everlastingNow

IDEO’s Associate Partner Tom Stat chats with us about branding, augmented reality and his company. As a member of IDEO Chicago’s leadership team, Tom manages a number of key client relationships and helps to direct business development efforts across all IDEO practice areas. Tom has been involved in a wide range of innovation initiatives for IDEO clients including Motorola, DaimlerChrysler, McDonalds and American Express. Listen as we discuss his thoughts on the topics below and let us know what you think.

Accidental Purchases- Studies have shown that 70% of people have accidentally purchased a “copycat” brand due to the similar packaging. They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but it’s still costing the major brands money. Will this spur designers to become more creative with their branding. Is there a way to differentiate the products enough to block the copies? Should packing be clear so that consumers must rely on on the authenticity of the product inside?

Esquire’s Augmented Reality- Sadly, the gimmicks used here don’t quite live up to their potential. Augmented reality should be used to enhance a story and create a unique human experience. Paper on a computer should still act like paper, almost tactile. Is there a way to make this truly relevant?

Vertical Vegetables Gardens- A Swedish company called Plantagon has come up with a new way to feed the masses. Instead of having to import fruits and vegetables into the city, why not grow them there? Their idea calls for plants to be grown in a greenhouse over several stories. It’s a way to keep the food close to the consumer and reduce the costs of transportation and damage. This is just more proof that the way to get our economy back on track is through design thinking.

Profits for a Purpose- Self made billionaire Iqbal Quadir has started a program at MIT to help entrepreneurs benefit third world countries. In recent business history, huge profits have gone to a very few people. Historically though, profits have gone back to the people. As we now start to realize how connected we all really are, this is beginning to shift again.  We are seeing that growth for growth’s sake just isn’t sustainable. This fellowship at MIT is one step towards making a difference in the world we all share.

The Reality of IDEO- Listen as Tom discusses how IDEO works and what they believe in. Their core is based on keeping talented people who have passion and creating a culture that supports them. They choose to evaluate carefully and to think ahead. Sometimes this means helping the client to ask a different question. It’s building a collaboration in order to make a difference.

[podcast]http://www.manifestdigital.com/podcasts/2009110509-episode27.mp3[/podcast]

Barry Krause joins us today to offer his insight gained from years of experience. The former CEO of PUBLICIS and President of Hal Riney and JWT, is currently CEO and Maestro of SUITE Partners. Barry built his career inventing new ways to make human contact and has a passion for turning that contact into strong branding. Listen as we discuss the some of the latest developments in the design world.

Psycographic Data Tool- Peerset releases a new tool designed to generate psychographic recommendations. It seems as though this is taking the attempts of the past and advancing it some. It takes the live data and begins to show networks of thought. One of the best parts is that it takes complicated data and turns it into compelling information that’s easier to digest. It does, however, change the skillsets required of marketers.

The Design of Business-This book by Tim Brown of IDEO,  talks about thinking like a designer and how that can lead us out of problems. This really struck a chord with us, as it relates to the core of what we believe in this podcast. This doesn’t mean design as choosing pretty colors. It means art directing an entire brand, the whole story, everything around a company. It means looking at everything all at once and intuitively finding reason. This kind of thinking is what will lead us on to the next steps.

Lowe Deutsch Merger- Culture seems to be a huge part of companies’ successes and this can be tough in mergers. When a merger is created with an efficiency focus, there can be a clash of the two cultures. The goal is to maintain the soul, the story and the passion of both companies by redefining them together. This requires knowing who you are and what’s important.

Zappos Purchase- Zappos has recently been acquired by Amazon and it seems to be a good thing. The two companies should be able to compliment each others strengths nicely. It was a particularly good move for Amazon as it shows that they actually do care about the customer experience. It helps start to humanize their brand.

Groupon’s Story- Groupon started from The Point, a charity site. Andrew Mason created the site to bring about a movement that would eventually reach a tipping point. It was a place to rally people for a specific cause. It was a smart idea, but became even more viable when they added the benefit to individuals. It hints at collectively good selfishness. It benefits everyone as they work together. As people begin to speak more freely about “what’s in it for me?”, it will unleash a new dimension of candor.

