Engaging or painful design?

I stumbled across a site called Space Collective that features some wild topics and conversations as well asIndex of recent posts on Space Collective an innovative interface.

Visitors are given the option of viewing stories in a simple list format, sorted by headlines on the left and images and author name and avatar on the right. They're also given the option of viewing stories via a panel, with each story segmented into identical panels about the size of a deck of cards, stacked 5 wide and 10 deep.

Here's where it gets interesting. Clicking on a panel opens up story screen but through some Ajax-like call creates a dynamic story view that keeps the visitor on the same page. In the story view, the main element  takes up the width of three panels; clicking to close the story view returns you to the full panel page.

I'm intrigued by the concept, and wonder about the possibilities as they relate to Story view on dynamically created page on Space Collectivea site built simply around the concept of pure serendipity (this wouldn't work for a new site, where hierarchy is important). I'm also intrigued by Space Collective's use of an orange-tagged "Wild Card," which pulls in a random RSS feed from "related sources." (You can see an example in the upper right of the index-page screen grab).

A co-worker thinks it's poor UI because it's free form, has no real center of gravity and doesn't offer enough to keep a person coming back. I see his points, particularly if we were talking about a general information site, but I'm intrigued nonetheless. I see it as kind of like Current TV, which is freeform at its core.

I'll try visiting daily for a week to see if I get tired of the concept and whether the usability -- or lack thereof -- becomes an attraction or a distraction.

What do you think?

Hilarious take on the music industry

This satirical blast at the music and broadcast industry has a strong British flavour to it, but the message universal: too many strategies are based on ridiculous research.

Environmental projects have Middle East kingdoms aiming high

Couple of interesting environmental stories originating from the Middle East that I stumbled across in the Financial Times today:

Abu Dhabi is better know for over-the-top extravagance fueled by the fact it controls about 8 percent of the world's oil reserves. It's raising the bar for skyscraper construction and in building attractions that will draw tourists around the world. But the country's leaders -- like those of neighboring Dubai -- recognize that oil will run out sometime, which is why they're trying to become tourist or financial centers. It's also why Abu Dhabi is spending $22 billion on an "eco-city" for 50,000 people called Masdar that is, as FT says, "breathtakingly ambitious." The goal is for the city to have a zero-carbon emission footprint, which means they'll need to produce their own energy and recycle the waste. Some really interesting urban-planning strategies are planned, including limits on wide and long streets, which contribute to wind speed and heat. Based on the impressive speed and scope with which Abu Dhabi has reshaped itself over the last 10 years, I wouldn't dismiss this undertaking as pie-in-the-sky sci-fi stuff.

Qatar Airlines on Monday made the first-ever scheduled airline flight with paying passengers with a jet powered by natural gas. This is cool, and opens up options for new fuel streams and more environmentally friendly travel. The story, however,  includes debate about the degree of environmental benefit natural gas has over oil. I had thought natural gas had a clear edge. Even if it's a push, natural gas opens up new possibilities in R&D that over the long haul should improve air travel. It's always a good thing when an industry can wean itself from a sole source.
NOTE: FT is a paid site, but the story links should be good for a week