On fun new web resources, loving Google’s Hotel Finder experiment. It has a beautiful UI allowing you to search for hotels in the US filtering by location (with 4pt shapes), dates, price, hotel class & user rating… you can also flip between map and list view and even have hotels in your shortlist in a different color… But my favorite feature is definitely “Highlight popular areas” ~ which is perfect for new cities you are visiting when trying to figure out what hot spots are. Read more about it on the Google Search Blog and see more pics of the details on the next page.

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Tags: hotels - maps - research - travel - website

I have a mesmerizing user experience crush on WeTransfer right now. If i’m going to have to wait for ages to download files ~ it might as well be fun. There is an awesomely playful and elegant experience when i land on WeTransfer, and i actually love watching it download and excitedly await the next AD coming up… in full screen mode behind the little download progress card. It’s just gorgeous. A breath of fresh air versus the ones that have the pop ups and the speedier download if you sign up and pay, etc ones with creepy text ads trying to hide themselves as useful calls to action, and the actual download link is hidden looking like a tiny google adsense text link.

Deep breath ~ enter, WeTransfer. Dear PR people, designers, and anyone else who uses third party services to send me large files ~ there’s something magically happier about WeTransfer, i’m actually even MORE excited to see your file after going through the transfer process. And it’s just so pretty. and simple. ok, so i’m done gushing now, i just adore elegant, functional, beautiful user experiences! I even watched the ads go by AFTER the file finished downloading so i could take more screenshots to share with you guys on the next page!

p.s. Thanks Nadine Johnson’s office for the HUGE file that took long enough for me to sit here and have my WeTransfer ad filled moment of zen.

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Tags: research - website

Petite Lap Giraffes! They have their own website!!! If you follow my silliness on twitter / Life.NOTCOT, you’ve probably noticed my post way back when i couldn’t resist screenshotting the DirecTV ad with the creepy russian and his adorable teeny tiny giraffe! Well, DirecTV, has given them their own website, complete with “giraffe cam”! Petite Lap Giraffes!!! Take a peek at some screenshots and also the two DirecTV ads on the next page!

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Tags: advertising - animals - nature - television - video - website

Inspiration + awesome web design + mind blowing packaging design + wine + customized moleskine + education + amusement? Does it really get any better? I don't even know where to start talking to you about how impressed and fascinated i am with the Francis Ford Coppola Encyclopedia site KnoWine.com ~ or the fact that they are making wine even more accessible by TEACHING people about it, with a playful site filled with videos, info, and a grade school feeling lined notebook paper on wooden desk feel! Super cool is that they sent people off to various regions for 30 days to learn about the wines and document their adventures in text, pics, and videos.

But seriously, lets talk packaging. Who knew making the "largest screwcap in all the land" could be so beautiful? As soon as i pulled the bottles out today i was already scheming ideas for what i could do with the gorgeous carafes... so, giant screwcap + awesome carafe bottle shape, it feels like an Erlenmeyer flask meets decanter... just enough glass details to keep it interesting (from the ridges to the text around the base... and that really sweet chemical structure of reservatrol, the antioxidant found in the skin of grapes)... not to mention the branding of using stamps with the countries the wines come from instead of labels! Oh, and then there's also the inspiring quotes on the lids of each bottle that can't not bring a smile to anyone's face when they are about to open it! And to top that, they sent over a few customized Francis Ford Coppola Encyclopedia customized moleskines! And they go beyond the usual cover art ~ they actually stickerize the inside cover with the stamp/labels from each region as well as stamp quotes and more randomly throughout!

I think they said it best: "Simply stated, wine is discovery. From how it's made and where it's made to why we drink it when we do, wine is not just wine." So take a look at MANY pictures on the next page, from close ups to the bottles and notebooks to screenshots and diagrams of their design choices.

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Tags: gifts - packaging - review - science - shopping - website - wine

I was just introduced to Prairie Vodka this morning via email, and although i have yet to try this supposed organic goodness, i'm absolutely smitten with the photography, website, and branding! It's gorgeous! So they really run with the Prairie meets the City theme ~ and have these breathtaking images of a woman on her NY patio with the city behind and the wolves at her side... and then the gentleman in his plush red chair at the fireplace with his bison... and then the subtle details and styling of the logo and site... *swoon*... and then you must see the actual bottle design as well, so sleek and simple. Even the transitions... to have the wolf walk up, and breathe on the screen till it gets foggy and fades into the next page... little silly, but an interesting approach! Is it any wonder that Prairie recently received a gold medal at the 2008 Los Angeles International Wine & Spirit Awards, as well as "Best Overall Design" and "Best Package of Show"? See more screenshots and imagery on the next page... and read more on Prairie Vodka at their site.

