the Design Experience Weblog Archive

Lou Rosenfeld picks up on the Long Tail idea and applies to to search results. He notices that few searches are very common, and there are a large number of less common results. Most often an information artchitect or someone else will optimize the results for those most popular queries. Let's not forget about the rest of the queries. What is missing in those unanalyzed queries and results. It makes sense to get the big picture about what your users are searching for. He says perhaps studying the search queries long tail would help use find hidden users and potential market segements, ongoing stable information needs, as opposed to fads, and learn about rising trends by analyzing the long tail over a period of time.

Sounds like its a good time to do interesting work with search. Luckily I am developing the next (or first in some cases) generation search engine for OpenACS. Adding best bets, and other cool search features is a little way off, but having good tools to look at past search queries, and what sort of results users got when they tried to search seems pretty valuable. Obviously the value depends on what type of site you are running, but overall users needs to find what they are looking for no matter what kind of site it is.

Scientific American: MIND had an issue on creativity. One of the sidebars detailed 4 steps to a creative mind-set. They include Wonderment, Motivation, Intellectual Courage, and Relaxation.

These steps are pretty obvious, but they are still good it keep in mind to help nuture your creativity. Of course, its easier to go get a 5-year-old and follow them around. In a pinch a 6, or 7-year-old can do. Even better if know an older child, or even an adult who still has curiosity.

Motivation is tied directly to curiosity, it basically means, if you are curious, you will go an learn as much as you can about what you are curious about, at least until you are full.

Intellectual Courage, or "thinking outside the box" or innovation is a great concept to keep in mind. This reminds me of my 7-year-old who came home from Camp Invention and told me about brainstorming, and how there are no bad ideas in brainstorming. I have to figure out a way to explain that you should think that way all the time, not get during "offcial brainstorming" sessions!

Relaxation, taking the time to daydream, and let your mind wander. Most people can tell you of a great idea they had in the shower, or just before falling asleep. You need to take a break and let you subconscious work on a problem and twist it around and compare it to the other bits lying around in your head. I think relaxation and clearing your head also ties into ideas like Getting Things Done, where you put all your tasks, and todos, and ideas someplace safe where you know they'll be when you need to refer to them. This keeps them out of your immediate thoughts and leaves room for good ideas.