This Too Shall Pass

I had intended to be here for five months, but the curve ball of life suggested otherwise. So on February 28th I begin my journey east, ending at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. (More on this in a future post).

Seattle has been a good place for me to "chill" during my first sabbatical month. The 4,200 mile drive here was amazing, and when the clouds part over Seattle, it would be difficult to match a more majestic view of a city: lakes, snow-capped mountain ranges (the Cascades and the Olympics), and of course Mt. Rainer. Breathtaking! On the other hand, when it rains and snow, the place can be depressing and bone-chilling cold.

There's a certain pleasure found in being in a city where you're unknown. I can't walk 10-feet in Bloomington before I run into someone I know, but here I'm invisible. I don't need Alex's invisible cape; here I'm just not seen. It's taken quite a while for me to get used to this, and now it's more fun than not.

As my partner Doug would tell you, it takes me about two weeks before I can begin to relax while on vacation -- and that's only if I "disconnect" from email and phone; it has taken me longer here, but I finally feel I'm on sabbatical: what a gift. I now realize that it was a mistake not taking advantage of previous opportunities to take sabbatical leave; this should have been my fifth, but it's only my first! (Note to self on next life: take more sabbaticals and vacations!)

If you've been following this blog you know that my two priorities were to build the Glerb business and write a book on Design Pedagogy. In my mind, Glerb was the higher priority; now it has become secondary. It's probably a blessing in disguise because writing a book is no simple task and this allows me to focus on my writing. This week I have several meetings with University of Washington design faculty and students. What I'm discovering is that our program at IU is still "state of the art" in HCI design education; we are blessed with an amazing faculty, and students are not likely to fully appreciate them until they graduate. But other schools are catching up quickly, and so we must always innovate and expand. We always need to be "looking over our shoulders."

Yesterday I had a strange day. I even called Linda Hostetter to tell her about it (I figured she could use a good laugh). I drove to my favorite library in Bellevue (about 8 miles from my apartment and across Lake Washington). When I got out of my car I looked down and noticed that on my left foot I was wearing a gym shoe, and on my right foot I was wearing a brown leather shoe. (You may wonder how I managed to do this; my two pairs of shoes were sitting on the floor next to each other and I picked up one and not the other. Clearly my head was somewhere else.) Given that I'm not a "shoe fashionista" like Jeffrey Bardzell, I drove the 8 miles back home to replace the leather shoe with my other gym shoe. Eight miles back to Bellevue I felt a lot better entering the library.

When I got home last night there was a small package slipped under my door. Inside was a letter from Gopi, including a beautiful story told to him by his uncle. What also fell out of the package were about 30 index cards with personal messages addressed to me from the IU graduate students  -- cheering me up and telling me that I am missed. I was overwhelmed by these acts of kindness. We all need to remember that we are loved, and my students helped me know that in their special way. I fell asleep with a smile on my face, thinking of Ed Rice's note about contraction and expansion. Inhale and exhale.

This too shall pass...

In Praise of Libraries and Librarians

I arrived in Seattle on February 1st; it's an amazing city -- "glamorous," some would say. The "geeky rich" permeate this city, and some say it's the smartest city in the U.S. But for me, I hardly knew a soul and "getting around" a city built on hills was no easy navigation task. If Seattle were an interface, it would be judged a failure. Yet there was one place that made a real difference for me, and I've revisited it almost daily -- the public library. This place is a common denominator, where all people are taken in without judgment or question. We sit at tables or in comfortable chairs -- reading, writing, computing, contemplating, and yes, sometimes snoozing. All are welcomed.

For me, it was my first days in the city. I didn't know how to get around. But the librarian at the reference desk heard the frustration in my voice when I asked about city maps and perhaps a guide that would orient me to the neighborhood. It must have been a slow afternoon, but this "patron-centered" librarian proceeded to draw a diagram to help me understand the city's layout. I told her that earlier in the day I asked someone for directions to one of the supermarkets, and the person answered "it's about a half mile from the water." What water? Seattle has several lakes and Puget Sound; the city is surrounded by water! My new friend smiled and decoded the water references for me, inserting them in her diagram. This librarian was my connection to municipal understanding and a modicum of security. She made me feel welcomed, shared a few locally produced resources, and invited me to obtain a "visitor's card" so I could check out books, DVDs, and music ("They'll keep you company," she suggested.)

Since then I've explored several libraries in the Seattle area, and currently I'm writing this from what has to be one of the best designed library structures in the U.S. -- the Bellevue Public Library. This place is amazing -- comfortable study carrels; private rooms for tutoring and conversation; an extraordinary collection of books, magazines, media, and interactive displays; an architecturally pleasing environment that creates the kind of library experience anyone would desire, and an energetic and expansive children's department (a library that strongly supports their children's department is a good indicator of overall library quality). It's the perfect place to begin writing my DESIGN PEDAGOGY book. I'm surrounded by inspiration -- other books!

Libraries, like national and state parks, are environments supported by tax dollars. They're public and available for all to enjoy. Let's remember these institutions in the context of anti-government rhetoric. There are things that governments do well; our public libraries are among them.

