Uniqlock

I love this. Good solid digital marketing from Uniqlo. Click the "off" word on the bottom right hand to hear the music with it.

Lemon

fillmyeyes

It's easy to understand that most people think good design is largely a style affair. However a fundamental pillar for the role of design is to facilitate our lives and hopefully do it with flair, imagination and delight (insert a string of adjectives). It was a bit of a giggle seeing the convulsive British reaction to the Olympics logo because clearly it had been 'focus grouped', and the only reason that it could have been such a Yoof effort is because it was meant to be that way. It was designed to annoy the living hell out of a certain age demographic and thus appeal to the 'kidz' who are the real target audience for winning over to sport now that we've exposed them to the delights of 'consumer culture' obesity.

Isn't it a bit embarrassing when the waiter presents a seemingly erroneous dish and we immediately fly off the handle with an irritable and disgusted mien, only to find it's actually for a dining companion who then relieves you of the plate while trying to put on a brave face about their choice of meal, that you've looked at as if it were served on a fully laden poopa scoopa complete with hundreds and thousands sprinkled on top?

Wolf Ollin's earned their fee for this project through the paradoxical PR from the collective aneurysm of middle England. I guess they are unable to admit that its meant to offend (because then the Kidz wouldn't be down with it) until after the Olympics is over, if anyone cares by that point (which they wont). Anyway, the point of this post is to reaffirm the discussion of placing proper design at the heart of the marketing communications process because in an age of ubiquitous product parity, all we're often saying is love my ad/logo love my product.

Here are two examples from the wonderful Core77 that give me the design 'orn so to speak.

The Cardboard chair that weighs only 2 Kilograms.

The reusable notebook packaging that converts to a carry case

And one extra. This little cheeky fella, from Worn Again, is right up my street for a birthday present from anyone at anytime until the end of my days. Make yourself useful and get me this Charlie bag made from recycled army cape, seat belt and inner tubes.

Is Blogging the new Tamagotchi?

bigtexhex

Talking to the Mark McGuinness at Interesting2007 I was explaining my emerging relationship with this blog. How if I neglect her it feels like she's content starved or being taken for granted. I also feel it makes sense to introduce this blog when meeting up with any of the distributed village posse in case it facilitates conversation by navigating quickly through the small talk or helps to locate me at a later time. Notice a pattern here? Guilt through neglect, burden of provision and requisite introductions in social situations? Lets face it, this blog could easily be 'the wife' to use a certain vernacular couldn't it? Anyway it was Mark who nailed it. "Blogging is the new Tamagotchi". We were both pleased with ourselves for having a conversation that concluded on this line.