nine out of ten

Instead of a huge list of things to accomplish in 2009, I will try to wait and see what life brings to me in the next year. There is nothing to do with religion or mysticism, but with the ability of recognising that most of the things are beyond your control, especially when you take risks and get out of your comfort zone – and that’s exactly what I’ve been doing since I left my country and came to London to study. And it also doens’t mean that I will be passive and wait things to happen. I will surely continue to work hard to make the most of any opportunities that I have.

When 2008 started, I had a huge lists of  ‘to-do’s. I was nearly beginning my MA course with a mix of excitement and panic because I was in touch with so many new topics and subjects and also realising how ignorant I was about so many things. Lately, I found that the former sensation is fundamental for someone who wants to study hard and that the more you learn, the more you are aware of your ignorance. On May, when I was totally adapted to my academic routine, guess what, my classes finished! And until September, we were supposed to concentrate in our final projects. Well, I did it but must confess that I was totall histerical in my Degree Show.

A few days after my Degree Show, I was supposed to tick another item of my ‘to-do’ list. Since 2000, I had lived with an avascular necrosis in my both hips. Luckly, only the right one used to hurt and I knew that I needed to have my hip replaced to fix the problem. The main problem was choosing the ideal time to have the surgery because the protesis needs to be changed any 10-15 years  and I am only 31 – quite young for this operation. But well, since the pain was non-stop for a few months and that I managed to postpone the surgery for almost 8 years, I decided to have the hip replacement. No regrets, it was the best choice and I feel much better right now.

Maybe my MA final project and my operation were enough for year, but I still needed to write my dissertation after my surgery. Before the operation, I thought that it would be the perfect time because I had to rest and stay at home for a few weeks, but obviously I was crazy to think that way. After going through a big operation like I did, you need REAL rest, sleeping, relaxing and all the pain killers to keep you feeling good. It’s not the ideal time to think about the particularities of interaction design for mobile devices (my subject). Well, but with a great help from my husband Bernardo and from my wonderful friends, I did it! It was very hard and I almost gave up a few times, but I am glad that I could concentrate and get my dissertation done on time.

This post was in my mind for a few days and writing it makes me realise how many things I have accomplished in the last year. No regrets, there were all my choices based on my desires and goals for my life, but I have finished the year totally exhausted. It was probably too much and I can’t deny that I have a tendency to overdo things. That’s why it’s so important for me now to keep calm and wait to see how 2009 will present itself to me.

I have been so busy lately that I haven’t got any time to blog. I know that it’s a not a good enough excuse, but I will do my best now to keep this blog live! Quite a lot happened recently and there are some good news. First of all, I have finisehd and handed in my dissertation about the mobile user experience. It has been great to research on this topic and to write about it. So great that I will share with you the resources that helped me.

My application for a highly skilled visa migrant was approved!!! It means that I can work full time in the UK without the need of having a sponsor. I am now beginning to look for a job – which looks like a full-time job itself.

Also, my recovery from the hip surgery is going very well and I will probably be riding a bike soon!

I love simple things and I usually think simple ideas are the smartest ones. Slideshare is a good example. In times of sharing videos, photos and bookmarks, nothing more obvious than a place to share presentations. I really enjoy sharing and consuming content there and I can spend a lot of time browsing related presentations. It’s such a good idea!

Well, now that I have already declared my love for Slideshare, I want to talk about a specific presentation. Christina Wotdke tweeted (not sure if it’s already a verb) it earlier today and I was lucky to follow her link. “Aplication Interface Design”, by Garrett Dimon, has some fundamental tips to keep your design simple and successful nowadays. In adittion, one of my favourite quotes is in the presentation: “If everything is important, then nothing is”.

I have just got the following message from the IA Institute menbers list:

We are happy to announce that FatDUX is kindly offering three scholarships
for students to attend the IDEA Conference. These scholarships cover the
cost of attending the main conference.

Applicants need to be currently enrolled in an accredited academic
program, and must be members in good standing of the IA Institute. They
must also write a short paragraph describing how attending the IDEA
Conference would further their educational objectives.

