Learning grammar has to be one of the most boring parts of studying language, especially studying the grammar of your native tongue. There are always exceptions of course—perhaps grammar is your cup of tea—but I’d bet it’s safe to say that most of us would rather undergo a root canal than sit through a lecture on inflectional morphology or modal forms.

However, when my wife was in college, studying linguistics, a classmate of hers had a really fascinating senior project. He proposed (and in fact, implemented) a sixth-grade grammar curriculum with an interesting focus: he had the kids create their own conlangs, and introduced both grammar and orthography concepts as part of that process. He supported the curriculum by showing the kids interesting real life examples, including (among other things) Mayan heiroglyphics!

I wish wish wish wish WISH that I’d had that man as my English teacher when I was in school. What a fascinating way to present an otherwise dry topic. Practical applications trump contrived examples every time.

Also, if you happen to be into conlangs, you may be interested in the 3rd Language Creation Conference, to be held on March 21 and 22 in Providence, Rhode Island. Whether you want to present or just attend, it looks like opportunities are available. (Disclaimer: I’m not affiliated with the conference, but it’s being organized by a friend of mine.)

My work revolves around the routinely spectacular resolution of the human eye-brain system.

—Edward Tufte

Have you noticed how everything is trademarked these days? Company and product names I get, and some taglines I understand too, but some of this stuff just seems a bit much.

A few days ago I picked up some new shampoo. I was reading the bottle and it said “The Kiehl’s Patch-Test™: Before applying…” Why does that need to be formally trademarked? Are they worried Aveda or Redken or some other shampoo brand is going to suggest you use the “Kiehl’s Patch-Test” before you try their shampoo? What exactly is Kiehl’s trying to protect?

In the end none of this is a huge deal, it’s just something I’ve been noticing more and more lately. I wonder how much of this is lawyer driven. I assume it’s a pretty easy way to send a client a bill.

I’ve only known one method for approaching a Design project. There are many variations out there, but it can essentially be broken down into 4 steps: Discover, Plan, Design/Develop, and Deploy. It didn’t matter where I worked—agency or internal design department—these were the steps, and I didn’t question them.

Then 37signals published Getting Real, and I wondered if this might be a better way of approaching a project. I’d like to share with you a few stories from past Design projects while reflecting on how Getting Real would have helped. I’ll also share some insight into how the process here at 37signals works.

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Charlie Rose interviewed Malcolm Gladwell recently. They had the following discussion on meaningful work (at 26:00 into interview).

Gladwell: Meaningful work is one of the most important things we can impart to children. Meaningful work is work that is autonomous. Work that is complex, that occupies your mind. And work where there is a relationship between effort and reward — for everything you put in, you get something out…

If you are convinced that the work you are doing is meaningful, then curiosity, there’s no cost to it. If you think there’s always got to be a connection between what you put in and what you get out, then of course you’ll run off with a great excitement after an idea that catches your idea.

Rose: People often ask me to define leadership and I say to them what you just said all the time. You have to communicate what the mission is all the time — and how meaningful someone’s contribution is to the mission.

When you believe that the work you’re doing has meaning, it’s an extra shot of adrenaline. Good food for thought for anyone trying to create a workplace culture that engages employees.

In the interview, Gladwell also mentioned he meets with Nathan Myhrvold once a month to discuss ideas. Myhrvold sounds like quite a character: formerly Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft, began college at age 14, worked under Stephen Hawking studying cosmology, is a prize-winning nature and wildlife photographer whose work has appeared in scientific journals like Science and Nature, is a master French chef who works at one of Seattle’s leading French restaurants, and he won the world championship of barbecue. Talk about a renaissance man!