Schmap!

Anyone ever heard of Schmap?

Schmap "is a leading publisher of digital travel guides for 200 destinations throughout the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. More than 90 million Schmap Guides have been downloaded since first released in March 2006: this phenomonally popular series can also be browsed online, with versions optimised for iPhone and Nokia users."

I recieved a "flickrmail" not so long ago from the managing editor Emma Williams, saying a piece of my photography has been included in the sixth edition. The photograph in question is of the iconic Printworks in Manchester's city centre

The photo itself published to flickr.com:

The Interactive Playground of Paul Neave

Paul Neave, is a British interactive designer who claims his title is "a fancy way of saying I make interactive tools and toys, everything from games to applications, from experimental interactive art to intuitive user interfaces".

It is this less than serious approach that becomes quite distinct in Neave's work. For example his site, (www.neave.com) showcases some very experimental pieces that would appear to have been created purely for Paul's own pleasure.

True to his word, the site itself accurately represents the attitude of the designer. That is to say the clean simplicity of the design is in itself functional yet visually quite appealing, when compared to more traditional primarily HTML based domains. By liberally using small Flash elements within the HTML Neave's site appears intuitive and responsive than just HTML without the lag and technology issues that can easily result from purely Flash based domains.

And Neave's re-creations or "tributes" to some classic arcade machines will always be popular, as they are created with such attention to detail they are almost indistuingishable from the originals.