Creativity?

Our blog has moved!

2010-06-07T07:23:00.000-07:00

Please note that this blog has now been transferred to the new Créativité Blog here

Hope to see you over there!
Best wishes Sue Alouche

Check out Zimoun, very meditational in an industrial kind of way ;)

2009-11-23T14:48:00.000-08:00

Take a look at this Video, it's worth watching all of it....

Great advertising for International Vegetarian Union

2009-11-23T14:45:00.000-08:00

Need I say more! Only that I fancy I nice juicy steak ;)

How to stimulate creativity? Go live abroad

2009-10-23T15:56:00.001-07:00

So that's why I moved to France!

Branding Trends for 2010 from Marketing Charts

2009-10-04T15:12:00.001-07:00

10 Branding Trends for 2010:

Though US economists are cautiously predicting an uptick in consumer spending next year, the post-recession landscape will present brand marketers with new challenges, new engagement realities and new rules, and will increase pressure to prove how and why branded products deliver value, according to (pdf) Dr. Robert Passikoff, president of Brand Keys. Using what Passikoff calls “predictive loyalty metrics” gleaned from consumer data his firm collects, Brandkeys analyzed the likely consumer values, needs and expectations for the next 12-18 months and offered the following 10 trends:

Value is the new black: Consumer spending, even on sale items, will continue to be replaced by a reason-to-buy at all. This may spell trouble for brands with no authentic meaning, whether high-end or low.
Brands are increasingly a surrogate for value: What makes goods and services valuable will increasingly be what’s
wrapped up in the brand and what it stands for.

Brand differentiation is brand value: The unique meaning of a brand will increase in importance as generic features continue to propagate in the brand landscape. Awareness as a meaningful market force has long been obsolete, and differentiation will be critical for sales and profitability.

“Because I said so” is over: Brand values can be established as a brand identity, but they must believably exist in the mind of the consumer. A brand can’t just say it stands for something and make it so. The consumer will decide, making it more important than ever for a brand to have measures of authenticity that will aid in brand differentiation and consumer engagement.

Consumer expectations are growing: Brands are barely keeping up with consumer expectations now. Every day consumers adopt and devour the latest technologies and innovations, and hunger for more. Smarter marketers will identify and capitalize on unmet expectations. Those brands that understand where the strongest expectations exist will be the brands that survive and prosper.

Old tricks don’t - and won’t - work anymore: Consumers are on to brands trying to play their emotions for profit. In the wake of the financial debacle of this past year, people are more aware then ever of the hollowness of bank ads that claim “we’re all in this together” when those same banks have rescinded their credit and turned their retirement plan into case studies. The same is true for insincere celebrity pairings - such as Seinfeld & Microsoft or Tiger Woods & Buick. Celebrity values and brand values instead need to be in concert.

Consumers won’t need to know a brand to love it: As the buying space becomes even more online-driven and international (and uncontrolled by brands and corporations), front-end awareness will become less important. A brand with the right street credibility can go viral in days, with awareness following - not leading - the conversation.

It’s not just buzz: Conversation and community is increasingly important, and if consumers trust the community, they will extend trust to the brand. This means not just word of mouth, but the right word of mouth within the community. This has significant implications for future of customer service.
Consumers talk with each other before talking with brands: Social networking and exchange of information outside of the brand space will increase. This - at least in theory - will mean more opportunities for brands to get involved in these spaces and meet customers where they are.

Engagement is not a fad; It’s the way today’s consumers do business: Marketers will come to accept that there are four engagement methods: The platform (TV; online), the context (program; webpage), the message (ad or communication), and the experience (store/event). At the same time, they also will realize that brand engagement will become impossible using out-dated attitudinal models.

Thanks for these

Eco friendly advertising...

2009-09-08T14:58:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for some interesting ideas on how to advertise your eco-friendly products of services...here are some interesting examples...

What do you think about Farm-washing...?

2009-08-25T14:41:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting article about not just the way our foods today are processed, but the way they are packaged and branded...can we still keep on branding foods like they come from the farm...or do we need to industrialise the imagery used...would anyone buy butter or goats cheese if it showed a picture of a large computerised industrial churner making the cheese?

With the results of a recent survey in the UK press showing that organic foods have no more benefits than ordinary goods...who's washing who?

What do you think? Are you working on food branding right now? What imagery are you using to portray these foods and why?
Here's the link to the feature on Brandchannel
http://twit.ac/EA-U.html

Participation culture, creativity, and social change

2009-08-11T14:12:00.001-07:00

Inspiring presentation by David Gauntlett, University of Westminter...so get out there and make something!

I need to add this code vidjtr7usn

2009-06-25T14:21:00.001-07:00

Ah Ha

2009-06-23T06:55:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite writers on creativity, Arthur Koestler, has a unique way of describing three kinds of creativity:

ARTISTIC: Ahhhhhhhh!
SCIENTIFIC: Ah-Ha!
COMIC: Ha-Ha!

In The Act of Creation, Arthur Koestler lists three types of creative individual - the Artist, the Sage and the Jester - which are you?

Artist

The Artist looks for beauty, elegance of form and solution. It is probably the role closest to the common perception of creativity. For the Artist things have to fit and feel right - this role is about synthesis, poetry and intuition. When the Artist knows something is right this is the "Aahh" moment.
Sage

The Sage is the problem solver, using tools of analysis to dissect the challenge into its component parts and see how they work. This is a role for the intellect fired by flashes of inspiration - the scientist, inventor and crossword puzzle solver. When the Sage discovers something this is the "Ah ha!" moment.
Jester

The Jester is an often undervalued role, especially in business. The Jester pokes fun at things and plays with them, taking them to pieces and rearranging them in unusual ways. The Jester often produces ludicrous results - the "Ha ha" moment - but very often this is what is needed to break out of a conceptual rut. Like the court Jester of old, the creative Jester can think the unthinkable - and say it.

How creative can you be on the back of a business card?

2009-06-23T06:48:00.000-07:00

I liked these by www.gapingvoid.com

Bubble-us helps you brainstorm on-line...

2009-06-09T14:46:00.000-07:00

Try it out...it's easy and it might help you to be more creative!

http://bubbl.us/edit.php

Objectified trailer

2009-04-29T07:20:00.001-07:00

A new documentary film by Gary Hustwit,director of Helvetica coming to a screen near you soon!

Trend Report: Green, Co-mingling Perspectives

2009-02-23T10:15:00.001-08:00

An really interesting presentation about "green" trends and where we go next...

Trend Report: Green, Co-mingling Perspectives

View more presentations from Tim Stock. (tags: economy recession)

Understand Innovation in 5 Minutes

2009-02-22T14:29:00.001-08:00

This presentation explains the difference between innovation and invention...and why innovation is so important. Take a look and think about it...

Understand Innovation in 5 Minutes

View more presentations from Gordon Graham. (tags: online elearning)

More Warm up Exercises

2009-02-22T13:24:00.000-08:00

"Do you know me?"

Each person is given a nametag and an index card. The name tag has the name of another person in the group on it. Everyone is told to circulate, meet, mix and mingle to gather information, insights or stories about the person on their tag from group members. The opening line "Do you know me?" is used to help generate clues and conversation. The index card is to be used to write down the information collected. At the end of a designated time - about 15 minutes, each participant introduces their "name tag" and its person to the group.

