Corvus Consulting

Burnaby, BC-based D-Wave is among the most unique computing companies in the world, providing access to the emerging science of quantum computing.

Translating the esoteric science into real-world uses and benefits is a major communication challenge for D-Wave, one that they are meeting with a set of demo applications that show how complex, real-world problems can be addressed by quantum computers.

D-Wave contracted me to help design interfaces for the demonstrations that would make the problems being solved accessible to a variety of audiences. We also addressed the need for these demonstrations to perform in a highly simplified manner, so that presenters would not need to divert their attention from interacting with the audience.

Working on a tight schedule, we met to talk about the way the demonstrations would be used, who would be seeing them and thinking about the constraints of a presentation and working in that context. The final report contained a number of recommendations, including a proposed re-design of the interface for one of the demo applications.

It’s exciting to not only work with people doing things on the leading edge of science, but to also see the applications in action, knowing that a whole different kind of computer is behind the work being done, in real time.

You know I’m loving WorkSpace, but check out how they decided to show some love back. Today Bill and Dane quietly visited everyone while they worked away and brightened the afternoon with a sweet bit of appreciation.

A custom Moleskine notebook, with a short letter of thanks:

Moleskines are legendary, and I use them all the time, myself. This one I won’t be writing in because it’s a rare custom run of the books, embossed with the WorkSpace logo:

The point of this is pretty obvious. It doesn’t take a lot to tell people you appreciate them, but how you tell them should be in line with your style, and your clients’. Another premium play from WorkSpace.

Today at Ma.gnolia, we released a great feature called Roots. Put simply, it’s a link that brings you the collective assessment of the website you’re looking at, as determined by Ma.gnolia members who’ve bookmarked that page.

Part toy, part research tool, part info-voyeurism; Roots is among the first tools to build on social bookmarking as a platform for enriching the way we use the web instead of merely supplementing it.

This is much easier to understand when see for yourself, so give the icon below a click:

As you can see, not a huge number have bookmarked this page, but with the Roots bookmarklet, you can apply this trick to any page you’re looking at, and get a quick measure of what Ma.gnolia members think. One of the best things about Roots is that you don’t have to be a member to use it, either. It just does more if you are.

Find out more and get the Roots bookmarklet and badges here. To learn more about Roots’ talented designer, Bill Lindmeier, check out his blog.

AND you work with computers, then it should be this video. You’ll never look at your keyboard and mouse in the same way.