Awesome awesome visualization of Inception. The more I think about and talk about the movie with others, the more I need to see it again.
(via Inception Infographic by ~dehahs)
{ 6 comments }
Gold Star
In 2007, Spanish bank BBVA engaged IDEO to rethink the way their ATMs worked. In 2009 the fruits of that labor began to see the light of day and the companies have done a really great job highlighting their insights and subsequent designs.
The average ATM experience is nothing special so the opportunity to innovate is there for the taking but few companies seem willing to put in the effort to really do so (BofA’s smart Enter button was one for me).
The IDEO/BBVA video’s got a few “how did it possibly take so long for someone to do it this way!?” ideas (the 90 degree shift in positioning of the ATMs and the “one slot to rule them all” stand out for me ). They also take a page out of Apple’s recent playbook of success in two ways: integrating the hardware + software from the get go and choosing to go full touchscreen to give them the flexibility to always provide the best interface to the user, no matter what they’re doing.
As devices like the iPad go more mainstream and touchscreen prices go down, I look forward to seeing more industries be forced to reconsider the interfaces that stand between them and their customers.
Be sure to check out the IDEO/BBVA case study.
{ 10 comments }
Out of the box – book from adrian333 on Vimeo.
One could argue that “No Manual” needed is the pinnacle of product design but if you’re going to make a “manual” you could do far worse than this. So much nicer to help people experience your product in order to learn rather than just telling them how it works. Just lovely. (ht @adamwohl)
{ 3 comments }
How did it take civilization this long to come up with something that makes SO MUCH SENSE? Sadly, you can’t go out and buy one yet but hopefully someday soon you will be able to.
Speaking of economy, it unfortunately looks like you can’t buy these yet, but now that the idea is out there someone will be marketing them soon. Nothing that’s invented ever dies. Especially not when it’s this cute and immediately useful.
Read more here.
{ 3 comments }
My friend Abhishek shared this photo of a smartly-designed lock & key system. What makes the lock special isn’t the result of groundbreaking technology but rather a desire to make it easier for those using it to be successful.
What kind of subtle changes could you make to your product/website/application/service/business that would discretely help your customers succeed, thereby feeling better about themselves, and in turn, your brand?
{ 27 comments }
Candy’s developing quite a portfolio of projects that toe the line between art and service (with a little social commentary thrown in for good measure) Her most recent work for GOOD Magazine invites neighbors to meet each other thanks to the Please Disturb/Can I Borrow? placards included in the most recent issue.
What I love most about this is how it takes the sharing behavior we’ve become all-too-comfortable with online and challenges us to bring it back to real-world situations.
One side says, Please Disturb! and allows you to list the things you have to loan (an extra ladder, salad, ammo, etc.) The other side says, Can I Borrow? and you can list the stuff you need. “Our neighbors have a lot of resources, skills, and odds and ends that we can share, borrow, and trade,” says Candy. “Think of it as an invitation or a low-tech status update for your front door.”
If you’re into this sort of thing, definitely check out her previous work visualizing the laws governing New York City Street Vendors and these flash cards demystifying NYC Tenants’ Rights.
To read more about her most recent work, check out: KinoSport | Mayor Chang
{ 1 comment }
I love these whimsical decals from the folks at The Smart Vinyl Laboratory geared at instilling good habits in people. Be sure to check all of them out. How rad would they be for a child’s room?
Bonus: Dr. Jay Parkinson has a thoughtful follow-up on exploring how the principles behind these “Beautiful Reminders” could be applied to the Health Care Industry.
{ 1 comment }
Now this is the kind of jump in digital storytelling that gets me excited. The video is a little frenetic but it does an amazing job of showing how we’re only scratching the surface in terms of what’s possible for next generation storytelling on devices like the iPad (bonus points for clever use of the accelerometer).
My enthusiasm for things like this doesn’t mean I think (or want) children’s books as we know them today, to go away. I believe there’ll always be a place for tangible, tattered children’s books but I think we’ll create a new kind of vehicle through which to engage users (they will be more than readers) and Alice is just the beginning.
Read more about here: Alice on the iPad: Is This the Future of Books?
{ 1 comment }
“A self-disciplined employee will have the patience to conduct routine business routinely, the talent to respond exceptionally to exceptional circumstances, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
– Richard Branson, founder of The Virgin group of companies
Amen.
Sounds simple but it’s very hard to find. If you’re lucky enough to find yourself working with or managing people that fit the bill, you better not take it for granted.
(via gigaom)
{ 0 comments }
Both of these are a few weeks old but I still wanted to call them out because I like them so much, for different reasons.
Chiquita Bananas: A Beautiful Brand Refresh
What I love about this was that they took branding that was already iconic and took it in a new, playful, and ultimately really memorable, direction.
Chiquita will always remind me sharing an office with Dennis, who’d eat a banana a day and cover his laptop with the Chiquita stickers from said bananas. Clearly he’s not alone in that endeavor and Chiquita is showcasing that behavior on the new site in support of this new campaign.
Just look at these things. They’re so f*cking cute I want to collect them all and nom the crap out of them.
Think rebranding bananas isn’t exciting? Here’s a great quote on finding that angle to build on when helping brands rebuild their identities:
Many times as designers we are tasked to help brands build or rebuild their identities. We may initially think that a clean slate is required to achieve a better identity, and in some cases that can be true if the existing brand identity has little to no value. But in most cases, there is always something that can be built on, discovered, or championed with any brand. It really just requires spending as much time as you can with the product, immersing yourself in it. Like method designing, you just have to live it and the work will flow through you.
The Heinz ketchup packet : A User-centered product redesign
Heinz’s effort is impressive because it improved both form and function, making the brand feel newer visually as well as functionally, addressing their major use cases, referred to as the “dippers” and the “squeezers.”
This is a redesign that just makes so much sense you wonder how it took so long to get here. Technology wasn’t holding it back. It was a matter of really looking at the problem from a user’s point of view and then making a change. Bravo.
+ The Art Director responsible for the Chiquita redesign process did a great interview about the process.
+ Read more about the Heinz redesign here.
{ 2 comments }