A brand called me!

Each person is given a blank name tag. Explain to the group that corporations are recognized by a specific logo or symbol. (McDonalds arches, Apple Computer's Apple, etc.) They are given 2 minutes to draw their personal logo. This logo should reflect their personality, their interests, major or any thing they would like other people to know about them. Then give the group time to mingle and see what each others logo looks like. When it looks like the entire group has mixed, instruct everybody with a similar logo to form a small group. You may be surprised at how many similarities there are in your group.

Color Jacuzzi:

The object of this small group exercise is to get the group to quickly meet the other members. The facilitator calls out a color of the rainbow: - for example RED:

Red typically is the stop/turn- off color - so each member of the group quickly tells what is the one thing (that they can disclose in public) that is really a turn off to them .

Orange: is the motivation color - what motivates them

Yellow: is the inspiration or creativity color - what was the best idea they've had

Green: is the money color - what they plan to do for money, or the dumbest thing they ever did for money.

Blue: is the sky's the limit color - what is your favorite fantasy about your future

Indigo: is an odd, or different color - what is the most daring thing they ever did.

Purple: is the color of royalty - if you were ruler of the universe for a day - what is the first thing you would do?

The 10 rules of effective language

2009-02-15T14:52:00.000-08:00

I liked this, Dr Luntz has just written a book about this subject Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, it's What People Hear by Dr Frank Luntz (£15.99, Hyperion)

This is from www.psychologies.co.uk

From 'Words That Work' by Dr Frank Luntz

1. Simplicity: use small words. The more simply an idea is presented, the easier it is to understand – and, therefore, the more credible it will be.

2. Brevity: use short sentences. This is less about self-restraint than it is a matter of finding exactly the right piece of the language jigsaw puzzle to fit the precise space you’re trying to fill.

3. Credibility is as important as philosophy. If your words lack sincerity, if they contradict accepted facts, circumstances or perceptions, they will lack impact. Tell people who you are or what you do. Then be that person, and do what you have said you would do.

4. Consistency matters. Repetition. Repetition. Repetition. Remember, you may be making yourself sick by saying the same exact thing for the umpteenth time, but many in your audience will be hearing it for the first time.
5But offer something new. If something doesn’t shock us or bores us, we move on to something else. If what you say generates an ‘I didn’t know that’ response, you have succeeded.

6. Sound and texture matter. The sounds and textures of words should be just as memorable as the words themselves. The rhythm of language is in itself musical.

7. Speak aspirationally. Messages need to say what people want to hear, to touch people at the most fundamental, primal level, by speaking to their deepest hopes, fears and dreams. The best speeches make idealists of us all.

8. Visualise. Paint a vivid picture. Take M&M’s: ‘Melts in your mouth, not in your hand’. The slogans we remember for a lifetime almost always have a strong visual component, something we can see and almost feel.

9. Ask a question. A customer complaining to the shop manager that her meat has too much fat in it is less effective than if she asked: ‘Does this look lean to you?’. Similarly, asking ‘What would you do if you were in my shoes?’, puts direct pressure on the recipient of your complaint to see things your way. Making a statement in the form of a rhetorical question makes the reaction personal.

10. Provide context. You have to give people the ‘why’ of a message before you tell them the ‘therefore’ and the ‘so that’. Some people call this framing. I prefer the word context, because it better explains why a particular message matters.

Do you like optical illusions? Then you'll love these...

2009-02-08T13:15:00.000-08:00

Michael Bach is a specialist in visual illusion and he has developed a web site with over 80 optical illusions.

So take a look here

Business and Generosity...Generation G

2009-02-08T00:46:00.001-08:00

I just picked up this really interesting post on a friend's blog

It's about GENERATION G (a new "recessionary" trend from trendwatching.com)

GENERATION G | "Captures the growing importance of 'generosity' as a leading societal and business mindset. As consumers are disgusted with greed and its current dire consequences for the economy—and while that same upheaval has them longing more than ever for institutions that care—the need for more generosity beautifully coincides with the ongoing (and pre-recession) emergence of an online-fueled culture of individuals who share, give, engage, create and collaborate in large numbers.

In fact, for many, sharing a passion and receiving recognition have replaced 'taking' as the new status symbol. Businesses should follow this societal/behavioral shift, however much it may oppose their decades-old devotion to me, myself and I.”

You can see the whole article http://trendwatching.com/briefing/

Need help with naming your business?...

2009-02-08T00:37:00.000-08:00

Then this is the place to go..."The Fantabulous Breadline Design"

As there are going to be so many freelancers out there now with the new "auto-entrepreneur" scheme, this handy little web-site could be just what you need to help you think of names for your business...

Take a look... "flyingweasel.com" is memorable, non?

The Swankiest Homeless Shelter in the World...

2009-01-03T00:20:00.000-08:00

"Klaus Weigelt sat on a red leather sofa beneath a sun-yellow, gold framed oil painting and watched the smoke from his cigarette as it floated towards the chandelier above his head.

"Not long ago, I was down and out in Berlin," said the former electrician. "Now I'm sitting in the lap of luxury."

Weigelt, 57, is a resident in Haus Schöneweide in a suburb of south-east Berlin, a refuge for homeless men which, following a €100,000 (£98,000) refit, has been dubbed the swankiest homeless shelter in the world.

Before its revamp, the shelter, which was tiled in blue from top to bottom, resembled the cold interior of a butcher's shop. But Berlin-based concept artist Miriam Kilali took it on herself to rip out the scruffy and less than inspiring decor, and lobbied politicians, furniture shops, designers and friends for materials and funds.

Now Italian wallpapers, gold trimmings, parquet flooring, red carpeting and crystal chandeliers have replaced the tiles, lino flooring and strip lighting that previously defined the face of the three-storey house. The overall effect is of a chic boutique hotel with Mediterranean undertones that would not be out of place in a trendy Berlin quarter.

The finished work of art, which Kilali said resembles a "living painting", is called Reichtum 2.

"It means wealth," she said. "It's a symbol, an attempt to give the 21 men who live here a sense of self-worth and a decent place where they might find dignity and respect - wealth of sorts after all they've been through."

The smell of stale alcohol and tobacco lingers in the air, a reminder that the residents are chronic alcoholics, most of whom suffer from mental disorders and none of whom are likely to recover. "Nobody really has time for alcoholics," said Kilali. "Children and animals yes, but not ageing alcoholic men.

"When we were trying to raise the funds there was a lot of tension over spending such a lot of money and questions as to why these men in particular should benefit. After all, what had they contributed to society?"

Even the residents themselves were sceptical. "They don't tend to like change, because they've generally had too much change in their lives," said Christoph Brenneis, deputy manager of the home. "But we put together a prototype room and gradually they started to come round to the idea - and even helped with the refurbishment and choosing the decor."

The Guardian, 30 December 2008

Indian Highway at the Serpentine, London...

2009-01-02T23:34:00.001-08:00

I loved this image taken from the Indian Highway Exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery, London. It's The Nemesis of Nations by Bharti Kher, one of the many artworks from Indian artists on display.