P.S. i'm so distracted by the prettiness of the visuals, that i'm saving discussing the organic and kosher aspects of it and the unique partnership between Phillips Distilling Company and a co-op of over 900 Minnesota farmers who are stakeholders in the brand - for a product review to come!

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Tags: animals - drinks - nature - photography - website

Not to geek out on you, but just had to point out how perfect XKCD's use of title is in #383 'Helping'. And also another reason why people really should check out content in its original/intended form (as well as on RSS readers, splogs, etc!). And oh how i wish someone would make a magical 'make everything better button'... perhaps shaped like a Staples' EASY button? And i suppose this will make me rollover pictures to see the title text more often now?

Tags: comics - website - xkcd

Awdio ~ they stream music live from trendy hot spots around the globe ~ (even the colette store is listed)... interesting concept. You can experience the full beta thanks to techcrunch ~ use the invite code TechCrunch (case sensitive)... bugs they need to fix? My last name is AW, (yes like in AWdio, why didn't i think of that url first?) but they dont allow you to have two letter last name entries! So i am now Jean Notcot. Streaming some of the feeds now and its pretty fun to work to!

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Tags: music - website

DGTLHYBRD just opened my eyes to the beautiful site (and movie) ~ Bustin' Down The Door ~ with .org #8029, and between the music, the site design, and the movie itself, i'm terribly tempted to take a drive down along the coast to San Diego tomorrow, and chill out from the buzz in my head that was CES/Vegas. I'm absolutely taken by the layered tea stained paper look over the depths of a school of fish in the ocean, combined with vintage photos and video of a turning point in surf history.

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Tags: art - movie - video - website

Pardon my premature posting earlier (previous Nike Gone Running Clock post) ~ i was too excited to be playing with the real thing in my hands i forgot to hunt down more info. Luckily for you (and me) Rob over at I Love Substance left a note that the online Women's Nike Store with the Interactive Gone Running Clock ~ best part? You can drag the hands around, and they have an anti-excuse for any time you pick about why you should be running. Some of my favorites are below. AND? For all of you that wanted your own, you can register and get one.

Also, above is my favorite one of all - "The internet will be here when you get back. Promise." I think thats my cue to back away from the laptop... and perhaps run a little.

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Tags: ux - website

Symbaloo just popped up on NOTCOT.org thanks to John Hawkins, and it was kind of visually interesting, and worth a note for its user experience. First impression, overly web 2.0, and oh so bubbly... reminds me of a homepage version of that Optimus Keyboard... meets the periodic table? Another overly mashed pile of widgets, RSS feeds, searches, etc... but i like the icons (they remind me a lot of the PSP, PS3 navigation icons). And the way you can drag things to the trash in the middle. Also that you can customize the size of the grid you'd like, either based on standard browser sizes, or you can manually add/subtract them. Dan (my other half on all things UX) completely disagrees with my even posting this ~ but although i couldn't imagine actually using this, i'm intrigued... particularly by what is in their Secrets/Work in Progress section (more after the jump)... like news images showing in the squares: "The latest headlines in a visual environment! It comes with text-rollover's and deeplinks to the full story." and also their tv guide integration and map searches with their icons on the maps. So nothing terribly new, but some interesting ways to visualize? I'm posting this one in the name of research on grid views and visual views of news/data... kind of like Yahoo's OMG - i love how theirs have quick news pop up over the image, and leaves a check mark over ones you've read.

Funny how squares as image thumbnails are in isn't it?

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Tags: ux - website

Anymails - i can't stop watching the videos of this incredible flash/processing project that visualizes your email boxes as its own little ecosystem of organisms - moving, and blobbing about... linking up in groups... changing in size, color, speed, hairiness - depending on read, unread, responded, type, newness. The program uses Apple Mail, and the code is available, although i have downloaded and been too chicken shit to run it yet, that "be careful if you have a large number of emails" thing has me a little weary.