And while I'm on the topic of libraries and librarians, I want to give a shout out to my favorite librarian, my sister-in-law, Wendy Lukehart. She's the Youth Collections Coordinator in the District of Columbia Public Library, Washington D.C.

Back to writing...

The Curve Ball

One week after I arrived here, my plans for Glerb fell apart. The two Seattle people that were working on the project with me over the last few months began to have "second thoughts" about the company -- philosophy and viability -- and we parted ways. I NEVER anticipated that this would happen after driving 4,200 miles to get here, but life (and professors!) have a way of throwing you curve balls. Needless to say, I've run through a range of feelings, but I'm trying to remain optimistic and decide how to move forward.

On the positive side of things, I'm learning to navigate my way around the city (I'm far from being even mediocre at this, but each passing day helps). The traffic here is insane and the many winding streets don't make it any easier. But flowers and plants are beginning to pop out of the ground, and when the sun shines and the Cascade Mountains and Mount Ranier are in view, it's breathtaking.

I'm just starting to meet people. Two days ago, I visited Troy Church at Adobe -- beautiful offices and a very neat working environment; Troy is a graduate of our HCI/d program from several years ago; a very bright and creative designer. There's a good chance that I will be giving a talk at Adobe in their "Distinguished Lecture" series; I'll give an UNdistinguished lecture. LOL Also, Troy is setting up a group of designers for me to talk to at Adobe; I'm interviewing them for my book on Design Pedagogy.

Last night I met up with Drew Paine; he's a graduate of Rose-Hulman University in Indiana. He almost attended our master's program, but he also got accepted into the University of Washington's PhD program and that's where he headed last fall. He's having a great time here, and he's doing a lot of work in CSCW with his advisor. Over the next couple of weeks I will meet up with faculty and students at the UW ("U-Dub"), and I'm looking forward to that.

I've gotten a special appreciation for how it feels to move to a new city and not really know anyone -- to be on your own without anyone knowing what's happening to you. But in time I will make friends and feel familiar with Seattle. My big decision now is how long I want to stay here. It will depend greatly on what happens next with Glerb. I have a few ideas, so I'll see how events unfold. I'm not yet ready to give up on my dream; I also need to reflect on "lessons learned" -- my personal post-mortem.

[I've been hearing about the students who attended IxDA; I'm really proud about the way you've handled yourselves. Also, congratulations to Team "Foodmunity" for being one of 12 teams selected in the CHI competition. Everyone should help them improve their design, create their poster, and support their efforts; their win is your win too! Much appreciation, as well, to the teams that submitted a paper; I'm proud of their efforts too.]

Navigating Place

Yesterday I moved into my new apartment: 1104 17th Ave. E. I live in the lower level of a home that the owners (two artists with their three sons) turned into a rental apartment; it's in very good condition and I'm enjoying my little home away from home. A particularly nice feature of the apartment is that I have a T1 WiFi connection, so I have very fast access to the Internet. After moving in and setting up the space to my satisfaction I met up with Anoo and Vamshi at their home to set up our initial attack on Glerb. It will take us awhile to synch on a common view of the company but I trust the process; we'll get there soon enough. I then went to a QFC supermarket to stock up on some basics and then returned to the apartment to work on a proposal to attend an NSF-sponsored conference, “Slow Down, You Move Too Fast: Rethinking the Culture of Busyness and IT.” It was due last night at midnight, so I worked up to the deadline and submitted a document that reflected the work Thomas Baker and I had been exploring on "Slow Change Interaction Design." We'll see if we get in.

Today has not gone as smoothly. After breakfast I decided it was time to navigate my neighborhood and explore Capitol Hill. I hoped to find a nice coffee and tea house where I could sip a drink and do my work, but it was not so simple -- even with Yelp. Often I would find a place but there was no obvious parking. And after about an hour I felt I was driving around in circles and getting increasingly frustrated and a little sorry for myself. So I decided to drive to Volunteer Park (actually walking distance from my home) and explore by foot. What I discovered was a park with an Asian Arts Museum, a conservatory featuring an orchid exhibit, and a very clear view of the Space Needle and the Cascade Mountains. [I'm very aware of the severe winter storm in Bloomington and throughout much of the nation; I wish you could be out here today!]

Right now I'm in one of Settle's public libraries and enjoying the open space.

Tonight I work on my vision for Glerb education... and outline my book on Design Pedagogy. But first I need to find some good Asian fusion food for dinner!

To Doug

When the law does not allow you to get married, gay couples need to declare their anniversary date. Doug and I chose February 1^st, the date Doug moved to Indiana from Wisconsin, and we began our life together. That was 19 years ago.

Like all relationships, we have had our ups and down, but all in all I’m a lucky guy. Without wearing my feelings on my sleeve, I will publicly state how much I appreciate Doug’s support of my journey to Seattle and my six-month sabbatical away from Bloomington. Because of Doug’s work as Coordinator of the GLBT Student Support Office, he is unable to join me except for one or two visits.

I miss him a lot. And on this day, on our 19^th anniversary, I want to send him my love.