This week our reading has consisted of articles on learning to code, the UX/Agile divide, Google's turn to "material design," and a mathematical approach to hiring. What have you been reading? 

Is Coding the New Literacy?

Have you signed up for any of Aquent Gymnasium’s courses, particularly Coding for Designers? This article may convince you to do just that! Not only does learning to code increase your job prospects, but it may also help you think in a way that will make any task easier to break down into its component parts while enabling you to devise a process for completing that task. In other words, “computational thinking” isn’t just about 1’s and 0’s. It’s an analytical approach with applications that go far beyond programming.

Crossing the Great UX–Agile Divide

“Many in the UX field,” writes Mike Bulajewski, “have felt obstructed by development teams who insist on adopting agile methodologies and confused about why their arguments for paying closer attention to users go unheeded.” In this detailed, historically-informed look at the relationship (and seemingly perpetual conflict) between UX and agile software development methodologies, Bulajewski argues that the real issue is not about the end product so much as it is about the evolving nature of software development work itself. How have you seen this conflict play out in your organization?

Material Design

When Google announced the new Android L at their I/O, the centerpiece of the announcement was something called “Material Design.” What is that? Well, they call it “a visual language for our users that synthesizes the classic principles of good design with the innovation and possibility of technology and science.” It also represents their attempt to “develop a single underlying system that allows for a unified experience across platforms and device size.” Will these concepts and principles help guide design as mobile devices continue to proliferate and diversify? We shall see.

North Atlantic Skies

NATS, the UK's leading provider of air traffic control services used real flight data to put together this video showing a day in the life of the airspace over the North Atlantic. It's a great example of how a B2B company uses data visualization to tell their story. Have you seen other great examples?

How To Marry The Right Girl: A Mathematical Solution

What can hiring managers learn from the inability of 17^th century mathematician Johannes Kepler to find a suitable mate? A great deal, as it turns out. Specifically, if you are interviewing a number of candidates for a particular position, mathematicians argue that you should interview 36.8 percent of them without making an offer, and then make an offer to the next candidate you interview who seems to fit the bill! If that sounds crazy, read the article to discover the absolutely logical method to this apparent madness! 

Image Source (Creative Commons): State Library of Victoria Collections.