The project was developed by Carolin Horn (Design & Concept) and Florian Jenett (Code) during the MFA thesis “Natural Metaphor For Information Visuzalization” at the Dynamic Media Intitute Boston in 2007. You can see more images, download the full thesis and code, and watch some incredible videos of it in action at their site. For the flash bits with the gorgeously pulsating creatures, see more below as well. (via Information Aesthetics)

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Tags: ux - website

On pretty flashy sites, a few weeks ago i was browsing denim lines and came across Kasil's site which stood out in its nicely textured, layered site (versus the usual hard to navigate boring same old lookbook imagery?). My favorite part of this side of Kasil is their naming of their washes! (see image below) The washes are named Atlantic, Baltic, and Pacific - with a corresponding cylinder of dark to light blue gradient (complete with subtly moving bubbles). It's refreshing to see a denim site thats gone out of its way to really give its brand a unique look which goes beyond its logo, buttons, and pocket details, with this artistically playful feel.

More exciting news about Kasil's jeans... but before that i just wanted to take a second to focus on their great graphic+web design.

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Tags: fashion - ux - website

Puma Urban Mobility - Ok, i've shown you the stuff... and gushed hard about the design and wood integration in the products already... but thats nothing compared to how i'm feeling about the icons and imagery on the site that goes with. I will let the screenshots speak for themselves, but i'm all over this one for: 1. the icons... esp when animated. *swoon* 2. the maps 3. the drop shadowed speech bubbles... oh and also the colors and flatness... as well as the old school "fit the pieces in" packing puzzles!

Sidenote: on Puma iconography... remember these great inspirational ones on the door during construction?

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Tags: bikes - fashion - ux - website

Odds are if you are reading this, you PROBABLY should check the Walk Score of your current location and get walking. I mean seriously, we spend a bit too much time at our computers... well me at least. Apparently my current walkscore is well in the green, at 88% - what is that, a B+? A-? Its been a long time since i've thought about grades. "70 - 90 = Very Walkable: It's possible to get by without owning a car."

This is an interesting mashup - Walk Score uses a patent-pending algorithm to calculate the walkability of an address based on: The distance to walkable locations near an address, calculating a score for each of these locations, combining these scores into one easy to read Walk Score. More details below on how the calculate an areas walkability...

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Tags: green - ux - website

On inspiring and amusing collaborations, Colour Lovers and Mojizu teamed up to show us the color palettes of some crazy monsters and "dubious creatures". See more of them below and for the full list click here.

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Tags: website

The Poor Light is a brilliant project by Poor.nl - which is "a module - pictogram accompanying the design, appears in various situations, emphasizing the places where the light, though present, is not encased within the frames of the object used to lighten the given area." The result is a set of options ranging from the Lamp ScreenSaver, Lamp made of glow in the dark stars, and black cloth cut outs... (via Moco Loco)

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Tags: lighting - software - ux - website

Erica Weiner has brilliant dark and beautiful jewelry... and since we last wrote about her her site has had some serious redesigning going on thanks to Jenny Kwok, and i love the aged paper, dusty old apothecary feel with creepy crawlies everywhere... not to mention some of the great new pieces. Can you believe that is a bronze cast of a Ruby Throated Hummingbird's Skull? And she has many great pairings of bird+bird whistles, birds+planes, etc. Snap shot of the site below...

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Tags: accessories - fashion - gifts - jewelry - shopping - website

What's in your pockets? Face Your Pockets is a great scanner art project scanning the faces and pocket/purse contents of people... its one of those fascinatingly voyeuristic pieces that you can't stop browsing through, and the style of the imagery takes the whole "what's in your bag" themed photo groups to a whole new level. via Evasee.

You too can contribute your face and pockets: "The process. Place the objects on the scanner. Place your face/part of it on the scanner as well. Aaaaand scan it! Send us the picture you've got to: faceyourpockets@gmail.com -- (Don't forget to mention your name and occupation. Also the email should include the list of objects you've scanned - keys, granny's photo, gum etc.) & Attention! During the scanning process it is recommended not to open your eyes. If you feel that you can handle it and open them, DO NOT follow the light on its move! The authors of this project didn't find any side-effects on themselves. However, the authors do not bear the responsibilty for possible consequences. At your own risk :)"

Tags: technology - ux - website

The Discover interface of Burst Labs is mesmerizingly brilliant ~ and there's a melody for every mood you could possibly feel or imagine, and truly one of the most refreshing flashy user experiences i've encountered recently. Burst Labs is the latest brainchild of The Burst Collective: which Compose + Produces Music, Licenses Music, Records Music, and now gives you an incredible multi sensory experience to browse this ambient digital music space. Odds are you've already heard their music and didn't even realize it... (the list of shows has too many that i'm sure you know to even figure out which to tell you about). So the next project i do that needs a soundtrack, sound clip, or if i were to play some music here on NOTCOT, i'll definitely be looking at Burst Labs.

