Changing Blogs

I'm in the middle of migrating my blog over to Wordpress. This is where I will be adding posts. Find it here: http://courtneykuehn.wordpress.com/

It's a work-in-progress...
Thanks!

Hot Design

This morning's eLuxury.com email features the luxury skincare line Korner Skincare. They are the "revolutionary system of biotechnically advanced products, formulated in Paris using rare and precious plant, marine and mineral extracts." Sounds good to me, but what really draws me in is the design. Check it. Sleek, bold, slightly masculine. My only quip is the clear plastic cover, which seems to interrupt the flow of the design.

Blogs...Read This: A PPT and Top Blogs

So in the past few days I've added about 10 more RSS feeds to the list. Most are design and planning/culture-oriented. Yay for ideas!

Also, I was reading through Aki Spicer and Ed Cotton's ppt, "Blogging the Agency" and found the tips to be really helpful. As a hopeful junior planner/strategist (read: NOT yet snapped up by an agency/communications group), I'm trying to hone this blogging thing. It's no easy task, given the onslaught of information I'm shown every day, every minute. Of-course, I like having all of this 'stuff' at my fingertips, even if it gives me a headache to read through at times.

Now I just found myself on Heron Preston's blog (by way of searching for specific NYC strategists on LinkedIn - gotta love creative web stalking!) and found a great list of the top young planner blogs. Advertising's Young Minds gives us The Top 27 Blogs of People Under 27. I already subscribe to a few of these, but now I must busy myself with adding the other 25...

This all shows me I need to step up my game. But, I suppose my game would be a lot better if I was actually working in planning/communication strategy - I'd be forced to integrate my own interests with work experiences. Well, until then, I'll just pretend I'm a junior thinker at some shop and continue to work at adding to the blogosphere.

(Please note Daniel's (from Advertising's Young Minds) ranking criteria - he is not calling it a "best of" list. So when reading the comments below his list, take it all with a grain of salt. One point Aki and Ed point out is that there's a tendency for bloggers to toot their own horns and blogging is an ego-booster. I agree, so keep in mind that blogging is not a popularity contest. It's about contributing to your like-minded community, sharing ideas, and finding inspiration from within yourself and others.)

Wispa Back Thanks to Facebook

Another example of the power of social networking sites/communities banding together to get what they want.

• 14,000 users in 'bring Wispa back' groups in
• 93 groups
• fans posted 1980s spots
• fans joined online petitions

The result? A temporary revival of the chocolate bar (23 million) to test the sales demand.

Ok, who wants to start a Bring Back Zubaz!! Facebook group? Shall I start it?

Lover's Cups

Here's an interesting product concept from Jackie Lee and Hyemin Chung at the MIT Media Labs: the Lover's Cup. This is an LED-enhanced, wi-fi enabled pair of cups meant for sharing the experience of drinking from afar. An example usage scenario - say my lovah and I are in separate locations and I wish to connect with him. All I need to do is pick up my cup and take a sip. My lovah will then see his own cup light up, which tells him I wish to share a drinking moment with him.

But wait - the Lover's Cup does more than act as a virtual toasting gimmick. With a sip or a shake of the cup, users are communicating their affinity towards one another. The soft beacon of light reminds the user that their special someone is thinking of them.

(Now if only I'd known of these cups sooner...they could have been useful in past long-distance relationships that ended up on the cutting room floor...)

Planning For Good: IdeaBlob

Here's another example of the idea of planning for good:

Ideablob, recently launched by Advanta Bank Corp., is a social networking platform that gives entrepreneurs and small business owners the space to share ideas and potentially win $10,000 to help their business grow.

" IdeaBlob is where entrepreneurs and small business owners can share and grow their business ideas – and have a chance to win $10,000 towards fulfilling them.

Great ideas are generated every day by people all across the country, and now these ideas have a place to live and grow. Eligible individuals with a good business idea can post it to IdeaBlob.com, and based on votes from the IdeaBlob online community – which includes other innovators as well as friends, family, colleagues, associates, teachers and mentors – one idea every month will win $10,000.

As individuals take part in IdeaBlob’s growth, their business has the potential to grow right along with it."

Advanta issues Mastercard credit cards for small business owners and has been in business for the last 50 years. After doing some brief digging, I found they were started by a schoolteacher who helped fellow teachers get loans. I'm curious as to what the rest of the story is behind the founder and how Advanta evolved to become what it is today.

As we're seeing over and over, there is power in community, and truth in authenticity. Ideablob has been added to my list of 'great new ideas' and goodness that aims to provide real things for people who need it.

