IBM has a sneak peek at the changes XHTML 2.0 and the impact on today's web design standards. Backwards compatibility is gone, as are all presentation-related elements. I say bring it on - its about time we really separate style from content.

Boxes and Arrows just posted another interesting article that is sure to spark an active discussion... once you're able to post feedback to it without their server crashing, that is. Very ironic once you read the article and reflect upon server errors from a whimsical/delightful perspective...

Personally, I think the author has been watching a little too much MTV and not enough Discovery Channel. The technology gap between upper, middle and low-income America is gaping enough, not too mention the enormous technological disparity between developed and underdeveloped countries. It is highly unlikely that all technologies will ever be available to all people. As such, delight is going to be relative to the technology situation one is in. If you happen to live atop the technology mountain, you may certainly be more likely to find delight in the whimsical. However, you'll be the exception, as most people will live beneath you and find delight in the practical.

I'm no seer, but I suggest we stick to the fundamentals and continue to design user experiences that facilitate end user access to the information they need the most until such grandiose prognostications come to fruition. The key to successful web design isn't sophistication and whimsy, its simplicity. Until we begin finding that our users are calling for more whimsical delight in their interface experiences, the best way to serve them is to simply meet their needs.

If you are in the Information Architecture field, interested in or just plain curious about it, free up US $30 and buy Information Architecture for the World Wide Web. When it arrives, use co-author Peter Morville's syllabus as a guide while you read it. I am, and I can feel myself getting smarter.

I just made a few enhancements to the Photos section. Namely, the Collections sidebar has been updated to reflect all photo collections available for your viewing pleasure. I've also added a new collection containing 6 albums (40+ shots) taken during a recent adventure around New Zealand's majestic south island. Enjoy!

It's been a long time coming, but it's finally here - the co][nz.org Photo section. One caveat - I am still in the process of applying the finishing touches to this section (you know - cropping pictures, assembling photo albums, writing gallery/collection/album cataloging logic, etc.). As none of the work I have left to do is on the rocket science level, it should only be a few days until I'm finished. In the mean time, take a look at the pictures I took during a year in Australia.

I'm not sure when nor where I came across this statement (nor whom uttered it) but I've had it displayed somewhat prominently in my Outlook task list for well over a year now.

"Corporate websites can be appreciated as works of art, but aesthetic factors should complement and enhance utility, not substitute for or compromise utility."

Definitely words I try to live by.

Bombay Sapphire is running an interesting application/contest where you can create and submit your own martini glass for public review. If your entry is one of those chosen, you could win a limited edition Harry Gutfreund bar set. Not into martinis? Visit anyway - a number of artists/designers have created a gallery of their digital creations that you can peruse.