Née en 1969 à Londres, Bharti Kher vit à New Delhi depuis les années 1990. Tout comme son mari, Subodh Gupta, elle fait partie de la génération montante des artistes indiens qui mènent aujourd'hui une carrière internationale. Bharti conçoit de spectaculaires environnements d'esprit surréaliste ou fantastique, peuplés de figures hybrides. Séduisantes au premier abord, ces créatures, allégories de la violence ou de la mort, sont en réalité cruelles ou effrayantes, révélant le malaise et le chaos de l'époque.

Born in 1969 in London. Lives and works in New Delhi.
Bharti Kher’s work collects a wide range of images culled from her daily life and surroundings, and
traces the contours of her urban and immigrant experience. The artist questions our notions of race,
identity and origin, and addresses a number of issues such as class, consumerism and feminism, as
well as the relationships between tradition and contemporaneity. Kher is also known for her resin-cast
animals, life-size sculptures of deer, elephants and hyenas, often covered in bindi, the tiny decoration
applied in India to women’s foreheads.

You can see more of her work here

and find out more about the exhibition here

What If.....? An exercise in Creativity and What Iff'ing

2008-12-28T15:32:00.000-08:00

What if we could see smells? You'd know the source of the bad smell in the kitchen--a plant, rubbish bin, wastebasket, old food in the refrigerator. You could see the perfume as it wafted off the girl wearing it--a visible "come on." Since we can see farther than we can smell, you could see who had an orange or banana in his lunch bag from across the room. Visible odors could be socially embarrassing in ways not necessary to detail.

Whether or not the "seeing smells" thought suggests the invention of an smell detecting device, a super sniffer like the ones used by the U.S. military to sniff out enemy soldiers, a main benefit of practicing what-iffing is to train the mind to explore unreality or imagined reality, to think about, for a few minutes, the necessary, logical consequences or facts needed to support such a change in real things. Too often when someone gets a new idea, little attempt is made to think about its logical consequences for a few minutes.

Notice when you mention a "what if" to your friends, their reaction will probably be to laugh and change the subject, or to laugh and suggest one funny consequence. There is little attempt to trace probable consequences thoroughly, to outline a full set of associated realities. By not doing so, we are in danger of cutting off many new ideas.

Try It Yourself

What If.

Choose one of the questions below and then trace the reasonable and logical consequences that would follow. You might be sure to think of both good and bad (and perhaps indifferent) consequences. List or describe (in a sentence or two each) at least ten consequences.
What if anyone could set up as a doctor?
What if each home could run the television only one hour a day?
What if petrol grew on trees and was a renewable resource?
What if exams were abolished in college?
What if our pets could talk?
What if we never had to sleep?
What if we could read other people's minds (and they could read ours)?
What if all marriages were automatically cancelled by the state every three years?
What if everybody looked almost exactly alike?
What if clocks and watches didn't exist and daylight lasted six months?

Be more creative, USES FOR A...

2008-12-28T15:25:00.000-08:00

This is a simple technique that can be used for mental stimulation or practical application, depending on what you have in mind at the time. It is an excellent tool for breaking you out of a functionally fixated mindset. To use this technique, think of an item or object, usually a common one like a brick, toothpick, pencil, or bucket, and set the task of thinking of all the possible uses for that object, without regard to what the object is normally used for, what it is named, or how it is usually thought of.
Sometimes a time limit, like three to five minutes, is given. Other times a quantity limit, like 25 to 100 is given. All the techniques of idea generation are used, from checklist to attribute analysis to random stimulation.

Try It Yourself

Uses For.
Choose one of the items below and think of at least 25 original uses for it. (That is, you cannot list things that the item is already used for.) The uses can be fanciful, but should at least approach practicality. Describe each use in a sentence or two.

a cardboard box
a towel
a nail
a sheet of paper
a spoon
a fan
a roll of adding machine paper
a ball point pen
the yellow pages
an inner tube
a candle
three feet of Scotch tape
a plastic drinking glass
a toothpick
a marble
old newspapers
worn out automobile tyres
non-returnable soda bottles
tons of broken rubber bands
pencils

Creative Lighting...

2008-12-28T14:35:00.000-08:00

Sculpter, Raphael Daden, was chosen to develop this lighting along the seafront at Brighton. Stunning.

Pedestrians interact with light-projected portraits from a video art installation in Trafalgar Square, London. Artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer's piece Under Scan features 1,000 interactive portraits of British people.

Wake up and Live - 12 Mental Exercises...

2008-12-27T16:43:00.000-08:00

I came across this book which Dorothea Brande wrote in 1936 (which incidentally was made into a musical by Twentieth Century Fox). Here's what the New Yorker said about it at the time... "Now Mrs. Dorothea Brande has written a book and Simon & Schuster have published it, with the firm purpose in mind of getting me and all the other woolgatherers mentally organized so that, in a world which is going to pieces, we can be right up on our toes. I have no doubt that the book, which is called "Wake Up And Live!" will sell some two hundred thousand copies..."

In fact it sold 2 million copies...Inside are these twelve mental exercises, some of them are interesting to try out...

1. Spend an hour each day without saying anything except in answer to direct questions, in the midst of the usual group, without creating the impression that you’re sulking or ill. Be as ordinary as possible. But do not volunteer remarks or try to draw out information.

2. Think for 30 minutes a day about one subject exclusively. Start with five minutes.

3. Write a letter without using the words I, me, mine, my.

4. Talk for 15 minutes a day without using I, me, my, mine.

5. Write a letter in a “successful” or placid tone. No misstatements, no lying. Look for aspects or activities that can be honestly reported that way.

6. Pause on the threshold of any crowded room and size it up.

7. Keep a new acquaintance talking about himself or herself without allowing him to become conscious of it. Turn back any courteous reciprocal questions in a way that your auditor doesn’t feel rebuffed.

8. Talk exclusively about yourself and your interests without complaining, boasting, or boring your companions.

9. Cut “I mean” or “As a matter of fact” or any other verbal mannerism out of your conversation.

10. Plan two hours of a day and stick to the plan.

11. Set yourself twelve tasks at random: e.g., go twenty miles from home using ordinary conveyance; go 12 hours without food; go eat a meal in the unlikelist place you can find; say nothing all day except in answer to questions; stay up all night and work.

12. From time to time, give yourself a day when you answer “yes” to any reasonable request.

Interesting...

6 word memoirs - which is your favourite?

2008-12-08T13:55:00.000-08:00

This one really is relevant for me!
The Guardian has been running this competition to see who's six word memoir has the most resonance...which is your favourite? Here's the shortlist of the final 7 Take a look here You can find all of them here.

Think like a Bushman...An exercise to look at everyday objects differently...

2008-11-23T15:01:00.000-08:00

An African Bushman, unaware of white culture, discovers an empty Coca Cola bottle in the Kalahari Desert. The bushman closely examines this mystical object (casually dropped by a passing pilot), wondering what it is good for. He then tries blowing into it, and is very pleased to learn that it makes a noise. In this creativity exercise you encourage your students to become Bushmen. Yes, bushmen...

