Author Archives: Skip Walter

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About Skip Walter

Retired software executive, ardent book reader. Enjoying slow travel, learning to cook, and searching for fine wine growing. Grandfather, husband, father, brother. Recorder of Seattle sunrises. Voting blue.đź’™

Lifelet: A Tour and Tasting at Beaux Freres

Posted on September 6, 2013 by Skip Walter

One of the joys of learning about wine is there is always more to learn. A great way to spend a day with friends and family is a tour of a fine wine growing winery like Beaux Freres in Oregon’s Willamette … Continue reading →

Posted in Lifelet, Lifelogging, Wine | Leave a comment

Lifelet: Alice – an angel among us

Posted on September 5, 2013 by Skip Walter

Today begins a new series of blog posts – lifelets. Lifelets are an experiment in providing glimpses into different aspects of what is going on in the world I encounter each day. What better place to start than with a … Continue reading →

Posted in Lifelet | 1 Comment

On Civility

Posted on September 5, 2013 by Skip Walter

I have been known to flip someone the proverbial bird. Rarely is this action anything other than jesting with good friends when they’ve said something outrageous. Times they are a changing. I was sitting in the Washington State Ferry terminal … Continue reading →

Posted in Citizen, Lifelogging | 3 Comments

Lifelogging

Posted on September 4, 2013 by Skip Walter

Fifteen years ago, I read MyLifeBits by Gordon Bell and thought it was a cool idea. However, the hardware and software and mobile devices that we take for granted today didn’t exist at the time.  The concept was filed away in my … Continue reading →

Posted in Lifelogging | 1 Comment

Code Mocking? How about business plan mocking?

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Skip Walter

After 40 years of participating in software code reviews, I couldn’t stop laughing when I encountered a recent Scott Adams‘ Dilbert cartoon: Many is the code review meeting that I wished I could stand up and start mocking the fruits of … Continue reading →

Posted in Dilbert, Humor, Software Development | Leave a comment

What if what we know is wrong?

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Skip Walter

Many years ago I came across a diagram of the four boxes of knowing: I was reminded of the box about “what you know that is wrong” while listening to Dana Chisnell’s talk on “Rethinking User Research and Usability Testing … Continue reading →

Posted in Content with Context, Design, Human Centered Design, Innovation, Knowledge Management, Learning, Software Development, Teaching, User Experience | 2 Comments

Seeing Organizations – How do you teach?

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Skip Walter

Several years ago, David Socha and I wrote an article “Is Designing Software Different From Designing Other Things?” In the article I shared my Chris Alexander “Ah Hah” moment about designing better software products: “Successful software design processes include an … Continue reading →

Posted in Content with Context, Design, Human Centered Design, Innovation, Knowledge Management, Learning, organizing, Teaching, University, User Experience, Working in teams | 2 Comments

Entrepreneurial Teachable Moments

Posted on March 9, 2013 by Skip Walter

The Professor and the VC I attended the UW HCDE Corporate Affiliate Program (CAP) on Tuesday morning and sat next to one of my colleagues who also started a “maker” company last year.  As the corporate affiliates were introduced, we were both … Continue reading →

Posted in Curation, Human Centered Design, Innovation, Knowledge Management, Learning, Relationship Capital | 1 Comment

ConveyUX – Highlights from the cheap seats

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Skip Walter

Last week I managed to squeeze time into my crazy schedule to attend the ConveyUX conference in Seattle sponsored by BlinkUX. I was delighted to see the international turnout and many familiar faces from the UW HCDE program. While I … Continue reading →

Posted in Content with Context, Curation, Design, Human Centered Design, Innovation, Intellectual Capital, Knowledge Management, Learning, Relationship Capital, Software Development, User Experience | Leave a comment

Reflecting on Effectual Entrepreneuring Pedagogy

Posted on March 3, 2013 by Skip Walter

I have the privilege of teaching a great group of Human Centered Design and Engineering graduate students at the University of Washington in the course “Designing a Human Centered Venture.” Last week in our eighth class of the quarter I … Continue reading →

Posted in Content with Context, Design, Human Centered Design, Teaching, University, User Experience, Working in teams | 5 Comments