Promise vs. Reality: A visual journey of shattered expectations

Thanks to Andy Woolard for introducing me to Pundo3000: A German website that compares photos on product packaging with the actual product inside. In some cases, the two are quite similar. In many cases, however (as evidenced by the example above)… not. Check out a few of my favorite (you can click on each image [...]

Read Full Post »

Can Massclusivity truly be achieved?

The question of the day: Can Massclusivity be achieved? First of all, what is massclusivity? From Idea Couture’s Idris Mootee: In economic terms, luxury products are those which can consistently command and justify a higher price than products with comparable function and similar quality. In marketing terms, luxury products are those which can deliver emotional [...]

Read Full Post »

I Twitter, you twitter, we twitter.

I finally started using twitter today, and I am pretty psyched about it. If you’re one of the 6% of adult internet users currently microblogging (using twitter) to keep tabs on your friends and colleagues, put your seemingly time-wasting hobby to good use – or at least come up with a better justification for your [...]

Read Full Post »

Innoventure 2008 is ON!!!

Where am I going to be hanging out while not at my desk Tuesday and Wednesday? At Innoventure 2008, of course!!!! (It’s where all the cool kids and innovation junkies in the South East will be. How could I miss it?) If you’re going to be anywhere near the Carolina First Center and want to [...]

Read Full Post »

When the grass is greener elsewhere…

Screw looking for greener pastures. When the grass isn’t to your liking, hop the fence and go plant your own: From kottke.org: Talented people are leaving Pixar because very few people get a shot at directing a film of their own. For all the success, however, there’s very little room atop Pixar’s food chain. While [...]

Read Full Post »

The Brand Gap Presentation

Once again, because: a) it’s good. b) repetition works. c) every time I run into this, I remember something I had forgotten.

Read Full Post »

Success: the hallowed anomaly

Excellent little opinion about success (among other things) over at Seen Creative: “You don’t have the skeleton key. There are no rules, there are no templates, there are no secret ingredients. Everything is unique and everything is dependent on its own circumstance. You can write all the books, magazine articles, or blog posts you want, [...]

Read Full Post »

Leadership vs. Managagement: The Presentation

View Upload your own Enjoy this pretty astute presentation on Leadership vs. Management. (And yes, watch the whole thing.)Then ask your boss whether he/she wants you to be a manager or a leader. (Sometimes, organizations aren’t clear on this point.) Maybe watch the presentation with them first, THEN ask them the question.Just bear in mind [...]

Read Full Post »

Microsoft: From Blue Monster to Infection

Working intimately with Microsoft, this is a topic dear to my heart. (I may be shedding a bit of a tear right now.) From gapingvoid, via Logic + Emotion: The Blue Monster was designed as a conversation starter. To paraphrase the ongoing dialogue between Steve and I: For too long, Microsoft has allowed other people- [...]

Read Full Post »

Leading With Insight

View Upload your own I found this pretty sweet presentation on Dave Armano’s blog (Logic + Emotion). Enjoy.

Read Full Post »

being the best is not good enough.

“Bureaucracy defends the status quo long past the time when the quo has lost its status.”- Laurence J. Peter Overheard outside the wire today: “Best is not good enough. You have to be better.” Personally, I would be happy with being the best (it would be a good start)… but I guess I can respect [...]

Read Full Post »

Lazare Ponticelli

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”- George Santayana (1863 – 1952) Lazare Ponticelli was laid to rest in France today after a memorial service with full military honors. Who was Lazare Ponticelli? He was the last surviving French WWI veteran. My grandfather fought in WWI. He was 16 when he [...]

Read Full Post »

Today vs. Tomorrow: Thoughts on Execution vs. Planning

You must have long range goals to keep you from being frustrated by short range failures. (Charles Noble) Sometimes though, it isn’t easy to sell long-range to managers who are more concerned with today’s numbers than next year’s. For them, next year doesn’t exist. It’s an abstraction. All that matters is what you did yesterday [...]

Read Full Post »

The thing about focus.

The thing about focus – call it a flaw if you will – is that you cannot focus on any one thing for very long. Every once in a while, you have to take a step back, either clear your head or look at the big picture, and return to whatever you were focusing on [...]

Read Full Post »

Agents of un-change: Understanding human roadblocks

“Individuals behave in a difficult manner because they have learned that doing so keeps others off balance and incapable of effective action. Worst of all, they appear immune to all the usual methods of communication and persuasion designed to convince or help them change their ways.” – Robert Bramson, Ph.D. I will probably spend the [...]

Read Full Post »

What great design is and isn’t.

Happy Monday! As you kick off the week with your next project or some concept you need to turn into reality, here are some timely words of wisdom from Blue Flavor: A great design has a point of view. A really great design will make a clear statement. It’ll be unique in a way that [...]

Read Full Post »

Creating a customer experience culture

Booyah. From Experience Matters: We shall focus more on our customers and less on ourselves We shall get to know more about what our customers really need We shall formalize a voice-of-the-customer program We shall incorporate personas in our experience design processes We shall clearly define our brand in terms of promises to customers We [...]

Read Full Post »

Local Burger – This is the kind of idea (and execution) that makes me VERY excited.

As a reformed meat eater (I’ll eat anything that swims, walks or crawls in the water but not on land – at least not anymore) it seems strange for me to get excited about a burger joint, yet here we are. I just caught a glimpse of this incredible little Kansas “fast food” restaurant on [...]

Read Full Post »

Patience and excuses: A zero-sum equation

Perhaps it’s a question of upbringing. Perhaps it’s a question of education. Perhaps it’s a question of pride or culture or personality. I may never understand full why some people are always full of excuses why they fall short or can’t get something done. Students. Athletes. Business managers. Farm hands. Soldiers. The list is long. [...]

Read Full Post »

Lowest common denominator vs. excellence: Running through the motions vs. setting standards

“While one hesitates because he feels inferior, the other is busy making mistakes and becoming superior.” – Henry C. Link Via the yeti, this fascinating article from the Wall Street Journal: High-school students here rarely get more than a half-hour of homework a night. They have no school uniforms, no honor societies, no valedictorians, no [...]

Read Full Post »