You need to collect 5 to 10 props. You display a prop to your students and ask them to find a new use for it. This exercise encourages creativity since it forces the thinking process to erase or ignore what is known and come up with fresh ways of looking at something familiar.

Think about these, "Ways to..." and leave your ideas as comments...

2008-11-23T14:51:00.001-08:00

These could be a good set of ice breakers, or longer tasks:

Ways to...
Brainstorming Exercise

Ways to get people painting and drawing
Ways to discover new bands
Marketing a new fragrance
Ways to discourage use of cars
Ways to find a new partner
Ways to encouraging people to keep exercising

I liked this exercise...I've called it Movie Maker..

2008-11-23T14:45:00.000-08:00

This exercise is courtesey of John Cliff. www.johncliff.com

"You can add to your repertoire of creative tools. It will help you increase your output of ideas whenever you’re doing any sort of brainstorming, or even just kicking a few thoughts around with colleagues.

Make a huge movie screen in your mind and start creating vivid mental imagery of things that have anything at all to do with the topic under discussion.

Let’s say you’re kicking around a few ideas to do with product improvement. Create a mental movie of a suitable situation you’re familiar with.

You might, for example, put yourself in your local supermarket where you’re walking around looking at all those products on the shelves, the point-of-sale material, the overhead posters and displays.

And, specifically, look at close-ups of the products and packaging.

Now, look at the wealth of ideas you can see as you mentally stroll around the aisles - create a six-pack, sell two-for-one, add a free bonus product, change the package shape, put a handle on it, group like products together, add a promotional coupon - and so on.

Then change the movie. Maybe you could put yourself in an art gallery, or a circus, or a toy factory, or your local Kwik-Fit - and notice how different situations can generate even more ideas.

Then try mixing a few movies together – a hospital operating room with an airport check-in queue, a day at the beach with a retail furniture store, a public library with a dog show.

The possibilities are endless. And obviously the more you do this, the better you’ll get.

Why this yields results

We have two main channels for generating ideas – ‘visual’, where we think in pictures, and ‘auditory’, where we think in words.

The visual channel is faster because we can have pictures coming and going in a flash. It’s the mind’s main source of information. The auditory channel, on the other hand, can be useful, but it’s painfully slow. In fact, we can’t ‘think’ language any faster than we can talk it in real life.

And because of the way the mind works, we can’t be in both channels at the same time. So if you’re doing most of your thinking in words, you won’t get nearly as many ideas."

Thanks John.

John Cliff. www.johncliff.com

Great Buzz Marketing Campaigns for IKEA's launch in Frankfurt and Port Island Japan

2008-11-21T15:59:00.000-08:00

The new routemaster...

2008-11-02T01:40:00.000-07:00

I spent a lot of my time on the 73 and the 38 buses, both routemasters when I lived in Islington. I used them for work, shopping and meeting friends all the time. They were great to hop on and hop off; they took me through the heart of London - a fantastic sight-seeing tour, and quite often had eccentric bus-conducters who I built up a good rapport with - I missed them dearly when they were taken out of service. I loved them in the winter, everyone fought for the seats near the front away from the open door. I loved the 'bang bang' the conductor made when he was up on the top-deck to signal to the driver that the bus should start. The old fashioned ticket-machines, with the long, long tickets...Aaaahhh so many memories.

But, they are going to be reinvented. Here are the new proposals. What do you think?

"Hold very tightly, please, ladies and gentlemen. The announcement of the winner of the mayor of London's competition for the design of a new London bus, or Mk 2 Routemaster, is just around the corner. Here's one of the designs - an electric double-decker called the e21, powered by rechargeable batteries - submitted by Michael Kerz, a graduate of Central St Martin's School of Art and Design.

Given that the original Routemaster, one of the finest of all city buses, appeared at a time when diesel oil was a lot cheaper than it is today, perhaps it's right that a new generation RM should be electric. But, just as the much-missed Routemaster has long been seen as a tourist attraction, so Kerz's design plays on the fact; his e21 boasts a full length transparent roof so tourists can gawp at passing pediments, plane trees and pigeons as Londoners flick through newspapers, grimace along to the thumpa-whompa-tss-tss-tss of personal stereos, doze, eat, drink and fight.

Like the Mk 1 Routemaster, Kerz's Mk 2 sports an open rear platform, beloved by generations of Londoners, but condemned by Transport for London officials as being too dangerous. An automatic safety barrier would keep would-be leapers in control until the bus had stopped, but surely this undermines the very nature of an open platform: the chance to get on and off anywhere along central London's congested streets, no faster than they were in the days of horse-drawn buses.

Kerz, as you can see has tried to borrow something of the Routemaster's profile, but it must be said that the e21 does look just a little angular and brutal compared with the functional elegance of the gently curved original. With its big whizzy wheels and aggressive, cartoon-like stance, the e21 looks better suited to Wacky Races than Route 11.

Next week, we should find out what Transport for London's judges feel about designs from Kerz, other design students, architects - including Norman Foster, whose entry just happens to resemble a trolleybus - engineers, industrial designers and others. The panel, it's good to know, is 100 per cent celebrity-free and composed wholly of those who, if the new bus does go ahead, will run it in daily service.

I suggest that the winning design ought to be in the spirit of the Routemaster and its predecessors, stretching back to the London General B-Type double-decker of 1910, but may well look nothing like it. A true a successor to the Routemaster should be a truly modern city bus designed for a long and trouble-free life and as energy and space efficient as technically possible.

A new Routemaster mustn't be fashionable and it cannot be aimed primarily at the tourist market. It has to be at least 10 times better looking than contemporary London buses, which are bought off the shelf. It doesn't need video screens inside (please not; surely Londoners can still read or simply enjoy looking out of the window?). It needs a quiet engine, however powered, as well as silent brakes. Oh, and it needs a grown-up interior design - unlike 99 per cent of contemporary London buses.

Most of all, the RM2 must be a London bus. London is one of the richest cities in the world, supposedly one of the most creative, and together we must find a way to commission a bus that, one day, will be as famous and as respected as the original Routemaster. We'll soon find out."

The Guardian

The mini office...perfect for small space living...

2008-10-29T01:18:00.000-07:00

Just came across this, it's a great idea for the small office and it doesn't need screws or fixings...
check it out

Orangina Naturally Juicy French (raunchy) version

2008-10-14T09:06:00.001-07:00

This ad was banned in the UK as it was felt too raunchy for children. Surprisingly (or not surprisingly) it has been a great hit in France. What do you think?

80 million tiny images

2008-09-02T02:14:00.000-07:00

This is brilliant, developed by MIT, each one of these 80 million images is an entry in a visual dictionary, just click on one image to have a visual representation about each noun in the english dictionary

"We present a visualization of all the nouns in the English language arranged by semantic meaning. Each of the tiles in the mosaic is an arithmetic average of images relating to one of 53,464 nouns. The images for each word were obtained using Google's Image Search and other engines. A total of 7,527,697 images were used, each tile being the average of 140 images. The average reveals the dominant visual characteristics of each word. For some, the average turns out to be a recognizable image; for others the average is a colored blob. The list of nouns was obtained from Wordnet, a database compiled by lexicographers which records the semantic relationship between words."

