Please indulge me for the customary end-of-year contemplation.

Evidence that, despite my scepticism, there’s something in this technology-as-behaviour-change-catalyst argument.

Peter Merholz’s rant is bold, uncomfortable and dogmatic, as all rants should be. I’d like to make a more reasoned case for the offense.

Several weeks ago, I opened a late-night email from Livia Labate, the IA Summit conference chair. I responded with blinking disbelief, the sort you get upon learning you were raised by wolves.

UX Storytellers, World Usability Day, UX London and SXSW. Acronyms ahoy.

I’m hardly a design dogmatist, but it’s time for an exception. All around the web, hover states are being abused, and only you can put a stop to this.

Yes, it is a limited beast. But the reading experience is superb, and this is why the Kindle is an excellent device.

At last, the book’s rolled off the printers and is in stock at all good online bookshops.

If a tree falls in an uninhabited digital forest, does it play a sound file?

Sadly my travel plans fell through, but you should definitely take a peek at this intriguing conference taking in New York this November.

No politics, no bullshit, just a chance to do the best work of your life.

I’d be delighted to never again hear of Predictably Sticky Nudge Swans – but that’s not the fault of an entertaining and promising conference.

The UX industry is becoming polluted by dilettantism. It’s no surprise then that people are attacking the field.

Volunteering my services to the British UX community.

Looking back at the process, tools, experiences and lessons of writing my first book, Undercover User Experience Design.

Announcing our new training course on Friday 8 October.

The annual grovel.

Writing is a jealous lover. Every hour I’m apart from her, she saddles me with guilt.

The eleventh IA Summit found strength in reconciliation, but the spirit of free speech still ran strong.

I’m worried about persuasion design. Although it’s a powerful and topical approach, I also believe it has the potential to severely damage our industry.

Six principles to guide beautiful web design.

Beauty comes in three forms: universal, sociocultural and subjective. To aim for it, we can employ three modes of design: visceral, behavioural and reflective.

Why have there been no beautiful design landmarks on the web? Is the web even suited for beauty?

There’s more to life than happiness. Look, the numbers prove it.

Announcing Undercover User Experience, a book about doing great UX work with tiny budgets, no time, and even without official clearance.

Looking forward to the annual Geek Spring Break in Austin TX.

Chess notation as a shorthand for life’s most interesting ideas.

Deconstructing MW2’s multiplayer maps to understand the principles of design and gameplay that lie beneath.

I’ve never felt so in touch with a machine in my life, and I doubt I will again.

Remember those design principles you learned ten years ago? Eyetracking shows they’re right. Carry on.

Announcing the new blog design and a refreshingly empty mind.