View from the floor of KBIS 2014, photo by Mike Osswald

Smart Appliances: More Connected Technology in the Home from IBS & KBIS 2014

Last month I visited “Design and Construction Week,” the combination of the NKBA Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) and NAHB International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Las Vegas. I was particularly interested in connected technology in the home, and wrote a report on the devices and services that help people control their environments. Now, as a follow up to that, this post highlights the smart appliances and fixtures that caught my attention.
Mike Osswald
Mike Osswald, Vice President, Experience Innovation
photo of Josh Clark at SXSW 2014 "Mind the Gap: UI Design Between & Among Devices" Session

SXSW 2014: Designing for Every Screen, No Screen and Between Devices

Designing for our multi-device world was a big theme at SXSW 2014. According to Kerry Bodine, a panelist at the “From Every Screen to No-Screen: Next Gen Responsive” session, approximately 1.5 billion people have PCs, 1.5 billion people have smart phones, and 425 million people have tablets. So it’s no surprise that we’ve all become comfortable with the concept of responsive design for websites, ensuring that the display of our content adapts to be usable on different sized screens. But we shouldn’t get so comfortable with the concept that we stop looking at what’s next on the horizon.
Photo by Jenny Jacob taken at the SXSW 2014 session on Workplace Redesign

SXSW 2014: Redesigning the Workplace for Talent Development

The size and scope of SXSW has become enormous. But one session I found extremely thought-provoking this year was “Workplace Redesign: The Big Shift from Efficiency,” presented by John Hagel, Chairman of Deloitte Center for the Edge. Recognizing that talent is central to business success, this session explored how companies need to go beyond attracting and retaining talent and focus more on talent development.
Jenny Jacob
Jenny Jacob, Chief Operating Officer
The "Generation Mash-up: Y Bother?" panel at SXSW 2014. Photo by Melanie Christian.

SXSW 2014: Managing the Generation Mash-Up

As someone who manages a team, one of the most interesting sessions I attended at this year’s SXSW Interactive was “Generation Mash-Up: Y Bother?” The discussion was about bridging the gap among the generations as they collide in the workplace – highlighting how they are different and what you can learn and appreciate from each.
Melanie Christian
Melanie Christian, Senior Vice President,
Client Services & Strategy
View from the floor of KBIS 2014, photo by Mike Osswald

Connected Technology in the Home: A Report from IBS & KBIS 2014

A few weeks ago, I wrote a primer on the Internet of Things. Around the same time, I had the opportunity to attend the combined NKBA Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) / NAHB International Builders’ Show (IBS) Feb. 4-6 in Las Vegas. One of my goals at the show was to seek out internet-connected products/appliances/fixtures for the home, and see if anything looks really promising. By promising, what I was really looking for was “open connectivity” across all sorts of devices for the home directly from the big manufacturers that exhibit at these shows.
Mike Osswald
Mike Osswald, Vice President, Experience Innovation

Apple Statistics Q4 2013

Our latest round of Apple statistics brings us to more than a year of reporting on user demographics derived from iOS apps we’ve developed here at Hanson.
Maria Simmons
Maria Simmons, Software Engineer
Chris Kujawski, Senior Metrics and Media Strategist
Private: Ryan Forquer, Visual Designer
Everywhere computing example of controlling your smart home with your phone

What is the Internet of Things Exactly?

While those in the tech industry have been talking about and experimenting with augmented reality, ambient intelligence and wearable computers for at least a decade, we’re about to see a huge upsurge in physical computing – using digital devices to further connect us to the world we live in. What exactly do we mean by “everywhere computing”? And how do we know its time has come?
Mike Osswald
Mike Osswald, Vice President, Experience Innovation
Tips for improving your business writing

Write Better in 2014

One of my favorite, unintentionally-funny headlines ran years ago in the Milford (Connecticut) Citizen: Red Tape Holds Up New Bridge
Write Better in 2014
Write Better in 2014,
YuleTithe, Hanson's holiday web app

YuleTithe App Users Pledged $3K to Charity

When the Hanson team set out to create our 2013 holiday card, we wanted to do something that reflects what we do best and what matters to us most. The result was YuleTithe, a responsively designed web app that anyone could use to spread holiday cheer to the people, and causes, they care about. Here’s how it worked.
YuleTithe App Users Pledged $3K to Charity
YuleTithe App Users Pledged $3K to Charity,
Android stats for Hanson developed apps, Q4 2013

Android Stats for Hanson Apps, Q4 2013

Because we’re firm believers in testing and measurement, we keep a close eye on the devices and versions used to access all the apps we’ve developed here at Hanson. We posted our first quarterly report on Android stats back in July, and the second report in October. For those following along, here are the most recent numbers.
Maria Simmons
Maria Simmons, Software Engineer
Chris Kujawski, Senior Metrics and Media Strategist