Take a look here

Feel like playing...?

2008-08-30T16:10:00.000-07:00

I just came across this web-site called Sodaplay on the Time Top 50 web-sites - just had a play around with some of the graphics myself, here's what Time had to say about it....

"If you like to play God, the British interactive design company Soda Creative Technologies Ltd. can help you work out your controlling--er, creative--urges. Its Sodaconstructor game gives you a wire-frame, jellyfish-like creature that marches jauntily back and forth across your computer screen; it's up to you to alter physique or physics (by turning gravity on or off, for example). Don't be surprised if you end up growing so proud of your new pet that you want to trot it out like a show poodle in the Sodazoo."

Try it here....

Creativity is...

2008-08-29T13:51:00.001-07:00

If you got the bug from the previous post...

2008-08-15T21:13:00.003-07:00

...here's a simple mind-mapping course!

Tony Buzan - In search of genius through mind-mapping

2008-08-15T21:13:00.001-07:00

If you don't yet use mind-mapping to help you with creativity, lateral thinking, problem solving, planning and organising your life, take a look at this. Tony Buzan, the inventor of mind-mapping takes 6 difficult children in a problem school - see what happens at the end of 6 months....

Is it just a guitar? Use your creativity...what else could it be...

2008-08-14T13:12:00.000-07:00

Everyone looks at things in a different way. Try this exercise and see what you (and perhaps your friends) come up with.
Print off this image and make it into something else.

I got this evercise from an interesting blog
before and after, if you want some inspiration before you start, take a look at what the guitar shape turned into!

If you want to send me your examples so that I can post them up, email me at sue.alouche@orange.fr

A short Creativity Exercise - What could you access from a cashpoint?

2008-08-13T14:57:00.000-07:00

Image coutesey of www.legaljuice.com

What other things could you access from a cashpoint machine? We go there so many times to get money, couldn't we get other things too?

But be practical, consider size, security, practicality. I bet you'll have 10 ideas in 10 minutes!

Adapted from an exercise from Caffeine for the mind

Why not add your ideas as comments to this post...

The Starck Reality of the French President's office accessories..oh, and the Euro!.

2008-07-26T15:40:00.000-07:00

"Behind the summits and meetings, France wants its European presidency to be all about style and impeccable good taste.

Appalled by the tacky plastic pens, badges and Velcro-fastening free shoulder-bags that are often synonymous with major events like this, the foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, has enlisted an artistic director: Philippe Starck, the French design guru famous for his style pieces, from chairs to juice-squeezers.

"There are lots of things that traditionally are given to journalists, ministers, delegates," Starck has explained to the news agency AFP. "For the first time in the history of the EU, everything produced will be of high quality."

Starck, famous for interiors that included the private apartments of former Socialist president François Mitterrand, will style select interiors and exteriors of buildings for some events.

He has also produced more than a dozen EU presidency items, including pens, notebooks and small bags which will be given out to delegates. The stylish goodie bags have already caused ructions when a Starck-designed European briefcase was sent to all French MPs, featuring stationery, a towel rail and a pale grey tie. Some of the women MPs, who all received the ties, denounced it as the height of male chauvinism.

But for ordinary EU citizens unable to blag a set of Starck freebies, he has designed a special two-euro coin - 20 million of which will go into circulation across Europe from today.

"Bernard Kouchner wants the French presidency to have a very interesting, very creative profile, " Starck said. The idea was to show "a very modern, very creative France of high technologies, not France wearing a beret, but an avant-garde France"."
The Guardian 1 July 2008

Starck has also just been commissioned by the BBC to head up a new series about the future of design. Why didn't they choose someone English, there's so many fab designers in the UK - why Starck! He needs to do one over here....the deco revolution has started in France, and soon we'll have "trés grande designs" "Brico SOS" and "Comment reviver votre longere"

Patrick Blanc's Vertical Gardens

2008-07-17T14:57:00.001-07:00

Check out Patrick Blanc's beautiful vertical gardens currently on show at the International Design Centre in Melbourne.

This year's festival has the theme Strength in Numbers, and celebrates both collaboration and brilliant solutions to pressing contemporary issues. French artist and scientist Patrick Blanc's vertical garden, transforms a 47 square metre wall into a living and permanent installation.

"This garden needs no soil, and only a small amount of water. It has its own irrigation system. Cities are developing at such a fast rate, and we no longer have room for gardens. He's not just presenting an option, but a beautiful, practical option. The environmental message can be communicated in so many forms, and I think having statistics thrown at us is not the only way."

If you don't know MOO, you should!

2008-07-16T03:14:00.001-07:00

It's a great place where you can print as many images as you want on the back of your business cards, as well as lots of other interesting personalised promotions....great for small businesses, or for personal cards or promotions. Take a look at MOO here....

Left Brained or Right Brained...?

2008-07-09T02:20:00.000-07:00

Take this simple test here...

Write here, right now - great typography!

2008-06-30T03:26:00.001-07:00

Take a look...don't try this at home....with a permanent marker!

What's in a name...

2008-06-24T16:15:00.001-07:00

I was reading one of my favourite french blogs - Why Travel to France, and came across this today....two flavours of jam - 'Arse scratch' and 'Old boy' - mmmm wonder what's inside? France has a knack of producing products with interesting names...how about French Rabbit wine - sold in a tetrapak! Or Le Freak and Elephant on a Tightrope, developed for English speaking audiences to help flagging sales of French wine. What do you think of this strategy?

Has John McCain gone Branding Bonkers? He wants to literally 'brand' democrats!

2008-06-23T02:29:00.000-07:00

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (CAP) - Republican presidential hopeful John McCain is refusing to back down from incendiary statements he recently made suggesting that registered Democrats be branded with a letter 'D' in order to tell them apart from "real Americans." He made the suggestion at a campaign stop in St. Paul.

"My friends, these Democrats - they walk among us, and we don't even know it," McCain said at a town hall meeting. "They wear our clothes. They eat our food. They pee in our toilets.

"And if there's anything that Vietnam has taught me, it's that you don't pee in another man's toilet," McCain added after a lengthy pause.

Under McCain's proposal, every voting precinct in the country would be assigned a Precinct Branding Officer, who would be equipped with a steak branding iron containing a 1 1/2" high letter 'D' on a 10" long handle. As voters declare their party affiliation at the polls this November, they would be branded as appropriate before being allowed to vote.

"It's really not as archaic as it sounds," said McCain spokesperson Sylvester McBean during a phone interview with CAP News. "I mean, they can pick where they want to be branded; it's not like we're gonna slap a 'D' on their forehead if they don't want. And we will have registered nurses on hand in case things don't go quite as planned.

God help us if he gets into power!

Fun Ice Breaker

2008-06-23T02:21:00.000-07:00

Need to energise your meeting? Having a team building meeting? Need to add small snaps of creativite to a workshop?
This is just the exercise for you! This is more suitable for small groups of say 5 or 6 people

Icebreaker Game - If I were a...
A fun icebreaker game to encourage creativity, best for smaller groups.
Ask each person to say what they would be and why, if they were a...
• A piece of fruit
• An historical figure
• A household object
• A cartoon character
• Any other off the wall group you can think of!
I would be a pineapple as I am exotic, sweet and zingy.
I would be a whisk as I like to stir things up.
I would be Taz as I rush around like a crazy creature!
Time to allow for this activity 20 mins

IceBreaker Game...

