by Al Belote | May 31, 2009 | Uncategorized
A long, long time ago for a couple months I worked the grill at Howard Johnson’s on the Mass Pike near the Natick exit. I had the crazy idea that I could work the 11pm-7am shift and look for a “real” job during the day (this was just after college)....
by Al Belote | May 23, 2009 | design, photography
My Nikon F3 is the best camera ever. In fact it’s one of those things that has achieved the ststus of family member. After all it’s been through during 20 years of shooting it’s still solid and it’s never let me down. I’ve carried it up...
by Al Belote | May 18, 2009 | Uncategorized
Hardin, Illinois – I had breakfast here while the regulars talked about whether society or the individual is at fault in the case of bad behavior on the part of teens, and whether you should kill a beaver or an otter and skin and eat them when you’re...
by Al Belote | Mar 29, 2009 | Uncategorized
Maybe you’re a fan of oatmeal and you’ve seen the selections at the supermarket. Lots of Quaker (various kinds), some store brands, and this stuff called McCann’s Irish Oatmeal in the real tins. And you may have wondered, is it really worth $6.99 (or...
by Al Belote | Mar 28, 2009 | Uncategorized
Many years ago, when it first came out I saw the movie Tender Mercies, and thought it was very good, as many people did. What the heck did I know at that point though, barely being out of college and married not even a year? In other words, I had no real basis for...
by Al Belote | Oct 30, 2008 | design
What happens at zero? Any of us who live in an urban area are probably familiar with the crossing signals that give you a handy little countdown of how many seconds you have left as you cross the street. BUT, exactly what happens when the counting is done is a bit of...
by Al Belote | Aug 21, 2008 | design
Well, another summer is nearly spent and I haven’t posted anything since June 8th! I suppose that’s an indication that I’ve been both busy and having some good time off. So what can I quickly say of substance so this entry is worth reading? How about...
by Al Belote | Jun 8, 2008 | design
I opened up a new copy (June 2008) of Harvard Business Review (or actually, just looked at the cover where the articles are listed), and was thrilled to see an article, by Jeff Brown of IDEO, presenting one of my favorite subjects, DESIGN, as an essential factor in...
by Al Belote | Feb 22, 2008 | design, Uncategorized
Recent projects have brought the principles of User Expreience and Search Engine Optimization to the top of the list in my interactions with colleagues at work. Of course, those principles (and practice) are always at the top of my list. So the question often is, how...
by Al Belote | Feb 15, 2008 | design
Want to get your strategy and design right? Here’s a must read: “Mental Models: Aligning Design Strategy with Human Behavior” by Indi Young. I just bought the book yesterday (you get a PDF too if you buy it through the link above). Although I have...