See StyleStation for more information.

Write a Sentence to Help Save Lives

One mysterious Ann (no email, no profile) has set up the beginnings of a story in the hopes of publishing it and donating the profits to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Write a Sentence to Help Save Lives was thought up by Ann, who starts the story off with one sentence and invites anyone to add their own sentence in the comment page. I immediately jumped to the most recent comment and thought about adding something from there, but decided to read from the beginning. For the most part, contributors seem very intelligent and creative. Also very passionate. (a few don't take the task too seriously).

I was surprised to find myself so engaged in the story, as we learned the characters' names, location, backstory of their dreamed up connection, and so on. The creator of the blog/story leaves no information on herself, so we don't know where she is. Many contributors are in the Middle East. I'm in MN and found the link to Ann's blog off of Facebook. Hussein Dajani, brand planner at J.Walter Thompson, posted it in the IPA Strategy Group group, of which I belong. How did he hear of this community-created story?

To date, there are about 100 posts, some of them containing contributor information (name, city, etc). Some seem to be repeat contributors. I wonder what percentage got involved because they believe in the cause, and what percentage wanted to join to simply be a part of this global storytelling project? I admire Ann's idea and the cause, but I was drawn to contributing because I wanted to help create the story. I'll have to come back closer to December to see how it's evolved.

Miami U Cheezies a capella "Facebook"

Hilarious.

I get it. Is that bad?

Blog Action Day - More Good Stuff

I'm signing up to blog about the environment as part of Blog Action Day. (See Faris post "We Need Each Other" to the right in the pink box or All Day Buffet.) The date is set for 10/15. So far, 6,109 blogs have signed up, which is not counting mine. This initiative asks "What would happen if every blog published posts discussing the same issue, on the same day?" What will happen? Sign up and be a part of this mass communication of idea sharing.

MINI Clubman

MINI's teaser site, counting down to the launch of buzz-building 15-second film clips promoting the Clubman. See Contagious post or MINI's The Other View clock.

Also running is their The Other Lunch campaign. Choose from a variety of events (FREE LUNCH included) where you can bone up on some valuable life skills. Why don't I live in London? Actually, I'm really curious to know how MINI will integrate their brand story directly into the events. Or, will there be no mention of MINI or the Clubman?

I like the quirk factor in the various events (how to get back in a will, how to pass a lie detector test). And I like that you get free food. Aside from this, the campaign is interesting in that it combines fun learning with community interaction. It's really working to bring like-minded people (MINI fans, potential fans) together, get them to interact, and ultimately bond within the group and to the brand.

If anyone signs up to one of these lunches, post your comments on the experience here.

One Laptop Per Child...

I can't believe summer is (for the most part) over. October is here already, and soon enough, Turkey Day (aka Thanksgiving). And we all know what this means. Holiday shopping season begins. The fun, the madness, the joy of holiday (can I say Christmas?). For the past few years, I just haven't been able to come up with any sweet gift ideas when I am asked "What's on your list?" I admit, I enjoy getting gifts, but I've come to realize that I have so much junk around here, and I don't truly need anything.

I was looking at the One Laptop Per Child/XO Laptop site and my eye fell upon: "Give 1 Get 1 starting November 12". I immediately thought how perfect this would be for a Christmas gift - either for your child/niece/nephew, etc. but more importantly, how meaningful it would be for that child millions of miles away. What if instead of exchanging gifts in your family this year, you pledged to purchase a few of the laptops? It would almost be like feeding the hungry a turkey dinner on Thanksgiving, but probably better. (not that this isn't a generous or necessary cause)

Designed by fuseproject, the laptop represents ambitious and inspiring ideas that I hope people come to believe in and support. Education and the opportunities it affords should be a part of every child's life.

Listen to Nicholas Negroponte talk about his One Laptop Per Child project below.

Photosynth

Not too new, but worth posting -

Photosynth creates "multidimensional spaces with zoom and navigation features" which truly amaze. Blaise Aguera y Arcas demonstrates its capabilities in this demo.

personal DNA quiz

Saw this on Adam's Facebook, so I decided to see what I was...

Turns out I am an Animated Creator.

I like the visual questions (slide bars, graphs), vs multiple choice where you hem and haw. I sort-of zoned in and was drawn to intuitively click as I took in the spaces and bars. (You'll see what I mean if you do it.) Take it here.

HeadOn Sales Up

I don't know why, but I'm a little fascinated by HeadOn. I'm lucky enough that I don't get headaches often, and when I do, I reach for generic Ibruprofen. But now that I've seen this article, maybe I'll keep HeadOn 'in mind' the next time I'm at Target.

