To be honest,  I have been waiting for a couple months for this week. Attending the Adaptive Path UX Week is like going to summer camp! Summer camp for designers, or as the opening slide stated, User Experience Professionals. Being surrounded by technical geeks in my daily life, it is refreshing to be around people who also work to deliver creative solutions for a variety of products, problems and applications.

The opening keynote was presented by Deborah Adler who was principle designer and inspiration for Target's ClearRx solution. ClearRx is a comprehensive system for packaging prescription medicine. Deborah developed this solution as a masters thesis after her Grandmother mistakenly took the medication prescribed for her Grandfather - same medication/wrong dosage. This is a common scenario and it is reported that 60% of Americans do not take prescription medications correctly. Ironically, the amount of money spent every year on pharmaceuticals is equaled by the amount of money spent on correcting the problems associated with this problem. In short, Deborah saw a (big) problem and created a solution that helps not only her Grandparents, but thousands of others who are prescribed medication.

I have read about Deborah Adler and ClearRx, it was really great to hear her talk about this project, the challenges and the success related to it. As designers, we look for opportunities to provide understanding to or solutions for everyday problems. It is easy to draw inspiration from Deborah and her work.  

"Design has the power to make a difference"

Internally there has been much mention of Photosynth. In fact, there were video interviews on both Channel 9 and Channel 10 which discussed the technology behind this absolutely amazing application. In March, Blaise Aguera y Arcas presented at TED (The Technology, Entertainment and Design conference). Prepare to be blown away!

Local outlets for news fall short of reporting on anything that happens outside the borders of the city, state or the country and in most cases they stories are trivial. I recently started subscribing to the Economist in an attempt to better understand the world around me. It has not taken me many issues to fall behind in my reading. Last night I spent time with the issue covering June 9 - 15th which features a story on Apple and its rise again to the top. The iPhone marks the third major milestone in the companies history preceded by the iPod and the imac. It is a very exciting time for the industry, it is also an exciting time for consumers. As a Microsoft  employee, we often look across the field and see a competitor. With a little laugh we shrug and claim that our percentage of  "market share" is enough to keep Apple in check. Or, is it?  

In an article titled "Lessons from Apple" there are four important lessons which other companies could learn from Apple.

First. Innovation can come from without as well as within. Sometimes referred to as "network innovation", it is the concept that it is okay to admit that not all good ideas start at home.

Second. Design new products around the needs of the user, not the demands of the technology. Apple has consistently combined clever technology with simplicity and ease of use.

Third. Small companies should sometimes ignore what the market says it wants. The iPod was ridiculed when it was launched in 2001.

Fourth. Fail wisely. Learn from mistakes and try again.

While none of these are new or particularly innovative on their own, it is a good reminder of how to achieve success in today's marketplace.