Cool Shit is CO-OP’s internal platform to share and inspire. Every Thursday we step away from our computers for about an hour and immerse ourselves in presentations by our peers. Topics range from social issues, to personal adventures to technology to a lot more. We would like to share our inspiration with you!
For this week’s Cool Shit, I shared the RSA’s fun, illustrated video narrated by Phillip Zimbardo — The Secret Powers of Time.
Here’s another video worth watching —
Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us.
Some info about the RSA:
The RSA: an enlightenment organisation committed to finding innovative practical solutions to today’s social challenges. Through its ideas, research and 27,000-strong Fellowship it seeks to understand and enhance human capability so we can close the gap between today’s reality and people’s hopes for a better world.
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Jamie Beck and Kevin Burg’s cinemagraphs have been the buzz of the time. Jamie a photographer and Burg a Motion Artist, together they seem to have stitched life into images. Manipulating gifs they have managed to bring a smile to a number of their ‘fans’.
One man’s experience riding the NYC subway.
Much of what inspire me comes from my explorations of NYC. Lately I realized that my trips to asian towns outnumber all the other trips I’ve made, and here I am ready to share some of the thoughts I collected along the way.
Have you ever wondered why there are so many asian people in one place at one time? Besides the Latino community, there are K-town, J-town (which ironically is located on St. Marks), Indian town, and 3 (!) China towns. For minority of different ethnicities, going to theses places is like taking a pilgrimage to the land of promise, the promise that you should never forget where you come from and you can always leave with a happy filling of good foods.
Img: Drying incense on the street.
One of the most inspiring scenes to see in and around these towns is street art: whether it is graffiti, installation, “founded” sculpture, or hand-sinage. Blame it on the blooming economy and the loose security of these upcoming neighborhoods, more street-artists find ground to express themselves. In turn, these works of art become tourist attractions which then pull in capita and green cash ( no credit card in asian town , pls. ), a win-win situation, a rare combination.
Image: Graffiti seen from the 7-Train to Flushing, Queens
Food in Asian towns unexpectedly and surprisingly become sources of inspiration for me. Now you may ask what foods have to do with art and design? Consider colors, user experience, product design, and sense of discovery.
You will discover yourself all over again, whether you walk into a Korean restaurant off 34st-Herald Square or a Yaki Tori shop on St. Marks. The restaurant attracts both locals and tourist alike, therefore keeps their businesses growing with a strong base.
Image: Fishballs Sticks in Flushing, Queens.
This is an example of how businesses do not have to compromise customer-loyalty for production cost. If you want to know how efficient a Chinese man can be, look at the way his food is put together. Take this fish ball stick as an example: not too many, not too few, the size, how long the stick can stay in the sauce before the product value decreases, the interactions while handling the food, … The only thing I have not done is to bring a ruler with me to see if there is a ratio applied to the placement of the fish balls.
Things are the way they are for a reason, and if you would just pay attention and look around, you will find yourself covered with inspirations. For me, some of the most treasured inspirations were obtained through experience. So next time you come around, let’s take a pilgrimage together.
In the past, the “What’s Branding?” section has featured our clients, friends, architects and various industry professionals. Today we would like to share with you insights from Jane Simmonds, Managing Partner of Conran Design Group and a leading member of Havas Design+.
Jane Simmonds, Managing Partner, Conran Design Group
‘Helping businesses create and maintain an attractive and meaningful conversation with their target audiences, to build preference and loyalty’
‘It’s easy to say Google or Apple but taking ‘favourite’ to mean something more personal, I like Chanel – the brand remains resolutely and fabulously chic, protecting limited lines in perfume and clothing while being a household name. For a brand that delivers products that make a difference I love Clarins and for an unpretentious brand with products that do what they say they’re going to do with the minimum of fuss, Boots Botanics range.’
‘Amazon continues to set the pace, keeping up healthy dialogue with their customers through being fast, easy, uncomplicated and above all, helpful. But surprisingly also Ford, who last year launched the new Fiesta in China using social media to terrific effect.’
‘Lots…a hard economy ensures change is inevitable and pretty constant. One in particular is that branding agencies are really starting to own ‘tone of voice’ and the word is now as central to brand as the graphic.’