2008-06-23T02:17:00.000-07:00

This ice breaker game is best for 10 or so people.

Bring 5 random items to the meeting and place them in the centre of the group.

Each person is encouraged to come up with an alternative use for the item, or to
come up with a phrase associated with the item.

Item ideas; toy dog, cardboard box, chair, wooden spoon, picture, scarf or anything
else around the home or office.

Creative uses; e.g. use cardboard box as handbag,
Have a few ideas prepared to start the game off.

Brainstorming Activity 1 – Night and Day

2008-06-23T02:15:00.001-07:00

Busy people need routines and shortcuts to make it through the day. If we had to
consciously think about the steps involved in making a cup of tea, we’d have
exhausting our thinking energy before we’d even left the house in the morning.
Routine thinking may save time and energy, but seriously hampers creative
brainstorming, so use this exercise to challenge traditional thoughts and encourage
creativity.

Make a list of common words e.g. night, smart, heavy, quick, apple. Get your team
to list the first opposite meaning word that springs to mind e.g. day, stupid, light,
slow, pear. This will flush out the obvious, routine words. Challenge your team to
come up with at least 3 further opposite words for each word e.g.

Night = day,sun,white,awake, .....
Smart = stupid, scruffy, shabby, in-elegant, clumsy, gawky

You’ll find some similar meaning words creep into your list – that’s fine as these can
spark further opposite meaning words. Remember ideas breed ideas and to keep
critical, analytical thinking in check. Limit the time spent on this activity to 10-15
minutes, to keep it fresh and focused.

Now it’s time to introduce the “real” brainstorming activity. Write your problem
statement clearly and simply, and let those creative minds go to work on generating
new and non-routine ideas to solve the problem.

Do schools today kill creativity? (Ken Robinson, TEDTalks)

2008-06-15T14:55:00.001-07:00

This brings up some really interesting questions about the way we educate children...particularly in France.

What do people say behind your back?

2008-05-07T15:37:00.000-07:00

''We already have a personal brand, whether we have consciously developed it or not,'' says Europe's leading authority on personal branding, Lesley Everett. ''Your personal brand is what people say about you, behind your back,'' she explains succinctly.

A personal brand, according to Everett, is a collection of powerful and clear ideas people have about us, when they think of us, though most of the time we're not clear about what people are actually saying about us behind our back.

Often, the creation and management of the personal brand is left to chance, because we as individuals are unaware of what perceptions other people have of us. Personal branding is about taking control of your personal brand, managing those perceptions, in a way that reflects who you are as an authentic person, and making sure people ''get you'' when they mean you, rather than judge you to be someone you are not.

A personal brand evolves over time, with a layer being added by everything you do everyday. Everett says that simple things, like a chat at the coffee machine, the email you sent, the message you left on the voice mail, every meeting and presentation contribute to building your brand. These interactions work as the counterpart of ''brand touchpoints'' for product and corporate brands.

Just as the old maxim ''your reputation precedes you'' goes, your personal brand too travels far and wide, and its reach is almost limitless, says Everett. ''Like ripples, you know they travel outwards, though you don't know how far they will go,'' she explains. This makes it all the more important for you to take proactive control of your personal brand.

Is it all about the image?
''Image is part of the personal brand,'' says Everett, ''but on its own, image can be perceived as being very superficial.'' Personal branding, as taught by Everett and her Walking Tall methodology, starts developing the personal brand from inside out.

Motivators, drivers, beliefs, values, standards, and strengths are those parts of the personal brand that are not visually apparent to people. What people do see, is the stuff that is ''the tip of the iceberg'' as Everett chooses to call it – the myths that they judge you on – which comprise voice, body language, dress and appearance, attitude and behaviour.

Personal branding is about creating a congruence between the apparent, and the inside. ''The starting point,'' according to Everett, ''is to think about what you really stand for, and then think about how you are going to package yourself and how you are going to project yourself so that people judge you in the way that you want to be judged.''

The personal brand and corporate brand
''People are becoming the strongest element of the corporate brand,'' explains Everett, irrespective of the fact whether you are an entrepreneur, or whether you work for a large, global organisation. So, how do you personify the brand attributes of the corporate brand? In situations where you fail to deliver more than once, people tend to see you and inefficient and unreliable, which if different to how you see yourself at that point of time, as you may not have been able to get that report delivered, or do that promised call back on account of other interruptions that life threw in your path. Everett shares the example of working with a company that had responsiveness as one of their values, but each time she telephoned them, their voice mail would kick in, and it would take three days or more for the call to be returned. This made an absolute mockery of their brand value of responsiveness," says Everett.

If you want to know how to Walk Tall with your own brand, take a look here...

Getting Married, then these are a must!

2008-05-05T02:40:00.000-07:00

We've had bride and groom loo rolls, so now it's the turn of the humble Kleenex tissue to get a wedding makeover. Let's face it, you and your guests are probably going to be using a lot of these on the day, so I guess it makes sense to customise the box. MyKleenexTissue.com allow you to do just that, by printing your choice of photo, message or logo onto a box of tissues which you can then set out on your tables or place discretely in your ceremony venue for the use of those who need them. Some might call it overkill to have tissues which match the theme of your wedding, but at just $4.99 per box, at least they won't eat into your budget too much.

Now your baby can star in it's own movie...

2008-04-30T15:56:00.000-07:00

Want a new baby birth card with a difference. Enter www.5starbaby.com, which offers personalized birth announcements fashioned after movie advertisement posters.

Take a look at the web site for more info

Fancy a quick nap? Well now you can, at the Ikea Nap Hotel!

2008-04-30T15:52:00.000-07:00

Last week, IKEA offered fatigued Stockholm shoppers a similar form of respite by installing a Sovhotell (sleep hotel) in one of the city's downtown shopping centres. After checking in at Sovhotell's front desk, guests were asked whether they normally sleep on their stomach, side or back, and were given a pillow to suit their personal sleeping style. In addition to single and double beds, the Sovhotell also featured a bridal suite.

Guests were welcome to snooze for 15 minutes, and were given eye masks and headphones with soothing soundscapes to help them benefit from their sponsored power naps. According to IKEA, inspiration for the Sovhotell came from Japanese capsule hotels and from the fact that the shoppers in its own stores are occasionally found napping in the bedroom section.

Website: www.ikea.com

How do we know products are really green?

2008-04-30T03:44:00.001-07:00

Are you confused about green products, eco products, biologique products? There are so many, how do we really know if they are green, dark green, light green or not green at all...this might help you.

"In the lawless and unregulated landscape of going green, it became clear that someone, somewhere, needed to step in to provide some semblance of order and a credible means of measuring the myriad of ways companies can go, and pretend to go, green. Here are three watchdogs that deserve recognition....read the rest of the article at Brandchannel here...

Numbers and letters are the latest a mini trend...