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Tags: music - ux - website

For one day only ~ I'm in like with you gave us an invite code (NOTC) for any of you to join their exclusive beta of this hot new "online flirting site". And to be honest, you don't have to go there to flirt, you can go and play games - get to know people - explore their innovative UI... after all this site is going to change the you envision social sites, and the user experience will blow you away, not to mention they are only in the first stages of it. This site has been hyped throughout the internet the last month or so, and i've been playing with it quite a bit (i even started a game for you to come join me and test things out).

Lost? I'm in like with you has been introduced as an "online flirting site": with their own monetary system (points: you start with 500, and you earn more as you do simple things like login, answer questions, play games - like WoW or SL) and the interaction between users is through games ~ simple questions and challenges you present, and people bid points to play and give you quick little responses. You can wink at a user to encourage them... and at the end of the game you can pick the winner, allowing you to message them through the internal messaging or im, or even sms or call them, without divulging the phone number on either side! (Nice touch to maintain privacy). Although this is starting out with the flirting and game playing, there is a lot of potential here, and this just may become the next social site you use to browse your rss feeds, chat with friends, the usual... and then some. More screenshots below.

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Tags: ux - website

I can't imagine sending any other e-cards other than these... to people with a sense of humor. Couldn't stop laughing and browsing when i saw these "Some Ecards": when you care enough to hit send that Evan over at Cool Hunting found. And as you can see, i couldn't decide which few were most amusing, bitter, hilarious... so here are 12 that seemed worth sharing, but there are MANY more for every situation you may (and hopefully will not) need a card for. "It was created by Brook Lundy and Duncan Mitchell, and designed by Jerry Tamburro. New cards, categories, and features will be frequently added until everyone involved with the site dies."

Tags: cards - gifts - ux - website

Ripple (beta!) - interesting idea... web ads for charity? This Australian company has set it up so that you can run ads and the advertisers donate to the charity of your choice for each view. And the whole site is quite fresh, pretty, and oh so web 2.0 ~ nice concept though. Currently you can give 6 days access to clean water, help a village feed itself, give 2 days access to education, or finance a 100$ loan for a day.

Tags: charity - website

While i desperately hope and wish to be where there be anthropomorphic dragons, i fear i might be writing to you from the depths of the Blogipeligo. Yes, slightly focused on a mix of real life and intellectuals, just below the Bay of Angst and due left of the Wikipedia Project, floating in and out of the Straits of Web 2.0, and occasionally meandering the Sea of Memes (although the main Isle of Digg is down currently, the Viral Straits live on tonight) and drifting through the IRC Isles. It's a crazy world this internets, but XKCD has managed to make quite the impressive old school Map of Online Communities. *Beware of the north/"practicals"... full map below.

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Tags: comics - website

.org #3909 just opened my eyes to Take Away Shows by french Blogotheque and i can't stop watching them... and they also create an urge to up and move to Paris... because can YOU imagine walking down the street and having the Shins just playing there in the middle of Montmartre? There is something so magical about their ability to bring bands and their music back to the people and the real world through these walks, impromptu jam sessions, etc. Currently watching Arcade Fire playing in an elevator. Wow.

"You meet a band. You take them outside, in the streets, and ask them to play there, shoot the movie in one unique shot, whatever happens. Those are the Take-Away Shows, the weekly Video podcast from french weblog La Blogothèque."

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Tags: music - video - website

Fly Porter Airlines... toronto's frisky little airline (looks like their jet blue equiv)... the part that made me swoon today was its mascot raccoon creature (can we say cutest favicon ever?)... and nice clean branding/layouts on the site... screenshots below. And apparently it is the handiwork of Tyler Brule of wallpaper fame and now monocle (the man of the hour on the design/blog scene?)...

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Tags: advertising - airline - website