Create an interface like that of the Bulk Rename Utility. Why do I hate so much of the software on the Windows platform? Bulk Rename Utility says it all with a single screenshot. Thanks guys for the succinct visual of that which I struggle to verbalize.
Hat tip to Gruber (Daring Fireball).

Posted in Rants, eLearning Design 1 Comment »

For years I dreamed of a fitness program that would hold my hand without charging an hourly fee. That would walk me through a workout without making me camp in front of the TV or computer. That would help me track my progress without forcing me to use that annoying spreadsheet application (while [...]

Posted in Apple, eLearning Design, eLearning Hall of Fame No Comments »

I’ve read a lot of computer training books in my time, most of which I’ve gotten through about a third before giving up. Dry, boring, completely uncompelling (hey, just like most eLearning!). I don’t consider myself particularly dense (perhaps I am, but am too dense to realize it?), but I think I’ve always [...]

Posted in Books, eLearning Design 3 Comments »

I have to say, I’m a sucker for a beautiful font. And there are plenty of them out there. But it’s often hard to find one that hits the sweet spot. In my case, something new, but old. Modern, yet classic. Cutting edge, yet comfortably familiar. Something that catches [...]

Posted in Presentations, Things I Love, eLearning Design No Comments »

Like many other tech nerds, I awaited Google’s announcement of its first Android-based device yesterday with bated breath. Alas, like many other tech nerds, I was ultimately disappointed with what I saw.
Without a doubt, the mobile device user has been abused for years by poorly-designed and implemented operating systems that seemed to delight in [...]

Posted in Apple, Presentations, Rants, eLearning Design 6 Comments »

Anyone who has ever taken an eLearning course or watched a PowerPoint presentation (i.e. all of us) knows that the effective use of color is not a common human ability. Based on countless cans of unused interior house paint I have chosen with much deliberation, only to become horrified once I actually put the [...]

Posted in Adobe, Presentations, eLearning Design, eLearning Development Tools 1 Comment »

The debate rages whether Apple’s iPhone is as revolutionary a device as Apple claims it to be – with certain feature omissions (copy/paste and MMS being the two most-often mentioned) providing plenty of fuel for criticism.
Less open to debate is the point that the iPhone offers what is probably the most beautiful user interface on [...]

Posted in Apple, Presentations, Rants, eLearning Design 7 Comments »

I strongly believe that good presentation design and understanding good eLearning design are two sides of the same coin. If you’re horrible at one, you’ll probably fail at the other. And if you have a firm grasp on one, you’ll probably excel at the other. Sure, there are some technical differences between [...]

Posted in Presentations, eLearning Design No Comments »

Recently I’ve been pushing our organization to focus on nurturing more in-house eLearning development skill versus frequently relying on outside vendors who give us mundane eLearning at outrageous prices. “We can do far better for far less!” I wail. Fortunately, my cries are finally being heard, and we now seem to be heading [...]

Posted in Rants, eLearning Design 3 Comments »

Clearleft has just announced a new software usability testing application for Mac called Silverback. Silverback uses the built-in camera found on most current Mac models to record video and audio of your user while simultaneously capturing screen activity. There’s a free 30-day trial, and the app costs a mere $49.95. Which, in [...]

Posted in Apple, eLearning Design, eLearning Development Tools 2 Comments »