See Change 2013
PreRamble: Took the day to take in some “luminaries, inspiration, and remarkable work from across the visual spectrum” at the See Change Conference, an annual event sponsored by the University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communication, the College of Design, AIGA Minnesota, and the Minnesota Journalism Center. As a generally fidgety person and big fan of ...
Business applications for visual thinking
PreRamble: I am always on the lookout for new/different approaches to articulation of ideas, both as a matter of keen interest, and, as a way to better define my own work. The following is based on a post written by prolific blogger and fellow visual thinker Chuck Frey on the business uses for “Graphic Facilitation” (described as ...
A picture is worth 100 petabytes
PreRamble: Lots of big talk out there on Big Data – the topic nicely summarized in a recent WSJ Journal Report … “There’s a ton of information out there. And businesses are figuring out how to put it to work. The experts call this state of affairs big data. The definition is squishy, but it usually boils down ...
See spots
PreRamble: Got into a spirited dinner party discussion on polka dots last night … wondered if polka-dot, the fun fashion statement, was in any way related to polka, the twirling wedding reception fare … and random other angles on the simple ubiquitous design. Checked into it further and, as is cosmic confluence would have it, the polka-dot theme is swirling about in the blogosphere as we ...
Beauty is in the hard-wiring of the beholder
PreRamble: As a designer, writer and lover of beautiful things, I was drawn to the recent article by architect and author, Lance Hosey titled “Why We Love Beautiful Things.” In it, Hosey gives some interesting perspective on the art and science of good design, citing the influences of brain chemistry and primal wiring. “Brain scan studies ...
The well-defined platform
PreRamble: In a recent blog post, Australian business author and brand story strategist, Bernadette Jiwa, cites “platform” as the “business buzzword of 2013.” She stresses that a successful business platform needs to be as much about the “doing it” as it is about the “how to” … paraphrased here, “… To be well-equipped at ‘the ...
Little ray of sunshine
PreRamble: Another incredible, sustainable, socially responsible project to add to the Universe’s ”win-win” tally – Danish-Icelandic artist, Olafur Eliasson — known for sculptural, large-scale installation art featuring elements of light, water and air — has developed a multi-influential project called “Little Sun” that brings solar-powered light to remote areas of the world. The enlightened global project was created around the idea of ...
Stop and smell the Ostrich feathers
PreRamble: This is one of those pictures that deserves more than the glancing blow of a Facebook or Twitter post. A close look here will reveal the snout of a sweet, snoozing Smooth Fox Terrier buried in the feathered folds of a faux-Ostrich blanket. Lighting, texture, palate, composition – exquisite. Peaceful. The Take-Away: Sure, there’s important business to be done … numbers to be met ...
WAM app 1.0
PreRamble: This is brilliant — a win-win-win scenario that leverages the synergy between three different realms as a way to innovate and educate. The University of Minnesota journalism department has charged its students to create a smartphone app for the Weisman Art Museum (WAM) that encourages audiences to learn and engage with art. This past ...
Being green in 2013
PreRamble: According to the experts at Pantone LLC, “the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries,” Emerald Green – specifically, color number 17-5641, “a lively, radiant, lush green” – is the 2013 Pantone Color of the Year! For colorphiles like myself, this is a big deal. “Green is the ...