2008-04-08T06:57:00.000-07:00

If you want to know what other mini-trends there are right now, check out Design Sponge here...Its a great design blog...constantly being up-dated with new products and trends...

Social Networking in Plain English

2008-04-08T06:55:00.001-07:00

Confused about social networking....look no further!

Personalisation gone ga ga

2008-04-05T14:42:00.000-07:00

Japanese company Yosimiya is selling bags of rice printed with a newborn's photo, name and date of birth. The bags are shaped to resemble a swaddled baby. But the key feature is that the bags contain the baby's exact weight in rice. Holding the bag will therefore feel like holding the baby. The personalized, made-to-order 'dakigokochi' are priced from JPY 3500 (USD 32 / EUR 22).

What do you want to drink?

2008-04-05T14:30:00.000-07:00

Do you usually answer "whatever"? My husband does and it drives me mad, we usually spend 5 minutes debating all the drinks there could be at the bar, and he ends up by saying, I don't mind, you choose whatever.

Well this drink is for you my love! It's just perfect, cos the next time, I shall serve it up to you, by saying "OK you asked for whatever, now you've got it!"

"Singapore beverage company Out of the Box has launched two complementary brands: Anything and Whatever. Anything is fizzy and comes in six flavors (Cola with Lemon, Apple, Fizz Up, Cloudy Lemon and Root Beer), while Whatever is non-carbonated (Ice Lemon Tea, Peach Tea, Jasmine Green Tea, White Grape Tea, Apple Tea, Chrysanthemum Tea). The surprise part? Consumers
don't know which flavour they're getting until they take a sip. Cans are simply labelled Anything and Whatever, and the list of ingredients is limited to generic wording. Worth bringing a surprise to market in 2008, even if it's just a one-off, and even if only to make me feel really happy - the next time."

Its all down to our DNA...

2008-04-05T14:25:00.000-07:00

Personalisation is already here is many of our products and brands, but now we have a new trend which relates to our DNA - how personalised is that? Here are two examples...

DNA 11 creates personalized art from DNA and fingerprints. For DNA art, a simple method of non-invasive collection includes a mouth swab. The company then harvests a sample of the client’s DNA to capture their genetic fingerprint and transforms it into an artistic representation of a person’s life code. Prices range from EUR 299 to EUR 892. To get started, clients simply select a size and custom color. DNA 11 then sends out a FingerPrint collection kit that includes: a fingerprint collection card, easy-to-use ink strips, and step-by-step directions.

Story and images thanks to www.trendwatching;com

Along the same lines, My DNA Fragrance makes individual fragrances by incorporating their clients’ DNA. The company sends customers a home swab kit to collect the DNA sample, which they then use to create the perfume. The one-time DNA swab and lab test costs USD 99.99, while a 4oz. bottle costs USD 134.99. From the site: “The fragrance is subtle and explodes into your unique mixture of exotic smells. The fragrance is delivered in a 4 oz. aluminum bottle which preserves the freshness of your fragrant elixir.” Soon to follow: lotion, bath products, and shampoo & conditioner.

Worried about your status...? Worry no more!

2008-04-05T14:07:00.000-07:00

Don't worry brand manager's have got that sorted, they will tell you how to communicate your status when you buy their brand. It's the latest trend according to Trendwatching/Spring Spotter, a great trend web-site I pop into from time-to-time!

This trend is called STATUS STORIES: As more brands (have to) go niche and therefore tell stories that aren't known to the masses, consumers will increasingly have to tell each other stories to achieve a status dividend from their purchases. Expect a shift from brands telling a story, to brands helping consumers tell status-yielding stories to other consumers.

Have you bought anything recently you want to tell us about? How about these juices, aren't they beautiful? Serve them up at your dinner table and see your guests desperate for the story behind them - the status story of course...

How to be GREEN even when you 're dead!

2008-02-24T16:24:00.000-08:00

I just found this list of GREEN do's and don'ts on The Telegraph web-site including what and what not to do when you die!
How green are you?

DO'S AND DON'T'S

Going green is not just about recycling.

DO

• Fit energy-efficient light bulbs (see Telegraph offer, below)
• Insulate your house
• Wash your clothes at low temperatures
• Use rechargeable batteries
• Buy local, seasonal food
• Share car journeys
• Recycle as much as you can
• Fit water-saving devices to your loos
• Invest your money responsibly
• Include a green funeral in your will
• Buy products made from recycled materials
• Check for FSC certification on wood and paper products
• Take up cycling and walking
• Print on both sides of a sheet of paper
• Get a reusable shopping bag
• Switch to a "green" electricity supplier
• Buy top energy-rated appliances
• Have a shower rather than a bath
• Repair rather than replace products
• Buy an energy monitoring device
• Turn lights off when you leave a room
• Put an insulating jacket on your boiler
• Re-use gift-wrapping paper
• Buy organic produce
• Eat wild food
• Ask fashion retailers what they're doing to cut pollution from dyes and chemicals
• Reduce or eliminate your air travel

DON'T

• Buy bottled water
• Buy food or goods that come by air
• Buy too many clothes
• Leave your computer, TV and other equipment on stand-by
• Buy gold or diamonds
• Fly to your holiday destination
• Eat too much meat
• Buy black-listed fish
• Drive a gas-guzzling car
• Use a tumble dryer
• Install air-conditioning
• Throw away unwanted gifts
• Make your lawn look like a carpet
• Worry about weeds (too much)
• Bother with air fresheners
• Get an Aga if you haven't yet got one
• Buy gas log or coal fires (fake fires)
• Upgrade your mobile phone too fast
• Buy disposable cameras or barbecues
• Buy incandescent or halogen bulbs
• Drive fast and erratically
• Use peat or buy peat-grown plants
• Buy over-packaged products
• Get cremated
• Leave your car engine running
• Overheat your house (or office)
• Buy cut flowers

10 GREEN DEATH TIPS

Horrible as it may be, it's very important to make plans for your death while you're still compos mentis - even more so if you're concerned about green issues. Here are my 10 top tips:

• Donate your organs
• Say no to embalming
• Remove all jewellery and gold teeth before burial or cremation
• Dress minimal in death and choose natural fibre clothes such as hemp
• Select a "green" coffin (those made from recycled newspapers are best)
• Give cremation a miss
• If you want to be buried, chose a natural burial ground rather than an overcrowded graveyard
• Re-use graves after 20 years and put bones in an ossuary, as they do in Europe
• Choose not to have a headstone
• Don't waste valuable resources on elaborate pet coffins, urns and caskets

Personalisation gone mad!

2008-02-06T11:41:00.000-08:00

The craze for personalisation has made Domino's pizza think.
Now you can personalise your pizza by telling them what toppings you want, what thickness of bread, how much sauce and cheese, but one better than that...you can also name your pizza - so get your naming hats on the next time you order a takeaway - it's getting more and more complicated by the day! I thought takeaway's were supposed to be the easy option...now we have to be a copywriter and a pizza constructor to get our pizza order sanctioned.

The shoebox with imagination...

2008-01-31T00:22:00.000-08:00

Camper, the company that develops those great 'twin' shoes...now brings you the shoebox of the imagination.
Take a look at their latest video, keep clicking the box after it tells you too and see what happens! You can find it here...

