As I’m sure is the case with many people in my field (interactive media), I constantly get the feeling that my skill set is quickly becoming obsolete. With every passing day it seems like new technologies emerge and there are people all over the world pushing the boundaries of interactivity to a new level. So how do you compete or even keep up with all of these new technologies? You don’t. You learn to evolve and adapt your skills to relevant situations and problems. And above all, you need to let go and realize that technology will change faster than you can handle.

Of course there are things that you should be keeping up with. These are the things that keep you relevant in the field, regardless of what your field may be.

1. Read up!
I am guilty of this myself, but I have found (for the most part) that designers don’t usually like to read. Our brains like the big pretty pictures and skip over the “fuzzy grey stuff” otherwise known as copy. Well, there’s no better way to keep current and relevant than to know what’s going on in your surroundings, and most of that information is acquired by reading. Whether it’s Wired’s latest issue or yesterday’s paper, having your focus shifted to something other than design might bring fresh new insight to your thinking process.

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For those of you who are keeping track (probably no one actually), I have uploaded the MD Portfolio Site v2 to FlashDen, and I think it’s pretty cool if I may say so myself! I have gone in and added multiple portfolios and a whole bunch of other goodies to make it one of my best pieces yet.

During the past couple of years, I’ve been focusing more and more on accessible design - especially in interactive media. I have become a big believer in design following function, and above all, letting usability dictate design as opposed to the other way around. All too often I find situations where usability in design has taken a back seat - and the result is not only unusable, but for the most part, it’s aesthetically challenged as well. Anyone who’s been around me or my design knows that I prefer a more classical style - almost Swiss International - so it should come as no surprise that I dislike much of the design that’s happening these days. With the mind-boggling return of the insanely appalling 80’s clothing - I have noticed other equally disturbing things trying to make a come-back (i.e. 80’s hair bands - and yes, I’m guilty). But what I don’t get is the obnoxious fluorescent colors and plain ugly graphics that seem to be popping up just about everywhere! Who is buying into this junk?

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Yes, I broke down and bought one - and I have to say, it is all that and a bag of chips. No, really. It has its quirks (most of which I expected, some of which came as a surprise to me), but when you take it all into account, the iPhone really is a revolutionary piece of hardware.

For an Apple 1st generation product, it’s surprisingly polished. Having been an Apple enthusiast for many years, I have come to expect 1st generation Apple products to be more like beta versions - so I had a pretty good idea of what I was getting into when I got the iPhone. But I have been pleasantly surprised at just how well it works - both hardware and software.

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