Although this is short notice, if you know of any students who would
benefit from this opportunity, please urge them to apply. The deadline for
applications is 5:00pm ET on September 30, 2008. Winners will be selected
by a program committee of the IA Institute, and will be notified via email
by no later than October 3.

The IDEA Conference is October 7-8 at the Harold Washington Library Center
in the Chicago Loop.

Send your application to idea2008@iainstitute.org.

Thanks!

More information about the IDEA Conference

In the last weeks, the IA Institute members list has been on fire. Some people think that there should be an effort to figure out a definition for Information Architecture and there are some folks bored with the recurrency of the debate. I am not sure about which way to go because I can’t imagine a definition that could suit IA in so many different contexts and places. On the other hand, I believe this discussion can make us think about our practice and the evolution of the discipline.

According to the Polar Bear book, there are four possible definitions for IA:

- The structural design of shared information environments;
- The combination of organisation, labeling, search and navigation systems within websites and intranets;
- The art and science of shaping information products and experiences to support usability and findability;
- An emerging discipline and community of practice focused on bringing principals of design and architecture to the digital landscape.

There are also some interesting definitions in the email threads. Christina Wodtke talks about making rules for interactive systems as a current approach for IA. A rule would be reflected in an algorythim that tells the system how to behave in a particular situation. For example, if I have more than 5 friends in common with someone else on Facebook, this person will appear in the “people you may know” area (not sure if it’s true). I like this approach and I think it reflects a considerable part of my work as an IA.

For years, I have complained about the lack of good conferences and courses on UX. Last year, my talented friend Carol Leslie, decided to organise the first Brazilian IA Summit, in São Paulo. It was very successful, but I couldn’t go because I was moving to London. This year, she and her partner Guilhermo Reis will do it again! I won’t be able to go because I have many things to do in London right now, like recovering from my surgery, looking for a job and deciding where I am going to live in the next year. But I am very happy to know that the Brazilian IAs will gather to show their work and discuss IA matters.

The Brazilian IA Summit (EBAI – Encontro Brasileiro de Arquitetura de Informação) will happen on 17th and 18th October, in São Paulo. Visit the website (in Portuguese) for more information.

My life has changed a lot in the last 12 months. First of all, I came to London to take an MA in Design for Interactive Media. I had to adapt to a new city, a new country, a new language and learn how to live abroad without feeling miserable and homesick. Well, now I manage to listen to Bossa Nova with no suicidal thoughts. I miss my country, but I love London and want to stay here for a while.

But talking about changes again, my lifestyle in London is very different from the one I used to have in Rio. Here, I am a student, have lots of free time and not too much money. I don’t have a car, of course, because IMHO it doens’t make any sense to have a car in London. It means that I use public transport and walk far more than in Rio.

Since 2000, I have been coping with an avascular necrosis on my right hip. I have Lupus and have been taking steroids for a long time. The necrosis is a side effect of the medication and the only way to solve the problem is having a hip replacement.

I knew that already, but was trying to postpone it because the protesis must be changed each 10-15 years. I have done all kinds of physioterapy, Pilates and swimming to control the pain and for a long time I was OK. But after moving to London, it became very painful and I decided to have the operation.

It happened 12 days ago (September 12th) and I came home from hospital on Tuesday. It was quite difficult to make a decision about where to have the surgery, but I am very happy to get it done because I know it will improve my quality of life.

Now, with my new hip, I am back to my new blog

I needed a fresh new start. That’s why I have changed my blog, my URL and event the language! I haven’t been updating my ex-blog, Cortex, for a while, but now I feel that there is so much to write. In the last 12 months, I was a sutudent of the MA Design for Interactive Media, at Middlesex University. I have learned a lot, made friends, met people from all over the world and worked very hard. Today was the last day of my Degree Show and I feel sad because I am already missing my colleagues and I am sure that I will miss my student time a lot. But I really feel that this is the start of a new phase in my life, here in London or back in Rio – I don’t really know yet.