7 World’s Collide- Last Christmas, musician Neil Finn put together a band of random parts and people and invited them to his house in New Zealand. The musicians and their families gather at his house to create an album of which the proceeds go to Oxfam. This is a great example of how we can work in teams for clients and create great work.

[podcast]http://www.manifestdigital.com/podcasts/20091022-episode26.mp3[/podcast]

Howard Ecker joins us today to talk about real estate and architecture. Howard has over forty years of experience representing tenants. He started his career in commercial real estate and soon after, became the head of the office leasing department at Arthur Rubloff and Co.  He was also the youngest member of the Board of Directors. In 1975, he founded Howard Ecker + Company, which was the first company in Chicago devoted exclusively to representing tenants. Mr. Ecker is a member, served on the Board of Directors, and was the founding President of the Chicago Office Leasing Brokers Association, an association of the top 100 office leasing brokers in the Chicago Metropolitan Area.

Commissioned Graffiti-  In Sao Paulo, city officials asked Graffiti artists to decorate some of the blank concrete buildings. We discuss how art for art’s sake is much more relaxing and refreshing than the ads that tend to replace them. Although it seems sad that urban art tends to pave the way for new ad space.

Your Brain on Architecture- There are studies that say your surroundings influence the way you think. Can we create spaces that help us achieve more?

10 Most Creative People in Architecture- This article discusses the creativity of a mostly new guard. We love the global views that they bring to their designs and how they push through convention. Howard notes that judging new architecture is somewhat premature though, as the test of time will separate out which buildings will become great.

The Bubble- This is a new type of non permanent dwelling that helps allow for for a city’s recently arrived or displaced. We discuss how it could be a nicer alternative for disaster relief as well. This concept continues to branch out as mobile stores are being tested.

Microsoft’s Tablet- The Courier, a Microsoft device to compete with Apple’s tablet has people buzzing. Will it do well? What software will it use? We are now beginning to see how Microsoft is surviving without Bill Gates. What will Apple be without Steve Jobs?

Cubicles the new Loft?- New York Magazine discusses how there is an abundance of office space in many cities now. Some of this space is being converted into lofts. Howard tells us some of the pitfalls they might face in construction and why real estate in general is having a tough time.

Fiskar Karma- This is the first luxury electric car. Fiskar has combined sleek design with conservation technology to create quite a beauty. Not only do they have the regular green features, but they have also planned ahead to give the old car batteries a second life powering villages in Africa.

[podcast]http://manifestdigital.com/podcasts/20091006-Episode25.mp3[/podcast]

It’s potpourri day at Design in the Moment. Today we chat about some of the cool things we’ve stumbled upon during our week. Join us for a lively discussion on how each is evolving people’s thoughts and behaviors.

Endemol- A production company involves viewers in all new ways with it’s show, Kirill. Is 360 television the way to go?

Coke’s David Butler- Fast Company named him a “Master of Design”. Check out how Coke is reshaping their brand globally.

Beatles Remastered- The remastered cds give layers of detail to old classics.

The Daily Talk- This story really touched us. See how one man reaches so many people with his chalkboard newspaper.

Facebook Data- Nielsen gathers data from Facebook users. How will people react?

Woody Bikes- These beautiful bikes are handcrafted out of various hardwoods. Not only are they sturdy, but they also have a nostalgic feel.

[podcast]http://manifestdigital.com/podcasts/20090930-Episode24.mp3[/podcast]

We are very excited to announce that this week’s episode is recorded in our brand new sound studio! Such a nice change to be able to all sit in the same room. To see pictures of our new place, click here. Listen as we discuss print versus digital media with out guest Rich Letchinger. Rich has been in the print industry for 25 years now and is currently the Vice President of Global Print Solutions at R R Donnelley. He has some excellent views on where we’re headed and what seems to be working.