New materials B.glass

2008-01-20T02:21:00.000-08:00

B.glass is a technique of a frozen explosion of glass. A sheet of tempered glass is sealed between of panels. When it is shattered, numerous sparkling fragments are produced which glitter along the cracks. Each panel is original and unique in composition and colour. The glass is alive, it is changing and polyvalent. Suggestive as only transparency can be. The material has multiple applications: Transparent panels can be used for windows, light covering with reflecting metal supports and top furnishings. Impact is produced in various sizes thickness and colour.

If you want to know more about innovative new materials, you need to sign up for Materia's newsletter. It's also a great web site, check it out here...

Helvetica - Erik Spiekermann

2008-01-17T15:13:00.001-08:00

Need I say more...

Check out l'Atlas in Paris

2008-01-17T13:59:00.000-08:00

The wonderful cosmic street art of l'Atlas is being exhibited in Paris

French street artist L'Atlas believes that "actions tell more than words."
His exhibition Cosmic Graffiti in Paris will testify that he is true to his word.

From January 9th to 27th his latest bodies of work will be presented at Studio 55.
L'Atlas' art is luminous and sparse, dark and profound and often leaves you wondering why you got caught in his visual maelstrom.

http://www.latlas.net/

A great environmental marketing strategy...

2007-11-14T12:27:00.000-08:00

I really liked these ads to promote water conservation from Denver Water, take a look at the web-site too!
http://www.useonlywhatyouneed.org/

The Very Adaptable Chair from Japan

2007-10-12T00:48:00.001-07:00

Product design at its best...waaaaaooowww, waaaaooowww!

When a brand becomes a building...

2007-10-12T00:36:00.000-07:00

Now this is what I really call 'brand architecture!'

Beautiful Kinetic sculpture

2007-10-12T00:29:00.001-07:00

A really beautiful mix of art and engineering - a great ad for BMW South Africa.

Bizner is the business!

2007-10-12T00:14:00.000-07:00

Bizner is the first European bank based in the NL which allows you to have a bank account with an integrated accounting service. It has a accounting software built into the bank account which allows entrepreneurs or small businesses to issue invoices, statements and prepare their accounts each month in conjunction with their bank accounts. What a fab idea!

I can't see France having this system for years, we still use cheques to pay for groceries etc. unheard of in much of Europe.

The other day at school I was asking our International students for a deposit cheque for their printing accounts at school, and they said "a cheque?" These don't exist in Finland anymore, we don't use cheques! It made me realise how far behind France in the banking world!

Take a look at this web site for more details in English
or this one for the NL site

And you thought developing a web-site was difficult?

2007-09-28T14:26:00.000-07:00

Here is the 10 second web-site! Yes, give it a try, you could have one for each day of the week.
Just type some text and make a page, choose a prefix for the website address and claim it as yours, if you want to make it private, you can add a password. If not, tell everyone about your new web site development skills!
Take a look here to get started...

ORIGINAL DESIGN GANGSTA

2007-09-23T14:27:00.001-07:00

Need I say more?

The importance of playing...

2007-08-21T14:16:00.000-07:00

This is such a great idea.

More than a million South Africans now have safe drinking water thanks to Playpumps - a simple invention that uses the energy generated by children playing on a roundabout to pump groundwater from boreholes.

Playpumps are made from easily available windmill components and a zero-energy water pump and some 700 villages have had Playpumps installed since 1997.

Unlike traditional hand pumps that produce just 150 litres of water an hour to ground level, where it cannot be stored hygienically, Playpumps can pump 1,400 litres of water an hour into a hygienic overhead storage tank.

I came across this when reading a review of the book Design and Landscape for People: New Approaches to Renewal which shows how designers, entrepreneurs and artists are coming together to develop new products with a conscious and with a real purpose.

Great news...
Source, The Guardian

Button bookmarks for the reader who likes to make notes...

2007-08-21T13:31:00.000-07:00

This collection of bookmarks by Jessica Pope of Peridot Press are lovely.
They not only mark your page, but come with a 16 page pad incorporated so you can make notes about the book you are reading.

The Peridot Press specialises in hand-made products, why not take a look...

Interested in yourself?

2007-08-14T22:19:00.001-07:00

Take a look at this web-site, there are 100's of personality tests...I just took the great leader test and came out as Gandhi! Take a look

BLIND LIGHT - Antony Gormley

2007-08-11T16:31:00.001-07:00

Fuchsy, a friend of mine went to see this exhibition today at the Hayward Gallery - it's on until the 17th August. Here's what she said..."I saw this exhibition today at the Hayward Gallery ...amazing ..but I found this exhibit really terrifying, as I felt so claustrophobic! A great statement on seeing, and not seeing, perceiving and not connecting.
fuchsy

interested in les produits equitable?

2007-08-10T05:04:00.000-07:00

You have probably all read about the unethical practices of sports companies such as nike and adidas. Well I just saw this ball on www.nustreetwear.com. At least you can buy this ball knowing that a 7 year old boy has not been kneeling down in terrible conditions ruining his hands sewing this one!

Nice web site too!

For more interesting things see....

2007-08-10T03:19:00.000-07:00

take a look at this blog which posts up an interesting thing every day...today cochineal!
You may not want to dwell on it, but did you know the ingredient that gives Danon boysenberry yogurt and Tropicana Ruby Red Grapefruit juice their distinctive colors comes from crushed female cochineal beetles.

Want to know your visual DNA? Take this test...

2007-08-09T14:33:00.000-07:00

An ex-member of Conran has set up imagini, a web site which evaluates your visual DNA by asking you questions which you answer by choosing photographs, it then evaluates your personality type and puts you in contact with 'people like you'.
Try it, it's fun! http://friends.imagini.net/

Collaborative doodling...mind-mapping...shopping lists

2007-08-09T01:08:00.000-07:00

This is great. GE have launched a new flash-based whiteboard on their web-site where you and your friends and family can doodle, think, create, whatever together...

Take a look....http://www.imaginationcubed.com/LaunchPage

How to cook the perfect boiled egg...

2007-08-09T00:54:00.000-07:00

Worrying about over-cooked or under-cooked boiled eggs? That's now a thing of the past with this new technique developed by the UK assurance scheme Lion Quality.

After cooking begins, an invisible, temperature-sensitive thermochromic print appears in black to indicate when an egg is soft, medium or hard-boiled.

The eggs, will be sold in three different types of cartons to make it even more consumer friendly!

Books which go up in smoke?

2007-07-27T15:41:00.000-07:00

To Ease the blow of the UK ban on smoking in public spaces that came into effect on July 1st, TankBooks have developed books packaged like cigarettes with cellophane wrapping on the outside and silver foil on the inside. Despite their size, the first series of TankBooks aren't the intellectual equivalent of Menthol Lights. Pitched as 'tales to take your breath away', the box-packed reads range from Kipling's "The Man Who Would Be King" to Kafka's "Metamorphosis". While perhaps not tempting enough for every smoker to kick the habit and take up reading instead, it's a start.

TankBooks are the brain child of Tank, a British think tank, creative agency and publishing unit.

Website: www.tankmagazine.com/tankbooks
Source Springwise