Don't Panic Labs Reaction

Lab Reaction: Lessons from Apple and Nissan

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I have been thinking a lot lately about people’s reactions to the recent Apple announcements. The most common feedback I hear is the “OMG $1000 phone?!?!?”, but let’s save my thoughts on that for another day. When I read this Forbes article about Apple and Nissan, I reflected on why I appreciate these types of…

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Lab Reaction: #NoTDD

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This post is coauthored by Andy Unterseher. In his post titled “#NoTDD“, Eric Gunnerson of Microsoft laments the challenges surrounding TDD. He makes some very good points that demonstrate that TDD is not a silver bullet for most teams to achieve a high-quality design. The key failure outlined in the article is that dogmatic TDD…

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Lab Reaction: What UX Designers Can Learn From IKEA

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After designing interfaces for the last ten years, I’ve caught myself on many occasions forgetting there is a world of design outside the computer. It’s easy to stay deep in the inspiration of your industry. While it is good to keep up on developing trends, it’s also important to widen your vision and draw from…

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Lab Reaction:You’re Too Busy. You Need a ‘Shultz Hour.’

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I’ll admit that I’ve developed a pretty bad habit over the years. Instead of becoming less busy through the efficiencies afforded me by ever-improving technologies, I have instead used that technology to get more done. Or at least that’s what I tell myself. I make myself too busy. I take on more projects. I don’t…

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Lab Reaction: Why I Stopped Using Multiple Monitors

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I find that Cory’s main points are spot on and include what caused me to move to a single monitor. When I was hired here at Don’t Panic Labs, I was running two 24″ monitors and my laptop on the side. Whenever I received a notification, I would see it in my peripheral vision. Sometimes…

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Lab Reaction: Connected cows: An actually useful example of the Internet of Things (seriously)

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A minor confession that’ll probably not come as a surprise to those that know me best. I’m addicted to the odd and/or extraordinary ways people have chosen to use IoT implementations. So, when I saw a startup with the name of Moocall and that it was tagged under IoT, how could I possibly not love…

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Lab Reaction: If Social Media Makes You Feel Bad, Quit Using It

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I came across this article a few days ago, and in many ways it landed with me. Maybe that sounds funny coming from a person whose job revolves around social media, but I get it. There’s a lot out there to make us miserable. And it’s a time suck. And very little of it is…

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Lab Reaction: Coders Aren’t Assembly Line Workers

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When I first saw this article, I didn’t quite know what to make of it. I can see where many aspects of what we ask programmers to do is very much like an assembly line. I agree that part of the thing that I love about working in the technical industry is the sheer variety…

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Lab Reactions: Finding That Work/Life Balance

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Chris gives us a two-fer, reacting to a couple articles about that ever-elusive work/life balance. “I feel fortunate to work for a company that lets me work hard but also allows me to do so in ways that best play to my strengths. The old adage of ‘slow and steady wins the race’ really resonates…

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Lab Reactions: When U.S. Air Force Discovered The Flaw Of Averages

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Jarrod and Chris share their reactions to this article about the Air Force’s struggle to tailor redesigned cockpits to the “average” pilot.   Chris Apple says, “The most interesting thing that stood out to me is how eerily similar this is to issue resolution with non-technical partners. When presented a problem, everyone has developed a…

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