After all of the past predictions about the "smart home" and "your house of the future," the home as we know it is finally poised to undergo the most rapid shift ever seen and you need to be ready for it. Our homes will become as smart as our mobile phones have become in the last five years and at … [Read more...]
Why ‘Design Thinking’ Matters
In an executive client meeting some years ago we were discussing technology innovation for their company and an executive vice president blurted out, "We just have to design an iPod-like product for our industry and revolutionize it!" Upon closer examination it was clear he was focused on just the … [Read more...]
Corning’s “A Day Made of Glass”
Techies the world over are well aware of how Corning's "Gorilla Glass" was so core to the iPhone. Others became aware of it when Walter Isaacson's book on Steve Jobs debuted telling this story (from Wikipedia) on what became known as "Gorilla Glass": In 2006, while developing the … [Read more...]
Licensing International Expo 2012
Compiled by Project Partners Network for The Trend Curve Trends from the Licensing Show included various permutations of vintage and nostalgia, co-branding and cross-licensing, and the continued emergence of properties from the digital world. Here are a few of the highlights: Vintage … [Read more...]
Functional Advances
If consumers multi-task as a way of life, why shouldn’t furniture do the same? For the past few years, consumers have been rewarding designers and companies who created pieces with more built-in functionality. Even during the Great Recession, consumers have been willing to pay up for tables, beds … [Read more...]
The Arts & Innovation
All the talk about Steve Jobs passing has included much discussion about the essence of his innovative genius: that it was due to him living at the "intersection of technology and humanism" or technology and the arts. As a consequence, in the last week or so there have been numerous articles out … [Read more...]
Philips Luminous Textile
As we constantly scan for innovations in materials, approaches and products which are clients can use for inspiration or incorporation in to their own creations, Philips is one of the companies we watch closely. Philips just announced that it will partner with Kvadrat Soft Cells, to bring an, … [Read more...]
Acceleration in Design & Manufacturing
An acceleration in tools, techniques and approaches to design and manufacturing is occurring right now and many of us are almost completely unaware, unless we've been paying attention. These revolutionary developments have been quietly shaping the future of both design and manufacturing and will … [Read more...]
Looking for Inspiration? Visit the Google Art Project
Looking for inspiration from some of the greatest artists in history? Now you can view their art and collections from some of the top museums in the world. Google this week unveiled the Google Art Project a "...unique collaboration with some of the world’s most acclaimed art museums to enable … [Read more...]
John Maeda: Laws of Simplicity for Design and Business
One of the "internet TV (ITV) channels" we frequent is one called Fora.TV, a self-described, "...leading online destination for intelligent video programs on the people, issues, and ideas changing the world." We love it (and many other ITV channels which will come in a future post) because it gives … [Read more...]