Adam Greenfield

One of many priceless expressions I picked up in the Army was "designed by geniuses so that idiots could use it." Over time, I heard this expression applied to various and sundry things, from the infamous Claymore anti-personnel mine (you know, the one which is prominently embossed FRONT TOWARD ENEMY) to the Constitution of the United States.

It wasn't until getting out - and encountering the nascent discipline of information architecture as articulated in Peter and Lou's "polar bear" book - that I realized the phrase encapsulated quite neatly, if a trifle rudely, a whole way of looking at the world. Put less crassly, when a great deal of thoughtful effort is put into the planning of something complicated, its use can be simple and self-evident.

Consider what a revelation that was: these two guys, to all appearances both sincere and sane, were proposing not merely that such a sensible viewpoint could usefully be applied to the burgeoning World Wide Web, but that a respectable living could be eked from doing so. That vision has been inspiring me ever since.

Thanks, guys. You were just a little ahead of the curve, is all. We'll be seeing you around.

Adam Greenfield
v-2
http://www.v-2.org