THIS IS WATER

'...the real value of a real education which has (almost) nothing to do with knowledge and everything to do with simple awareness'

Empathy in Animals

Rapid prototyping Google Glass - Tom Chi

Rapid prototyping—doing is the best way of thinking

Excellent article to summarize the video here:

Getting to Google Glass

Smart Accessories for Smart Phones

Timothy Morey of frog's Innovation Strategy Group shares how "smart accessories" are disrupting markets and reshaping our understanding of the world.

'To Design is much more than simply to assemble, to order, or even to edit; it is to add value and meaning, to illuminate, to simplify, to clarify, to modify, to dignify, to dramatize, to persuade, and perhaps even to amuse.' --Paul Rand

Shoeboxes

I shot this at the shoe section of Mustafa, a 24 hours departmental store in Little India.

First of all, this is not the storeroom, Mustafa is infamously known for displaying pretty much everything they have stock. And if there is no space, toss out the packaging!

It just gripped me as to how much work was put into to label each and every box (article color and name). As a customer, it did serve it's purpose once I figured what was going on, although the various colored markers were a little confusing at the beginning, but I believe the floor staff handling the stock was 100% sure of the system they've took upon themselves to create.

So is this an indicator to shoe packaging designers? Does this really matter from a UX and branding perspective?

Yves Béhar Redesigns NIVEA Brand

From OLPC, Puma Shoebox, NYC Condoms and so on... Yves Béhar, you are the most accomplished designer of the 21 century.

Great food should be like great design

“A great meal is not just great food, but is great companionship. A great piece of design is something that allows people to be together.” — Gianfranco Zaccai
 
Great food should be like great design. First sight should be very appetizing
And then when you taste it (experience it), it should be very satisfying.

Sometimes food is ceremonial—to make a statement
Sometimes it needs to be subtle—just needs to be there
Sometimes it should almost disappear

It is not just the design of the object, it is the design of the experience.

How Rejection Breeds Creativity

Extracted from an article at 99u.com

In 2006, Stefani Germanotta had hit a turning point in her career. She had quit a rigorous musical theatre program at an elite college to focus on her musical passion and, after a year of hard work and little income, had signed a deal with Def Jam records.  But this promise wouldn't last. Just three months after signing, Def Jam changed its mind about Stefani's unusual style and released her from her contract.

 

Rejected, Stefani went back the drawing board, working in clubs and experimenting with new performers and new influences. These experiments produced a new sound that was drawing positive attention from critics and fans. Within a year, there was another offer; this one from Interscope Records. Nearly two years after her initial rejection, Stefani was finally able to introduce her sound and her self to the world – as Lady Gaga.

Rejection happens and, when it does, how we respond to it matters. Lady Gaga responded by experimenting with new influences and making her sound more unique. Just as Gaga experienced, recent research suggests that when most of us experience rejection, it can actually enhance our creativity, depending on how we respond to it.