One year anniversary of petitinvention!
I started this blog on November 9th, 2007, so it’s just one year old. I really thank you all for your comments, pingbacks, interviews, features in magazines, etc. etc. I never thought it’d have this many readers and fans.
It was such a wonderful first year, but I just had by far the most exciting experience last week, which I’ll be able to let you know next year.
As I mention in the about page, I’m having my rough scribbles in my Moleskine rendered with 3D apps to show here. I think I’ve introduced roughly 30-50% of all the ideas in the book. Of 10 ideas I think of, about 3 are usable for this blog, 3 are too trivial and 4 too crazy to show. I hope there will be a chance to show the rest some time.
I’ve never had a chance to say this, but every time I make a new post, I feel ashamed when thinking about the great product designers out there. I respect them very much because they have far better concepts than I do and try really hard to commodify their ideas solving lots of real-world problems with developers and others from various fields. On the other hand, what I do is just dreaming of something and showing them in a blog. So I often think that they’ll just laugh my idea off as a joke or something.
Feeling ashamed, I always think of a question that I often hear ever since I graduated from university:
“How do you stop the water running from the holes on a bowl?”
That is a question as a metaphor of problem solving in many situations. When I was in a service industry, my boss back then reminded me of the question many times, but my answer was always the same. I almost never told the boss about my answer because I didn’t think it was a realistic one, but now I know it doesn’t have to be realistic.
What is your answer? There must be no right answer, but here’s mine.
“Put a magnet that attracts water above it.”
It can not only prevent the water from running away, but also move the water away from the holes (upwards). That might not be a perfect solution for a problem, but that’s the way I think about stuff. Happy-go-lucky, right? But that magnet is what I really want. Creating a magnet is so much fun for me and I believe it’s that kind of magnet that moves the world forward. I can live on that magnet.
Sorry about my poor English, but I hope it makes sense to you.
Well anyway, I appreciate your interest. I hope I’m getting better in many ways.
I just want to say that I have appreciated the concept of this site for some time. It is a great idea that surely many designers share yet never actually produce. I commend your efforts in maintaining it and very much enjoy your ideas. Sketching in 3D is something I very much want to get into the habit of and your site inspires me to do so.
Hi and congratulations!
It’s a nice way you express your methodology. And it is exactly what fascinates me about your ideas and concepts and inspires me.
You choose approaches beyond the obvious – amazingly they often turn out to be more obvious than established solutions once you get them. But that’s because they are radical and tend to leave the world of “what is” and enter the world of “what might be”. Which is a rare way of thinking.
Keep up with it! And if you allow me to say this: don’t put any designer or anyone else above you – nor below.
Cheers,
Robert
Hey there Mac,
Some people are dreamers, and some people work to turn those dreams into reality (“commodify” in your words), but both kinds of people are equally important. You keep dreaming, and the rest of us will work to make your dreams a reality.
Happy Birthday petitinvention!
-Josh
http://www.ENLIGHTEN3D.com
Hi, your work is really amazing. Contratulations for this first year. You shouldn’t feel ashamed nor hide anything, just express what you feel like expressing. Nobody will underestimate the work, you can teach a lot form your clear and fresh perspective and maybe, the conversations around your sketches can drive to better designs.
I hope someone gives you the opportunity to create your designs. I would be definitely interested in more than one of them!
Bests,
Miguel
The ideas you present are really interesting and innovative.
I am not really in the design world, but presenting your ideas to the public with such openness is something we really appreciate.
Thank you for sharing your ideas!
Hi Congratulations! Just 5 days ago i have my 2nd annyversary of my blog too! (www.teknologeek.net) and i understand you how it feels. Your website and your ideas are great, i have your blog in my blogroll since many months ago!. Cheers and continue with this great site!
1) Your English is excellent
2) Its geek porn! The stuff is awesome
3) Maybe write a post about how you do this awesome designs (Sorry if you already did one I’m new!).