Entries about lifehacks

Aug 23, 2006

I heart Flickr: my new source for joy and design inspiration

My friend Winston recently showed me a Flickr set of Spanish pharmaceutical posters from the 60s. The design work was just beautiful, putting the contemporary staid look of today’s pharmaceutical companies to shame. I never realized Flickr’s potential as a source for both joy and design inspiration until I saw this eye-pleasuring collection. In the […]

Aug 22, 2006

30 seconds to an empty email Inbox

We all want to control the barrage of emails hurling at us everyday, but often the task is just too daunting. Perhaps, you read Merlin Mann’s Inbox Makeover tutorial or Gina Trapani’s Trusted Trio system for managing email. You might have said, “Wow, this is great and makes a lot of sense. I’m gonna do […]

Aug 21, 2006

10 tips for keeping your desk clean and tidy

A messy desk is a sign of creativity and imagination. This is the excuse I gave myself for the mountain of papers, knickknacks, and San Pellegrino bottles normally piled on my desk at work. Truth is, I’m just lazy. When I started wasting more and more time looking for lost items instead of being a […]

Aug 14, 2006

Keyboard shortcuts for your bookmarks in any browser

In Safari, you can press Command+1 through Command+9 to quickly open bookmarks in the Bookmarks Bar. Command+1 opens the first bookmark, Command+2 opens the second, and so on. Very cool, but what if you don’t use Safari? For months, I’ve been looking for a way to access bookmarks with keyboard shortcuts in Firefox. Finally, it […]

Aug 8, 2006

Don’t buy cosmetics without Paula Begoun, the Cosmetics Cop

Whether or not you’re a designer, we all want to look devastingly hot. Unfortunately, this often means having to choose from a dizzying array of grooming products. Paula Begoun, the Cosmetics Cop, is my hero for publishing Don’t Go to The Cosmetics Counter Without Me, a tome of product reviews for virtually every major skincare […]

Aug 1, 2006

Stay hip and cool with Flavorpill

Even if you’ve turned into a yuppy without realizing it, you can still be cool again. Just visit Flavorpill and subscribe to one of the free weekly newsletters listing the latest local cultural events in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and London. Topics covered include art, books, music, fashion, and world news. The […]

Jul 31, 2006

Freelance tax tip: Use one debit card to easily track deductible expenses

If you’re a freelancer, keeping track of receipts for business-related expenses can be quite a headache. To help relieve this pain, use one debit card exclusively for all deductible business expenses. At the end of the month, you’ve got a convenient record of itemized expenses with the total amount already calculated. No more sitting in […]

Jul 24, 2006

How to organize your cluttered desktop and regain your sanity

I’ve always been known as the messy kid, so it’s no surprise that zillions of random files and folders often litter my desktop. Every time I clear my desktop, it gets congested again a few days later, each icon reminding me how much I suck at organizing. What I lack is a system. After reading […]

Jul 20, 2006

FlexTime: an even better way to stop procrastination now

After reading Merlin Mann’s recent post on timer apps for the Mac, I’ve been trying out the (10+2)*5 procrastination hack with a new shareware application called FlexTime. FlexTime allows you to set “routines” of different “activities” that can repeat indefinitely. After using it for a day, I’ve decided to switch from Meridian, which I recommended […]

Jul 20, 2006

Doodim + MenuShade: Eliminate distractions on your Mac

Doodim is a nice little freeware Mac application that dims everything behind the current application you’re working in. Combine it with MenuShade to dim your menubar and your Mac is now virtually distraction-free. In Doodim, a tiny delay occurs sometimes when switching applications. Dragging and dropping items onto the desktop also isn’t easy. Despite these […]

Jul 18, 2006

How to save the world (or at least get some exercise)

Step aside Al Gore, Thursday is World Jump Day. The folks at World Jump Day show us how to save the world in 3 easy steps. Simply visit worldjumpday.org and: Find out your jump time by entering your geographic location Find a hard surface surface to jump on JUMP! They claim that the force of […]

Jul 18, 2006

How to fold a fitted sheet perfectly

I love fitted sheets because they save time. But unlike flat sheets, they’re a pain to fold neatly. Fortunately, Target Australia takes the pain away by showing you how to fold the impossible-to-fold fitted sheet. The end result is tidy and space-saving. How to fold a fitted sheet perfectly [Target Australia] Update: Martha Stewart has […]

Jul 17, 2006

A Nike (or Saucony or New Balance or Adidas) + iPod Sport Kit Hack

The Nike + iPod Sport Kit—love child of Apple and Nike—began shipping this week. I’m excited to try out the new toy at the gym, but I prefer not to be a Nike style victim. Podophile has posted a nice little hack to get a Nike + iPod Sport Kit working with the shoe of […]

Jul 15, 2006

Structured procrastination with the (10+2)*5 hack and Meridian

Ok, I like to be lazy and put things off. In an effort to break this habit, I’ve implemented the (10+2)5 procrastination hack with a shareware application called Meridian. So what is this (10+2)5 math mumbo jumbo, you ask? The idea is simple: dedicate a fixed amount of 10 minutes for work and 2 minutes […]

Jul 12, 2006

Talent isn’t everything: 7 habits of highly effective junior designers

Here’s a common myth: to be a successful creative person, all you need is talent. It’s a nice myth to believe in, because “talent” suggests a divine or evolutionary genetic gift. So if you have talented DNA, you’re special and can be a cool creative person. If not, you’re destined to be an accountant. After […]

Jul 11, 2006

Bind your own professional-looking book

Comic book artist, Toby Craig has an excellent tutorial on do-it-yourself bookbinding. The process requires some sewing and gluing, but his instructions are thorough and comes with lots and lots of pictures (which we like). The materials and tools he used should also all be available at your local arts and crafts store. For artists, […]

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