Hi,
My name is Thu and I’m the newest member of the design team at Co-op. So very nice to meet you. (handshakes)
Recently I’ve left my tranquil hut in Savannah, Georgia to move to a 3-roomies apartment in Brooklyn, New York. Needless to say, the change can be quite overwhelming. Moving from Georgia to New York is like changing from phonebooth to touchphone, from country music to rap, and from butter-hearty Southern foods to organic crunchy snacks (mainly because I barely have time to sit down and eat). This series is a collection of things which question and inspire me on the street of New York. My hope is that they will give you a breath of fresh air and a new perspective on scences you see everyday.
MOVED: How many cows are there in NYC?
I spent about 40 mins everyday riding the subway to the city. One thing I recognize in NY is that people tend to live in their own bubbles, with the earplugs on and their eyes fixed on the screens. Perfect opportunity for observation. People are less likely to notice an asian girl staring at them for 15 mins straight. It was in one of these ventures that I realized how many animal products New Yorkers carry with them everyday to work.
Img: Kate Moss in a Maison Martin Margiela hair jacket in the shoot for V magazine by Mario Testino. Source by http://www.dailymail.co.uk.
Journal entry / Feb 8th: “Saw a girl wearing a goat-hair coat today. Thought it was real hair from someone’s head at first. She was very tall.”
I had to admit when I first realized what it was that I was looking at, it made me startled. People always want what they do not have: straight hair/curly hair; long hair/short hair; natural color hair / dyed hair; no hair / a lot of hair.
Leather jackets revive. They must have carried them from France to New York. Wonder if you can tell a French cow from a US cow just by looking at the texture? Img: French boys on NYC subway by djmalone2003 on Flickr.
Leather bags by Erin Templeton. Aside from the reasons fashion industry gives to explain why a tail of an animal hanging might be aesthetically pleasing, may I ask what is the practical function?
Leather shoes are here to stay. Even longer than their owners. Img: http://littlebrownpen.blogspot.com/2010_02_01_archive.html
These are just a few examples of wearable objects which come from animals. My question is are we so uncomfortable being human that we have to obsessively cover ourself with other animals? How many cows do you think must take to keep NY going? What is the line between making uses of the material versus becoming materialistic? And for us designers, what is the line between enough and too much?
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Cover Img Brown Leather Bag Source by http://www.photos8.com
Books about design are increasing in popularity and selection
For many reasons people have become more curious about the design process. As design is becoming part of everyday vocabulary people have also increasingly become fascinated and want to understand it. The Curious are understanding that the designs they see are a result of a process more difficult to understand. The wish to comprehend it (good luck!) has increased the attention the design process receives.
The phrase design process is being used much more today, in all forms of medias and industries. The phrase receives more that 4 million hits on Goggle and likely almost as many attempts to define it. In addition to the demand for information, the access (aka the Internet) has made it possible to gain and share it.
We live in a world where design and the creative process no longer belongs to just the designers. The process is being shared – the magic of how great design is transferred from idea to outcome is adapted to new industries. For example, the Human Centered Design Toolkit is a free guide for NPO’s to create social innovation by adapting a design process. Giving NPO’s access to the Toolkit has resulted in revolutionary innovations for several NPO efforts.
The Human Centered Design Toolkit has instigated new thinking and great innovations in the nonprofit world
Furthermore, performance art, live-action painting, and open art studios are growing in followings. Ben Johnson invited us into his art studio and creative process this winter through a video online . Herman Miller is sharing its designs, research, and thinking with the world. Their process, focused on sustainability, efficiency, and good design I am hoping others will ‘steal’ because it is a design process we all should adopt.
Ben Johnson in his studio
The increase in openness and transparency is great and it can help center consumers’ attention upon who you are and the values you are offering as a company. It is interesting times we are living in.
Images from:
http://www.wallpaper.com/video/art/insidei-artist-ben-johnsons-studio/676057995001
http://www.ideo.com/work/human-centered-design-toolkit/
http://www.wallpaper.com/gallery/art/ben-johnson/17052199#38034
http://www.dwell.com/articles/dwell-labs-architecture-and-design-books.html
Content © CO-OP 2011.
