Beer. Not generally something people associate with design at all, let alone good design.]]> http://vividmargin.com/sam-adams-beer-glass

[...] The first reason managers should read Alexander is that the design of workplaces has a major impact on the effectiveness of our organizations. The second reason is that his insights into the nature of order, as well as his methodologies, can be applied to the problem of managing organizations. [...]

[...] 73% of these people found that the coffee poured from the brown container was too strong, whereas 84% … considered the coffee of the red pot rich and full-bodied. The coffee from the blue pot was regarded as having a milder aroma. The beans used to prepare the coffee in the yellow pot were said to be of a weaker blend. [...]

[...] Do you get that stale, blah numbness while sitting in your living room? Maybe it's because your house is in all "neutrals," leaving you feeling as washed out as that cream color, with no exciting, warming, or otherwise fun burst anywhere. Maybe, if you live in New England, it's because it gets dark at 4pm in the winter, and your lighting is either as dim as the outside or so bright and cold you could be in a warehouse. [...]

A hundred or more paint chips have been scattered across my table, floor, couch, etc for the past several months. I am not a 'pick whichever color looks best in the store' kind of person. I can't just take home 'the two best options.' I have to see every option in every light with every piece of furniture. And since my husband and I were moving into a new apartment where we wanted to repaint 5 rooms, there were a lot of options. [...]

[...] The color of a room, the layout of a page, the use of a particular font, the arrangement of furniture, the music while on hold—these things matter, and they say something. Some choices shout while others only whisper, but either way you've got a voice which either adds to or detracts from the conversation. [...]

Has the blatant sexism of their new slogan escaped everyone's attention? "Harmony Between Man, Nature, and Machine"? I don't care what your 5^th grade teacher told you, "man" does not refer to the entire human population. It is 2009, and it is not okay to exclude (over!) half of the population for a cute, tidy little tagline, especially by the "world's most respected company" [...]

[...] Whose incredible lack of foresight was this? If you have a special deal—especially a heavily advertised one—your customer should not have to wait until after they’ve given you their credit card to find out whether or not they saved the money you promised! [...]

[...] The margin provides boundaries to give something form; it is the necessary negative space for the positive element to be effective.

Of course, I didn’t want just any kind of margin. There are bad margins, and bad design. [...]