Open Source Textbooks

News Dailies Online

Kindle’s Project Gutenberg

Out On a Limb

Maira Kalman

Updates on the world from Jim Cohen’s travels

[podcast]http://manifestdigital.com/podcasts/20090921-Episode23.mp3[/podcast]

Welcome to our newest episode of Design in the Moment. Joining us this week is Chris Bernard from Microsoft. Chris has been practicing design for the last 16 years in the realms of broadcast, motion graphics, interactive, application and Web development. His passion is finding where design, technology and business meet. He is currently a User Experience Evangelist for Microsoft, although he held previous roles as a Creative Director and Practice Leader for e-business Innovation at IBM. Chris’ clients over the years have included CNBC, Hilton, Gatorade, Accenture, IBM, The NCAA, Cranbrook Institute of Art, Target and more recently a number of early stage starts-ups focused on media and content distribution. Listen as we discuss current topics and then hear from Chris’ own experience.

Twitter Attack

Digg Ad Voting

Dreaming Houses

Companies Rebranding

Book Review-Priced to Sell, Malcolm Gladwell

Book Review- 100 Products That Empower People, Emily Pilloton

[podcast]http://www.manifestdigital.com/podcasts/2009-08-21-Episode22.mp3[/podcast]

Our latest podcast introduces us to Chas Hermann. Chas is a consultant that has used his expertise to grow companies like Starbucks, Disney, and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. Hear his thoughts on our current set of topics and stories from his history.

Book- Catching Fire: How Cooking Made us Human, by Richard Wrangham

Google CEO leaves Apple

Giant straws promo

Designer named Cadillac CEO-
G.M. Names Designer to Head Cadillac
PT Cruiser Designer to Head Cadillac, Report to [New] Marketing Maven Maximum Bob Lutz

[podcast]http://www.manifestdigital.com/podcasts/2009-08-11-Episode21.mp3[/podcast]

[podcast]http://www.manifestdigital.com/podcasts/2009-08-11-Episode20.mp3[/podcast]

Check out the next episode in our series. listed below are our the latest topics-

Buckminster Fuller Challenge- http://challenge.bfi.org/

Dutch Master Bike- http://mocoloco.com/archives/011408.php

Audi Piano- http://mocoloco.com/archives/011404.php

Nike Shoes- http://www.freshnessmag.com/

Sneaker Book, Art and Sole- http://www.core77.com/blog/book_reviews/book_review_art_sole_contemporary_sneaker_art_design_by_intercity_12016.asp

New Orleans updates and restaurant reviews

[podcast]http://www.manifestdigital.com/podcasts/2009-08-11-Episode19.mp3[/podcast]

Hello, and welcome to a new addition of our podcast. We are excited to let you know that we have begun adding guests to the show. Our guests will add comments and expertise on the topics at hand and also share some of their life and work experiences. To start us off right, we have Gabe Bridger. Gabe founded his first automotive blog (MotoringFile) seven years ago with some high level goals and a vision to create something interesting. Today the site (along with his BimmerFile.com) each get more than 10,000 visits daily from around the world and enjoy broad cooperation from several major automotive manufacturers. In fact MotoringFile is often a topic during internal meetings and presentations at MINI corporate. Beyond that, Gabe has a broad level of knowledge around the automotive industry, especially in the fields of brand, design and emerging technologies.

Listen as we discuss the topics below.

Book- Sketch book, Timothy O’Donnell- http://www.timothy-odonnell.com/sketchbook/

McDonalds’ first green restaurant- http://gizmodo.com/5308512/mcdonalds-offering-free-car-charging-with-your-food

A New Electric Motorcycle- http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2009/06/brammo-electric-motorcycles-at-best-buy.html

The Google concept car- http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/kit-eaton/technomix/google-g1-designers-reinvent-electric-car

Gabe’s Blogs and Thoughts- www.motoringfile.com,  www.bimmerfile.com

[podcast]http://www.manifestdigital.com/podcasts/2009-07-14-Episode18.mp3[/podcast]

The next episode in our series.