So sales are up not 50%, not 75%, not even 100%. No, they're up 234%. I'm curious. Have you used it? Does it work? Can you only apply it directly on the forehead? Can you try it on the temples? (Is this dangerous? Is there a tingly sensation? Will my toes fall off?)

I wonder if a large part of the sales increase is because a lot of people like myself are just curious to see what this product can actually do. But how does it work? Hmm...I smell project!)

Inspiring Ideas

These quotes come from Bruce Mau Design's Incomplete Manifesto for Growth, which I find simple, yet completely compelling and authentic.

1. “Allow events to change you.”
As a planner (and thinker), I open myself to the possibility of growth through experiences and change. In fact, I seek it.

5. “Go deep.”
I will commit myself to dig deeper, knowing that if I do, I could be rewarded with valuable discoveries.

9. “Begin anywhere.”
The process of planning seems uncomplicated, yet it’s no easy task. I like the idea that anywhere is fair game for mining ideas and insights. It says jump in with no fear.

16. “Collaborate”
As I’ve found in Bootcamp at Miami Ad School, putting ideas and questions together in a bubble, as opposed to working alone in seclusion proves that collaboration creates more potential for great insight.

PSFK Conference: 2 pics

I had planned on taking some pictures of the Pacific Design Center (location of conference) but as I discovered during the first coffee break, I had stupidly forgotten my camera's battery in MN.

However, when I got back from L.A. I snapped these:
The first is obviously my name tag. Shout out for MAS. The second...(planned by PSFK?) was the fortune in my fortune cookie that was included in our bagged lunches. I didn't open the cookie until today, back home in Minneapolis. Interesting. If you can't read it, it says: Advertising is landfill, we need to create ways to plant seeds & grow life instead" by Byrne.

PSFK Conference: Art & Beautiful Mistakes

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.

Artist Shepard Fairey spoke about his journey from t-shirt and sticker-making to creating art for consumers/clients. This was one of my top favorite speakers by far. Here're my notes and thoughts, along with a picture. (We were prohibited from taking our own, so I'm borrowing from PSFK.)

I'd never heard of Shepard before, so I was really jazzed to hear him speak about his cool art and his thoughts on 'selling out' (my words, not his) as he began producing art for brands and the consumerist world. Some background on Shepard: Rhode Island School of Design grad, inspired by propaganda, born to parents who were the high school footballer and cheerleader.

He started off by showing us slides of his work, I noticed hints of Barbara Kruger (whom I admire), and lo behold, he included an image of one of her pieces. Shepard started making t-shirts for friends and one day saw an ad with Andre the Giant (wrestler and actor in "The Princess Bride" no less). He made this into a sticker, which he then began slapping around town (I believe he's from North Carolina). This got Shepard thinking about "the power of communication through art and in the public space."

He believes in "awakening wonderment" (in reference to the philosopher Heidegger). This resonated with me. Awakening wonderment should be something all artists and creative people strive to do. Or, maybe it's something everyone should be thinking about. If thought is dull and immobile, the potential for growth and discovery is low.

On his art:
Eventually, it started to attract teens and the skateboard crowd, but then also companies began calling. They wanted to connect with the followers/fans of Fairey's work, and believed he could help them achieve this. His artistic journey and way of thinking came across as very authentic and grassroots. He was very honest about his upbringing, inspirations, and motivations. He said art + commerce need eachother (despite what naysayers may say), and also believes in entertainment mixing with the two. For instance, he enjoys music, so he djs. He likes to go out and be politically critical. (He's been arrested 13 times.) He also believes in empowerment, something that has been a strong base for his messages (see bold propaganda influenced work). His take is that art can be and is everywhere.

On making art for commerce:
His motivation to try commercial was because he wanted to resonate with his audience. Art needs to to "accrue cultural currency" in order to gain commercial success. Someone in the audience asked if he's felt a backlash after he went commercial, and Fairey said despite this, he's still driven to do what he does. It's not as if he doesn't make art for his own 'selfish' reasons (the root of all art?), he just does what drives him.

On living the 'artist' life:
I found it amusing that he used to scam Kinkos when he made art in the beginning. He had figured out a way to rig the machines so he wouldn't get charged (artists need to be strategic thinkers) and would restrict his color printing to red and black.

So art needn't be draining on your budget. I also like the fact that his work is accessible. I looked at his site Obey Giant, and was pleased to find posters that don't set you back $1,000. In fact, he encourages people to download his designs for free stuff like stickers, posters, stencils and desktop wallpaper. Art for all.

