Does Your Health Identity Belong On Your Facebook Wall?
Facebook's new article comments plug-in has some unique advantages and also disadvantages for health care professionals trying to use social media. And in general, I am not so much in favor of one over-arching online identity for people — which is, not coincidentally, Facebook's. What do you think?
POM Wonderful Takes On the FTC and the FDA
Is POM Wonderful brilliantly marketing—or are they hyping unsubstantiated scientific claims?
Thoughts on Branding
What is branding? Branding is the process of managing the perception that others have of you personally or of your product, service or organization.
Why Customer Experience Matters, Even in a Job Search
"We have reviewed your resume and would like to make an appointment...": This subject line looks pretty promising. But then it often goes downhill. Designing a pleasant customer experience should extend outside of the workplace and even include job seekers.
Twitter's "Golden Ratio"
Twitter's new homepage design creates a Golden Ratio. This is really cool. If you click the link from the Alltop page to Answers.com, you can read an explanation of what the Golden Ratio is and why it is considered an aesthetic ideal in art, architecture and even nature (like a nautilus).
The Stunningly Designful Photography of Carl Kleiner
Carl Kleiner is one of the most brilliant, design-driven photographers I've come across in quite some time. IKEA recently published a gorgeous baking book called "Homebaked is Best" that uses his photos (see the first entry on his homepage). His work for this book is stunningly designful.
Is the glass half full or half empty? Who cares?
The designful thinker's way of solving problems: "One day, someone showed me a glass of water that was half full. And he said, 'Is it half full or half empty?' So I drank the water. No more problem." - Alejandro Jodorowsky, Chilean filmmaker
Nigerian President Announces Candidacy on Facebook
Nigeria’s current president, Goodluck Jonathan, announced through a message on his Facebook profile that he would run in the upcoming presidential election. I am fascinated by this announcement for two reasons.
A Decade of Innovation in Product Packaging
Brand packaging plays a very crucial role in influencing consumer preference for products, which, of course, drives sales. In an article entitled “Decade of Design”, BrandPackaging.com examines the 10 product packages that made the biggest consumer impact over the past decade.
"Think sweet": Shana tova!
As a Rosh Hashanah e-card sent to family & friends this week, I created a spoof of the very famous Volkswagen "Thin small" ad by Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB) from 1962. Widely considered to be the most influential ad campaign of the 20th century, "Think small" forever changed the advertising industry.
Exhibition of L.A. Billboards-as-Art
Billboards-as-Art at the MAK Center for Art and Architecture at the Schindler House: "Commercial messaging tells you to buy; artistic messaging encourages you to look and to think." Billboards have played such a significant role in the history & culture of LA. It seems fitting to look upon them, finally, as Art over Ad.
The Beauty of Data Visualization
Journalist, author and data visualization specialist David McCandless recently gave a fantastic TED Talk about the beauty of data visualizations. His conclusion: "Design is about solving problems and providing elegant solutions."
Simplexity
Siegel+Gale has a great post about simple complexity, known as "simplexity". The post argues that the need to simplify user interfaces takes on added importance in an age when technology is rapidly subsuming our lives with its complexity. They profile 4 organizations (Google, Apple, MIT and Microsoft) that have mastered the art of making exceedingly complex products and interfaces really, really simple and usable.
Brand = Something You Participate In
An excellent slide infographic highlighting the evolution of brands from the days when a brand referred to cattle, to today's rapidly-evolving definition as something that you participate in.
Old Spice Goes to Town with New Media
Procter & Gamble's social media brand campaign for "Old Spice" has gone powerfully viral. Their message: "Smell good. It's not unmanly." Among other things, this campaign is challenging the notion that shower gel and body wash are "unmanly" to men. So far they have posted 185 videos directly based upon fan interaction ...on Twitter & Facebook.