• The Persona Non Grata article is a gift. Really.
  And people accused me of being overwrought with my column?! Hmm. “And I will end this in the only way that seems appropriate. Harumph. “

• SoCal McDonald’s tries feng shui theme
  Menu is the same, of course.
• Starship Kimchi: A Bold Taste Goes Where It Has Never Gone Before
  Kimchi goes into space with a Korean astronaut. Formulated to resist cosmic radiation.

• interactions: Everybody’s Talkin’ At Me by Steve Portigal
  Teaser for my next interactions article

I’ll be teaching a one-day class on Design Research Methods on March 1, in Sunnyvale, CA. There’s a couple of spots still available, so if you want to contribute to a sell-out, it’s not too late!

You can see a longer version of my talk about improv and ethnography at the IDSA Southern Conference in Savannah, GA, March 6-8. See a previous talk here

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I’ll also be in Atlanta, en route to Savannah, and would love to meet up with people in that area to chat about the work we do and look for ways we might help you.

I’ll be giving a presentation called The Listener’s Journey at the Computer Market Analysis Group meeting at Intuit in Mountain View, CA, on March 13-14.

I will talk about international market research at the Silicon Valley American Marketing Association Morning Forum on March 18, in Burlingame, CA.

I will be giving a workshop on best practices in analysis and synthesis at the Second Annual eBay Visits Event on March 21, in San Jose, CA.

I will be giving a talk and hosting a workshop at a design research symposium at the College of Design at Arizona State University, April 11-13 in Tempe, AZ. I’ll be spending a day in Phoenix beforehand and would love to meet with people there explore ways we might be able to help your business.

Let me know if you’ll be at any of these events!

• It’s not easy being an edge-case
  Leisa on the user’s experience when a system’s design fails to take into account your very reasonable and personal circumstances. Also see comments by Steve.
• Apostrophes in Names Stir Lot O’ Trouble
  Even in 2008, software doesn’t accommodate those names; creating ridiculous hassle for travelers, voters, students, or anyone that has to “register” with a poorly designed system.
• AfriGadget: Simpsons Carvings from Kenya
  A small village in Kenya makes soapstone figures of The Simpsons characters. The carvings are available for online purchase. Most surprising is that they are an authorized licensee. (Thanks, Dan!)

I already described the ridiculous persona-encrusted collateral from Yahoo’s Search Marketing. This week I received a package from Microsoft (with an unnecessary piece of styrofoam in the box to protect their precious wire-bound book).

With tips from me – Search Master Steve

Search Master Steve? Good Lord!

I’m not sure whether Microsoft’s only-works-in-IE search marketing interface is worse than Yahoo’s. I guess it’s like asking if you’d rather have two fingers ripped off by an angry gorilla or have three fingers removed surgically. These products are not fun to use and the crap I’m getting in the mail from the Microhooligans is insulting.

Bolts replacing missing handles, Omogari, San Jose, CA, November 2007

• Sharper Than A Serpent’s Tooth: Sharper Image files for bankruptcy
  Solutions-that-don’t-work for problems-we-don’t-really-have.

Sink handle too close to wall, Tully’s, Kyoto, Japan, January 2008

Foot wear at the JR service counter, Tokyo, Japan, December 2007

• Sipahh – Milk Flavouring Straws
  “Tiny UniBeads inside the straws dissolve and turn white milk into a healthy and delicious snack that everyone can enjoy.” Sounds horrible, but maybe perfect for kids. Healthy, I’m not so sure UniBeads are good for you. Thanks, CPT!
• NBC proposes 52-week season: a massive frame shift may or may not lead to innovation
  Whether this will usher in real change is up for grabs, but this is a powerful frame that has defined much of the TV experience forever; it no longer makes sense for the way we live our lives and NBC is breaking the frame.