I didn't know this...:
Hawaii has no outdoor advertising. Fairey mentioned that you'll see no big logo on the pop machines, or ads on telephone boxes. Instead you'll see flowers (promote tourism through beauty and images of Hawaii).

PSFK Conference: Point A To B

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.

This panel talked about the issue of transportation in L.A. I'd heard that driving in L.A. is horrible, so this was interesting to hear about people who've given up their cars and how they navigate around town. Here're my notes and thoughts.

Panelists:
Roberto Espinosa & Michael Powers of Refreshment, led the discussion. Siel of the blog greenLAgirl. Frederick Dennstedt, designer and creator of blog MetroRider LA. Kymberleigh Richards of the San Fernando Valley Transit Insider.

This was a fairly energetic discussion, which almost got a bit heated at times (much like I'm sure those cars on the PCH get sitting in traffic). Car-lessness is doable. Siel has been without for the last 6 months, Fred 3 yrs, and Kymberleigh for 15 yrs. Impressive.

On being car-less and the "car culture" of L.A.:
Siel: lives in Santa Monica where the bus system is great. Navigates using this, in addition to biking it, walking, and using Flexcar. Her choice (like everyone else) to go car-less, requires adjustments, such as planning ahead and making sure you have enough time to get to Point B from Point A.
Kymberleigh: Notes that the Metro ridership increases when its service is extended. (I saw an article on L.A. public transportation in the airplane magazine and saw it only goes so far. Not sure of their future plans, but hopefully in 10 yrs, this will be greatly extended to all areas of L.A.) Sees the main challenge (with Fred agreeing) is to change people's mindset - getting them to take the Metro is difficult.
Fred: His blog aims to promote what he calls "The Los Angeles Public Transit Lifestyle". Strongly believes you can survive without a car and was pushed to go car-less after becoming fed up with the hassles of car ownership, sitting in traffic, gas trips, etc. He and Kymberleigh talked about the "car culture" madness. Kymberleigh says that people (drivers) are adamant in their demands for being able to drive, and they don't want to give up 'their' lanes (for buses), and their right to be there. (I sometimes get annoyed with the buses in downtown Minneapolis, but as it's a much smaller place, I rarely notice the space the buses take up. How haughty some of these "car culture" people sound...)
Fred: Believes society prejudices are a huge barrier in getting people to use public transportation more often. He stressed the many upsides of going car-less: the gain in freedom, save $, a renewed sense of freedom to explore your city, and last but certainly not least, learning to relax.

Having lived in the suburbs for the past 26 yrs, and having used public transportation for various Minneapolis jobs, I've learned to really appreciate the bus (and lightrail). Coming from the suburbs (going directly downtown), you don't ride with 'city' people. It's mostly white, middle-class professionals. People who come in from the suburbs are probably very appreciative that they can take the bus, read, relax, and save gas money. Minneapolis isn't as large as L.A., Chicago, or NY, but if it were, I doubt there would be this "car culture" that permeates L.A. I understand how some people may snub their noses at the bus/train rider. They may wonder why they can't afford to drive, or if they're coming in from poorer areas.

Which gets me thinking about mass public transportation and how it brings people together and mashes them up. Apparently, 'the more the merrier' isn't a good thing for the Car Culture of L.A. Public transportation could bring in 'undesirables' I suppose, but would these people really want to shop Rodeo Drive? Would they be eating at Mr.Chow? Doubt it. It's not fair to exclude people from access. Everyone should have a right to explore and utilize resources. NYC, though not as spread out and possibly better suited for the subway, sees a plethora of the masses come in and out every day. The mashing of diversity, lifestyles, flavors, and culture is what makes this city buzz and grow. Cutting people off from these possibilities is stupid for any city that wants to stand out as a great place to live, think, and play.

On the future of transportation:
Kymberleigh: Part of the reason why the Metro doesn't go further is due to the discovery of a methane pocket underground. There is a possibility that expansion will happen, but this depends on a certain bill (if I remember correctly) passing.
Margaret Kemp: Representing Flexcar. Car-sharing service. Last yr they had 40 cars, this year 160ish. Says it's interesting that people are opening up to the idea of car-sharing. This month they've seen 350 new members join. How it works in a nutshell: you rent at any time increment, you do no maintenance on the car, pick it up at location nearest you, return it to where you got it. Fee covers gas, insurance, and 150 free miles. 1/3 of their cars are hybrids. (A great way to use alternative transportation, promotes using local grocers/stores, etc.)

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?