February 2011 Archives

This is just the beginning of this new section of the MAMUS which highlights visualizations, user interface and more. Please see the blog post below for more information, or just visit it here.


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When I listen to this song, I hear a celebration of life, but also an opportunity to reflect on how ridiculous it can be. It is a rare track that allows you to see the comedy in most things, no matter how "serious" they may seem to you. Try listening to this while thinking of something that is bugging you a little. Of course, when you are in fury, not much helps. That is a different post!

Regarding this blog, we have been extremely busy and it's been difficult to maintain. A blog or any social media is much like a ball and chain. Plus, I don't like to write unless I really have something to say or share, because to be honest, no one really cares. The folly is that most people think that their opinion really matters. Trust me, not many people care. Anyway, I like posting music because I know that it is heard all over the world as I get visitors from USA, China, Spain, England, Argentina, Russia, Vietnam, United Arab Emirates and more. I like the idea of these songs playing all over the world to people who would probably never hear them. Especially young people. They need to hear things like this silly Julius LaRosa song.

In 2010, this blog and the MAMUS website had exactly 87,719 visitors. Mind you, probably about 5% or more were robots, but this gives you an idea of how pervasive this little thing is. Not bad, not huge - but not bad.

Anyway, coming in 2011 we will refresh MAMUS website; maybe a new section called e, and a new magazine that will we will publish bi-yearly with creative updates. Our 354 page book will be updated so it may be about 400 pages or so. We are going to change the size as well. Bigger. It is a tedious process and Alex will not be happy. The magazine will cost about $20US, versus $125-150US for the book. Now, stealing and ripping off our work will be easier to afford than ever before.

e will show (if we do it) information design, visualization, e-commerce, web design. Some people have said (rightly so) that our work is all about pretty pictures - it is - but there is so much more to see that we don't highlight. Looking at beautiful vehicles and women is more fun than looking at a check out flow, or a data visualization. We will also weave narratives about the beautiful SAP e-commerce backend we are working on with our Montréal technology partner. But you asked for it, we will deliver it. But we will also contain it under e. I find it comedic when I hear a potential client say "you don't do web do you?" - because I have been doing it since the web was born. I have seen all the ups and downs and worked under constraints that would drive new designers crazy. Try 800x600px resolution, 216 colors (my pal Ace reminded me it was even as bad as 640x480 - it was so painful that I blocked it from my memory!). It's funny to see young cats in their 20's talk about web design and usability like they invented it. Comical. When these kids were in elementary school we were in the trenches figuring this shit out. Anyway, it all comes full circle. It always does. The web will be more like print and broadcast soon, and these kids will be out of a job - because the visual paradigm they are fiercely defending will be woefully dated and not needed. Design will prevail. The old rules still apply. And no one cares what you think.

Julius LaRosa
Eh Cumpari

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