Recommended Reading

Forum One is a digital consulting firm, so we are frequently asked, “How good is my website?”

When we hear this, we typically have two thoughts. First, what really matters isn’t your “website,” but really your organization’s full digital strategy. Second, this is a big question that doesn’t have a short answer.

China is in the news a lot these days. Is China’s progress over-reported?

Having spent the last year living in China, my view is that the “China story” is, in fact, under-reported. The world’s largest country is finally developing economically in a rapid and impactful way. Much of China’s work, to date, has been in “investment” activities (infrastructure, research, education), so progress is likely to accelerate. The Chinese know very well where they want to be in 20 years (affluent!), and are on their way.

So, you've decided to invest in a tool for collaboration and content management. Great! And you are ready to begin. Even better.

I had the displeasure of spending much of the evening reading one of the worst requirements documents I have had to wade through in some time. It wasn’t that it was poorly written (it was) or poorly organized (check). Its greatest crime was that those who had written it had clearly failed to utilize the two key words that have to be part of any requirements effort: “why?” and “no.”

I confess I have become a bit jaded in reviewing management literature, even that from my own alma mater, Columbia Business School. Too often "new" constructs are not really that new and they aren't really usable in business in general, much less in the world of technology-focused strategy..

Last night, Forum One hosted a UX show and tell session with Chris Avore. Chris's idea was to bring together ux practitioners to share the documentation that we create and establish an open dialogue about the work that we do. Nine user experience designers gathered in Forum One's conference room for a little less than two hours and we discussed usability reports, wireframes, and creative briefs. In short, we participated in a UX show and tell.

As our office grows quiet in preparation for Independence Day in the United States, it seems appropriate to wish our U.S. readers a Happy July 4th.

Independence Day is a great time to slow down and reflect on the wonderful freedoms and fortunes we enjoy in this country. But it's also a good time to remind ourselves that we are also world citizens, and we have an obligation to try to connect with, aid, and learn from people all over the world.

At Forum One, we're fortunate to work with great clients where international work is core to their mission.

It's been several years since we first saw the horrific images of prisoner abuse from within the walls of Abu Ghraib prison. Lately, the indelible images, which first came to light in 2004, seemed to be fading into history as just another sad chapter in the story of America's misadventures in Iraq.