Carl Alviani

Writer, editor, UX strategist. I write about the design process & its impact on people's lives for @ziba, @McKinseyDesign, @SmartDesign & more.

[Carl Alviani @CarlAlviani]

“...when we start to talk about ordinary adversities as ‘traumas’ there is a risk that we’ll see them as harder to overcome and see ourselves as more damaged by them.” - @jessicabennett on a trend that often makes honest conversation nearly impossible https://t.co/l2Snltdair

[Carl Alviani @CarlAlviani]

@ldebett @waitrose No, it's still a visual interface, but for anything more than buying 4-5 items, I find this far more useful.

[Carl Alviani @CarlAlviani]

@ldebett What you're describing is fairly close to the @waitrose online shopping interface, which is probably the best I've seen for groceries. It doesn't know you're out of OJ, but does remember what you've bought, and asks if you need to restock the most frequent purchases.

[Carl Alviani @CarlAlviani]

@ldebett This is such a common, recurring UX fail: the insistence that every experience should be "delightful", rather than acknowledging that a lot of us are using technology because it reduces effort, especially for frequent, obligatory tasks.

[Carl Alviani @CarlAlviani]

In the US, public services are seen as inept, private ones are competent (think IRS vs your accountant); in Europe, it's often the other way around (Belastingdienst and IND are a delight). The downside, of course: dealing with @KPNwebcare is an absolute garbage fire.

[Carl Alviani @CarlAlviani]

This is so thoroughly true, and so rarely recognized. Writing forces a series of decisions, often in an environment where such decisions are subtly discouraged. And that's one of the things that makes it so valuable.

[Jehad Affoneh @jaffoneh]

Writing has been one of the best ways to articulate where I stand on things that matter.

If you’re a designer, get better at writing.

You can argue for hours with back and forth on the fly or you can write a concrete set of principles, thoughts, & conclusions.

[Carl Alviani @CarlAlviani]

@sisoma Thanks for posting! I still have this conversation with clients almost weekly...

[Romeen Sheth @RomeenSheth]

The world has never been more peaceful, prosperous or healthy.

But if you read the news you'd think the apocalypse just happened.

Here's 10 charts on why it’s never been better to be alive and what it means going forward:

[Carl Alviani @CarlAlviani]

@BrooklynSpoke Oh, and if you haven't checked out the big mixing zone on the IJ-side of Centraal Station, where the bike tunnel intersects with the waterfront bike path and three ferry landings — it's breathtaking.

[Carl Alviani @CarlAlviani]

@BrooklynSpoke I just rode through there literally 20 minutes ago.

[Carl Alviani @CarlAlviani]

Dropped into a fancy-ish bar in the Jordaan Friday. They had a bourbon barrel imperial stout from the US on draft. Pricey, but I got it. And was overwhelmed on the first sip—almost in tears. Absent many food traditions, this is what I associate with celebration, friends, home.

[Carl Alviani @CarlAlviani]

@ChappellTracker Yep! I used to love teaching this in Physics class: anytime you look at a rainbow the sun is always directly behind you. Dozens of teenage minds blown.

[Carl Alviani @CarlAlviani]

@ldebett @nickdawson This has seemed like a vastly underutilized resource for a long long time — the right story, visual or audible experience can be profoundly therapeutic if it matches well to the person's situation, but we're mostly terrible at making those matches.

[Carl Alviani @CarlAlviani]

Swiping through IG reels is basically the new vaudeville.

[Carl Alviani @CarlAlviani]

@wndmrch Glasgow too. Even Greggs has them now.

[Carl Alviani @CarlAlviani]

I'm spending a lot of time in Glasgow these days and can report that haggis is alive and well. Even as a burger topping. Even on nachos. And loaded fries.

[Carl Alviani @CarlAlviani]

@JennyTheolin There's also an incredibly good Thai restaurant on Bergsgatan called SOI 29 that has a good range of vegan options.

[Carl Alviani @CarlAlviani]

@JennyTheolin Sit on the grass in Folkets Park or at a cafe on Möllevångstorget and watch the city revolve around you.

[Carl Alviani @CarlAlviani]

This whole thread is strangely wonderful.

[Rhiannon Blue @rhiannonbluebab]

what do men actually want?

[Carl Alviani @CarlAlviani]

@craightonberman California Blenheims?