UX (User Experience)... traffic signals are tedious... they dont meet unsaid needs of the users... they are bad design... Traffic Signals were originally meant to be short stop solutions to clearing traffic... they were never intended to be an experince like this... We should look at redesigning the traffic signal experience... and immediately...

Three...vehicles were initially designed to move... they were designed to be be means of transport... they were designed to be in motion... then somewhere down the line.. they were also designed to look good standing...  but look at it this way... who designed them to be at traffic lights? NO ONE!... they are just NOT designed to be running (engine) and standing at a signal with riders/drivers on/in them...! I think automotive designers need to rethink this as a paradim in automotive design... any takers?

Lastly... entertainment systems need to be deigned to fill this gap... I think design has become feature oriented and not purpose oriented... rethink this peoples!!! design should ALWAYS be purpose oriented...

Cheers!!!

-A

WE ARE FRIENDS... WITHOUT FACES

I received this as a forward from a  (without face) friend and thought it was so true..

So to all ye reading my blog... this one is for you.

 
We sit and we type, and we stare at our screens,
We all have to wonder, what this possibly means.
 
With our mouse we roam, through the rooms in a maze,
Looking for something or someone, as we sit in a daze.
 
We chat with each other, we type all our woes,
Small groups we do form, and gang up on our foes.
 
We wait for somebody, to type out our name,
We want recognition, but it is always the same.
 
We give kisses and hugs, and sometimes flirt,
In IMs we chat deeply, and reveal why we hurt.
 
We do form friendships - but - why we don't know,
But some of these friendships, will flourish and grow.
 
Why is it on screen, we can be so bold,
Telling our secrets, that have never been told.
 
Why is it we share, the thoughts in our mind,
With those we can't see, as though we were blind.
 
The answer is simple, it is as clear as a bell.
We all have our problems, and need someone to tell.
 
We can't tell "real" people, but tell someone we must,
So we turn to the 'puter, and to those we can trust.
 
Even though it is crazy, the truth still remains,
They are Friends Without Faces, and odd little names

Update - Apparently this is a poem by Thomas Teague -thanks @punkpolkadots

Happy New Year...!!!

And so... we have begun a new year... wow... another one!? really!? :O

2008 was a weird year to say the least... one of the most 'happening' years so to speak... in retrospect of course...

While it was still on... it seemed to be particularly boring... but somehow... somewhere things were continiously happening... and in hindsight... I seem to have had a pretty interesting year...

Do you feel that too?

What does this tell us? many things... but one thing that screems itself loud and clear is to never underestimate Gaea... she has something or the other up hew sleev... and without your expecting... without your knowing... Boom! it is already done... :)

So... 2009... here you are you beautiful babe... come with me dhalin... we have loads to do...!!!

Happy new year folks... keep well... GodSpeed :)

WooHoo!! Here is the new-look ME!!

Well Junta... here it is... the new look me...!

Well atleast with a new - shorter hair cut :)

Why I did it...? I have no answer... I just got up one fine morning and said... what the hell! lets get it cut...

The entire thing took less than 15 minutes...

Seven years of long hair... and 15 minutes was all it took to become but just memories...

But... Am Happy... :)

Love

-Abhi