PSFK Conference: What Goes On In L.A., Stays in L.A.?

I attended PSFK's Conference last Tues. 9/18 (my first) and enjoyed soaking up all of the new (and not so new) ideas, thoughts, and questions that came up in the discussion.

I particularly enjoyed the panel on L.A. culture. Some topics included the general 'scene', transportation issues, and the idea of center of L.A. Here're my notes and thoughts, along with a picture. (We were prohibited from taking our own, so I'm borrowing from PSFK.)Panelists:
Adriana Parcero of Nokia, designer, led discussion. Tony Pierce of LAist, the largest city-based blog (does Minneapolis have one similar?). Emmanuelle Richard of the French daily Liberation (and Vogue Paris - tres chic, n'est pas). Jeff Miller of the Thrillist. Shana Nys Dambrot of Flavorpill LA.

On the L.A. draw:
Shana: Attracted to L.A. partly because of the rawness, wild West-ishness, the laid-back and 'good times' feelings

On the L.A. space/center:
1st time visitors face this huge vastness, so as a consequence, there's the emerging mini-cultural centers developing.
Tony: Feels the center of L.A. is really where you protest and write. L.A. is diverse and independent.
Shana: Feels people rally around their particular area, like how she loves Venice. (I loved her enthusiasm for the city. It made me believe I could love it if I lived there, too.) Thinks the web makes L.A. truly navigable. L.A. + web are the same thing. (So this says a lot about how important the web and blogs are for this city, if you're going to become a part of the culture. It sounds like you couldn't survive without the web. But who could these days?)
Jeff: Skeptical of downtown, but now that a Ralph's is opening, feels less so. If people can go there late at night, maybe people do live there.

The most thought-provoking part of the discussion for me was the idea that the web is so important to getting to know L.A. True, isn't the web handy for exploring any new thing, but everyone seemed to agree that the web is vital to feel connected to the culture in L.A. As I've heard before (and now seen), L.A. is really big, spread out, with no real 'center'. This is kinda cool, but at the same time could make a person feel lost and uncertain, especially newcomers to the city. Because there is such a vibrant L.A. web culture, experiencing L.A. and diving in becomes really appetizing and not as intimidating.

One last thing I jotted down in the handy panel book they gave us:
Everyone was truly enthusiastic about living in L.A. They came across as devoted and die-hard fans of their 'center', their L.A. culture. Even if they weren't natives.

nothing

do we ever learn from our mistakes? maybe we repeat them in different form.

if home is where the heart is, where is the home?

Humping Dog

Yes, a humping dog USB, sold by Digital World Tokyo. Note the blurred 'area' in the video. Haaa...

Birth Order

What order are you? According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, I, as an only child, am a quiet achiever, strategic thinker and in love, have trouble with conflict. Fairly true, at least more true compared to the Oldest, Middle, and Youngest definitions.

I wonder if there's a book about birth order and business? I.e., "How to Be Successful as an Only Child", "Leading a Brand as a Middle Child".

Monkeys and Social Communication Tactics

Weird news of the day: 1) Monkeys wash themselves in their own urine. (I was not aware of this. Am I the only one?) 2) Recent research suggests that monkeys do not engage in this behavior for previously thought reasons., i.e. body temperature regulation or climbing aid. It is now thought that monkey urine-washing is connected to social communication. Read here.

Researchers observed capuchin monkeys in captivity for 10 months and recorded their daily urination habits. (What a fun job.) They noticed an interesting link between urination and moments of attention-seeking.

"Alpha males, for example, doubled their urine washing rates when being solicited by females. The researchers think this might be how males encourage females to continue paying attention once they've started. "

"And in 87% of fights or aggressive incidents, the loser of the battle washed in urine."

I think I'll stick with the casual smile when I see a potential date out and about...

Planners and Thinkers, Let's Help NASA Out!

Apparently NASA has dropped their latest slogan, which only just released internally, was “NASA explores for answers that power our future.” Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides at Wired wonders if we, the people, can come up with something better. Oh, Loretta, I'm sure we can.

NASA's slogan is a bit pathetic. It doesn't get me going, there's no zing, and no excitement in that statement. Should their slogan be about NASA specifically? We know NASA is about exploration and that they aim to discover things that will benefit us, but it can probably be said in a more inspiring way.

