Posted by Nick de la Mare - June 29, 2009
In 1893 the Newark Ohio Daily Advocate ran a series of articles predicting what the world would look like in a hundred years.
Posted by Tim Leberecht - June 28, 2009
Several blog posts this week, combined, pinpoint what are arguably the two most influential trajectories for the impact of communication technologies on business these days: from real-time web to real-time business, and from social media to social business design.
Posted by Tim Leberecht - June 28, 2009
Nice, attention-grabbing title for a blog post, isn't it? Hat tip to my friend Stephan Trueby, an architectural and design critic, who pointed me to The Garden of Cosmic Speculation, a thirty acre private garden in the Borders area of Scotland created by architect and architectural critic Charles Jencks. It is a joining of terrestrial nature with fundamental concepts of modern physics (quantum mechanics, super-string theory, complexity theory, etc.), and the literal and physical manifestation of the craftsman as philosopher, re-uniting the "head and hand divided" (Richard Sennett).
Posted by Robert Fabricant - June 25, 2009
As I continue to explore the issues around behavior and influence I find myself caught up in a debate between the proponents and critics of 'Persuasive Design'. This is not a trivial debate, though it can come down to some very fuzzy semantics, such as the difference between intent, influence, persuasion and coercion. Try to imagine Fred Thompson's booming voice here:
"Mr. Fabricant, did you Design with the express purpose of persuading end users?"
"No, your honor. I swear, I was just responding to user needs. In this case the users kinda 'asked' for it. Really. I was just doing what they wanted. At least I thought so at the time."
"Do you have any evidence at all to support your claim?"
Posted by Emma Zhu - June 24, 2009
I know, I know. The word of openness has been blended with too much flavor from the fast-changing mobile and software times to be self-explanatory any more. As we all attempt to solve the puzzle of openness, we unintentionally add more complexity and mystery to the word. Today's post could be read as a necklace of pearls by which I want to share a few random thoughts around openness to record my recent footprints, and hopefully, invoke more conversations on the buzzword.
Posted by Nick de la Mare - June 23, 2009
Illustration by Syd Mead.
Imagining possible futures is a large part of a designer's job, and it's no surprise that so many people in this field are also sci-fi fans. Sci-fi is the designer's role on steroids. The genre's ability to take liberties, to imagine a world that mirrors our own, and explore pathways that we'd never convince a client to follow make it attractive to those in the business of shorter-term future-casting.
Posted by Tim Leberecht - June 21, 2009
The $10 billion market for baby and young children’s furnishings (cribs, other case goods, layette, nursery decor, and the like) and accessories (car seats, strollers, baby monitors, diaper bags, etc.) is a lucrative market, and the baby stroller is one of its most competitive sectors. Hundreds of models vie for the attention of parents-to-be, and the level of detailed research, due diligence, and individual preferences may come close to the decision making process by an airline for the purchase of a Boeing 787. There are only few things – at least that’s what the industry makes you believe – that are as personal and intimately important to consumers as a baby stroller. The stroller embodies the commitment, care, and love that a couple chooses to devote to their newborn. It is the most visible representation of good parenthood. And in the US, the baby stroller market combines three quintessential American traits into a mind-boggling mix of over-commercialism: an abundance of choices, an obsession about mobility, driving, and vehicles, and a profoundly whacked out paranoia about deficient baby care. All that turns the stroller into a status symbol, especially after the chic Bugaboo arrived on the scene (thanks to Sex and the City) and became the must-have stroller for every DINK (double income-no kids), oops, with kids now – from Los Angeles to New York.
Posted by Robert Fabricant - June 19, 2009
I recently participated in a Design Roundtable at Fast Company on the incredible impact of cellphones as well as some thoughts on how they might evolve in the future.
Posted by Fabio Sergio - June 19, 2009
Here’s an interesting remix of what Matt Jones has recently called the Gershenfeld-Negroponte switch (intangible services who think they are tangible products, and tangible products who think they are intangible services).
Check out Le Verdure del Mio Orto (via Gianluca Brugnoli).
Posted by frogs on the road - June 16, 2009
If you’re not invited yet, invite yourself.
