Information Design
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User Experience Design and Library Spaces: A Pathway for Innovation?
The latest issue of the Journal of Library Innovation features a research article by Dr. John A. McArthur and Valerie Johnson Graham (MA COM Class of 2014). The article – “User Experience Design and Library Space: A Pathway to Innovation” – uses user-experience design theory to reimagine the ways libraries might approach their physical spaces. The abstract…
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At a college graduation? This might make it (mildly) more interesting.
If you’re reading this, you’re probably sitting at a graduation ceremony and the announcer is on name number 237 out of 1000. Congratulations. That means there’s only about 700 more names to go. With hundreds of graduations going on this weekend, attendees might need a little light reading to pass the time. But reader beware,…
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Next Generation Learning Spaces
I was honored to be invited to present at the Next Generation Learning Spaces conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Below are some resources for conference attendees and interested onlookers. Practical Lessons from User-Experience Design for Spaces for Learning Download the article now *** Managing Competing Agendas in Learning Spaces – Mastering the Art and Science of…
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Everett Library’s Innovative Renovation
The following article was featured on the Queens University of Charlotte website on August 29, 2014. As students return to Everett Library this week at Queens, they might not recognize the place. The stunning transformation of the library’s second floor is a surprise summer renovation that will change the way our campus thinks of the…
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Museums Extend the Conversation
The following column was featured in The Greenville News on Monday, January 27, 2014. See it on GreenvilleOnline here. In a world where digital technology stores all of our information, the role of the museum as an archive of curation and reflection seems more important than ever. Fifty years after the tumultuous 1960s, the Upcountry…
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Explosive (Information) Design
When I think about design, I typically describe a process of creation. But a method of destruction is just as interesting a topic. Here was my inspiration: the planned implosion of Scott Towers on January 19, 2014: Even if we learn nothing from this article, that video was worth the 39 seconds it took to…
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Revolving Doors
Revolving doors have been a design fascination of mine for a while, because I think they are fun. If given the option, I always choose the revolving door. Being trapped momentarily in a tiny glass walled aquarium – what could be more fun? Apparently this puts me in the minority of Americans, although I had…
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Experiencing Space and Place: Washington National Cathedral at #NCA13
Upon arriving at Washington National Cathedral for an on site panel discussion, I was most excited to see the Space window. The stained glass window honors the Apollo 11 moon landing and bears a moon rock embedded in the design. What I didn’t expect was to experience the cathedral through a variety of sensory approaches.…
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Digital Cities: Urban community development through information design
I was privileged to present a paper – “Digital Cities: Urban community development through information design” – at the annual conference of the National Communication Association in Orlando, Florida. The paper is an extension of my work on space, technology, and user-experience. The theoretical argument sits at the intersection of information design, city planning, and…
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Nonverbal Communication and Disney Animation at #NCA12
To kick off the panel, Darlene Hadrika presented a beautiful animated short film created by students at the University of Central Florida that showcases nonverbal communication in eye contact, body posture, and music. Lon Smart, a head character artist at Walt Disney Parks, showcased some of his work (which includes the Lion King’s hyenas and…
J.A.McArthur 