Part of NASA's marketing idea is reflected in their blue triangle, which represents the idea that “Innovation + Inspiration + Discovery = Future.” With this in mind, what will people come up with?

Wired has put out the challenge for anyone to come up with a slogan and will reward the winner with the space DVD of their choice. Enter your ideas here.

MySpace Launches Fashion Channel

A week ago, social networking site MySpace launched the MySpace Fashion Channel. Somewhat similar to MySpace's devoted mini-communities for music, this new initiative aims to create a new community for fashion lovers. Features include:

1. The Fit - video diaries which give viewers a taste of a celebrity's closet or "fashion lives". The first piece features a French girl-rockers The Plasticines. Next up, actress/singer Hilary Duff and Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy.
2. Featured designer - information on (what appears to be at the moment) up-and-coming designers which link to their MySpace.
3. Featured profile - more information on the celebrities in The Fit. This also links to their MySpace.
4. InStyle fashion feed - The print and online style magazine has partnered with MySpace to offer users a fashion frenzy feed via InStyle's site. This is called InStyle News.
5. MySpace Muse - Culled from "Who What Wear Daily", certain trendsetters will be chosen and featured here.

The value for MySpace Fashion Channel?

1. The opportunity for designers to receive direct feedback and potentially attract new fans. This is especially important for the up-and-coming designers. However, when I clicked on this week's designer, I was disappointed to see a dull MySpace. His MySpace does show his designs, but there's no bio and nowhere that I can see that tells me where I can find his product. So there was a big disconnect for me.
2. The director of strategic partnerships for MySpace says it gives designers a direct line of communication to the consumer...[and that] direct line of communication is vitally important to fashion brands at a time where consumers crave a personal connection with designers and labels." Great, but again, if a designer doesn't take the time to tell his audience who he is, what inspires him, what his vision is, etc. and fails to communicate buying options, how is this connecting with the consumer?
3. If MySpace Fashion proves popular (how will this be determined? site visits, growth in group members for designers/celebrities featured?), they could be seen as cool again, giving a core set of fashion fans something to rally around and want to experience over and over. Building MySpace beyond a general social networking site where people can keep in touch with one another (and stalk) is smart and strategic if they want to stay relevant with consumers.

However, I see a few potential trouble spots with what MySpace is trying to do:

1. Minimal true fashion content

• As mentioned earlier, this week's designer says zilch about himself or his apparel.
• The Plasticines don't say anything about fashion, except in the video clip for NYLON studios. Even then, all we see is a lame stylist asking each band member what she likes and he stands there going "uh huh, that'd look cute, ok try it on." Stylist? My mom could have done better.
• Why not shoot each girl in her favorite outfit and show us that? Better yet, tell us where we can buy it, or get pieces like it.

2. Technical Details Need Tweaks

• The first Fashion Video features Paris Hilton (prompted eye-rolling here) and the clip was crappy. I don't think it's my laptop (I have a Mac) or my connection (wi-fi). The clip was dark, splotchy and the audio wasn't consistent.
• The InStyle News requires users to scroll up/down and left/right in order to view the content within the box. Users can click to InStyle's site, but even so, something as small as this design inconvenience can quickly deter from a completely user-friendly experience, not to mention a crisp-looking site.
• When I click on Taida, the current MySpace Muse, I'm linked to WhoWhatWearDaily.com's MySpace. If I'm told to "click here" for more info. on Taida, why am I not getting it? Again, disconnect.

3. Who is their ideal target?

MySpace will feature streaming video and recaps on New York's Fashion Week later this month. Kinda cool, because if you really love fashion, you want the behind-the-scenes experience. All kinds of designers will be at NYFW - unknowns, perennial faves, those who are more Barneys and those who are more Fred Segal.

• Does MySpace Fashion plan on featuring complete fashion newcomers, hot-at-the-moments (Juicy Couture), young & hip (Stella McCartney), or classic & expensive (Narciso Rodriguez)?
• Who does MySpace envision they'll attract? Do they want to be like People, Marie Claire, or are they aiming more for TeenVogue, but slightly more accessible? Or, none of the above?

I think MySpace could be going in the right direction, or at least they're heading in the general area. I'll be interested to hear about their successes, or user experience feedback, once this takes off and has time to connect with MySpacers.