sifteo

Here is a super cool new gaming system from the smart people at New Deal Design. Check out the demo video and their stance on user-led research.

“The most intriguing part of the story here is that New Deal didn’t bother with user-led research. They simply assumed they had made something people would love – like some other companies you might’ve heard of. ‘With cutting-edge technology, people don’t know what to say or how to treat it,’ [Gadi] Amit says. ‘Either they’re being polite or over the top with their reflections. Here, you have a totally new object. It doesn’t have clear cultural grounding. …Our job was to create a classic with immediate acceptance.’ And you can’t do that by going to Joe Public.”

I guess Jesse Schell was right, “the future is beautiful.”

Also, I think he sounds like a less funny version of Mitch Hedberg.

via Fast Co Design

brainstorm

One of my short-term goals is to develop a long-term strategy for the family business. We need to address several issues, but none greater than our inability to stand for something.

This isn’t to say that we don’t stand for anything. We do. But we haven’t quite figured out what our brand values most.

I got the ball rolling with a post-it note brainstorm on Sunday. Here are a few action shots.

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dancing in the rain

Roland told us that the most interesting videos are shot in the rain with a telephoto lens.

via The Year in Pictures

listening audit

Yesterday I used social media to listen to the Rangers game. Here is what I heard, all prezi’d up.

(I’m working on embedding the file, but for now just click on this link)

see you in denver, part V & VI

After dusting the snow off Jay’s car we drove to Kansas City and into Country Club Plaza where we checked out the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art. We agreed that nothing could top City Museum so we hurried along to crush some barbeque at Jack Stack. After some burnt ends we met up with Matty B in Lawrence to relive a night of college drinking.

We woke up early on Friday and booked it to Denver. Holy shit the rockies are awesome.

Here are some instagram pics:

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Here is the border crossing:

And here is their ridiculous view:

see you in denver, part III & IV

We left Muncie on Tuesday and headed into Indianapolis. We spent the day walking around Broad Ripple and the IMA. Later that night we met up with Shaw and crawled some bars. On Wednesday we got up early and drove down to St. Louis. We poked our heads in Busch Stadium, wandered around the Gateway Arch and played in the steel maze that is City Museum.

I’m writing this from a hotel in Warrenton, MO because the highways are covered with about 5 inches of snow. Next stop, Kansas City.

Here are some instagram pics:

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And here is a video of us jamming to the Avett Bros:

see you in denver, part I & II

On Sunday Jason and I left Pepperell, MA for Buffalo, NY. We met up with Mike Reedo and crushed burgers and beers at Cole’s. On Monday we drove from Buffalo to Muncie, IN with a lunch break at the West Side Market in Cleveland.

Here are some instagram pics:

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Somewhere around Toledo we did this:

27

Damn, time flies. I can only hope that my next 27 years are filled with as many awesome people as the first. Thanks for all the love and support.

long now x boroditsky

I’m not sure why it’s taken me so long to publish this Lera Boroditsky talk, but better now than never. Even without the visuals it’s worth a listen.

This recording is from the Long Now seminar on October 26,2010 at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco.

 

It would’ve been a perfect night if I wasn’t stuck next to this guy. And if my recording doesn’t cut it, just download the podcast.

samo

***UPDATE***

I’m reading Decoded right now. In one chapter Jay-Z references a Blondie video that features a cameo by Jean-Michel (see 1:50).