I’d be willing to bet that there is a significant correlation between business’ escalating interest in information graphics and the sheer amount of information being created. People are asked to absorb more data than ever but the amount of information our brains can actually absorb is pretty much the same. How exactly are we supposed to adapt to this computer enabled data deluge?
We could try speed-reading or memory exercises, but as with many other things in life, the solution is not about trying harder but being smarter. Or in this case, designing smarter.
“Information graphics are visual representations of information, data or knowledge” or so says wikipedia. Essentially it’s presenting lots of information in a way that is not only digestible but meaningful (I just ran across this great lego-fied example). My agency has been asked to pitch quite a few infographics initiatives for large corporations here in the Bay Area over the past couple years and I don’t think we’re an anomaly. I’m pleased that this design-driven approach to solving the problem of communicating swarms of information is gaining momentum—it’s a tool that will dramatically increase in value as terabytes become petabytes become exabytes.
Nobody in the corporate world has nailed it yet (though it will happen soon), but I’ll point to a small closed-loop system as an example—a pared down environment where data can quickly be interpreted and decisions can immediately affect outcomes: Fitness.
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These days when CEOs and corporate marketers talk about investing in brand, they’re probably referring to traditionally visible touchpoints such as product design, advertising, or digital experience. That’s great, but what they, and most people don’t realize is that branding is much more than just the stuff you can see.
Given the choice, I prefer the company of creative business leaders over leaders of creative businesses, but when asked to speak at an industry panel in Portland I immediately booked my ticket. I find a microphone hard to resist. Read the rest of this entry »
As often as it has been said over the past few years most businesses still can’t adapt to the new business landscape. I understand why: There’s a lot to change, and even in the best of circumstances momentum can keep a business heading in the same direction, right or wrong, for years.
Where to start, then? How should businesses acquire customers—or more accurately—how they shouldn’t.
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As companies look for ways to improve their reputation in an ever more difficult market, executives likely find themselves struggling with one of the most misunderstood, perhaps underutilized business tools around: Brand.
This series of whiteboard sessions explores some of the latest trends we’ve observed and programs we’re working on. it’s meant to help clients and colleagues explore the implications and opportunities of an accelerating market and the emerging tools we’ll need.
Please leave your comments or reach out to me directly—I look forward to hearing your ideas as well, these concepts are evolving and, of course, imperfect.
Josh
Pre-profit Priority from Great Monday on Vimeo.
Forget value-added, today’s customer demands value first. Whether individual or corporation, they’re too smart to buy just because your Super Bowl ad said so. To get future customers you need to think about your pre-profit priority—building a community.
One Minute Mondays: Why work? from Great Monday on Vimeo.
Pretty much all Josh thinks about is how to help companies live their brand. Working with him, I get to hear a lot of gems and, I started thinking other people should really hear this, too. So (with my limited video skills) we decided to put this monthly video series together.
Enjoy this no-frills look at some of the thinking that goes on here at the office. First up, Josh wonders: Why work?
Your turn
Do these examples alone prove the Get Fired hypothesis—that process can change perceptions and you’ll have nothing to fear when promoting a far out idea? Two examples do not a statistically significant sample make—however, they do support the hypothesis.
Assembled in one methodology, these concepts can be applied to change risk-averse attitudes and get more new ideas to market. The following “Get Fired framework” is a plan of action based on what we’ve learned to help you succeed in building, vetting, and implementing your biggest, craziest ideas.
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From the inside: Steelcase
From its 1937 creation of a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired desk to its 1996 investment in product design juggernaut IDEO, Furniture-company-turned-workspace-consultant Steelcase has a long history of not only investing in new ideas but successfully bringing them to market.
The latest in this long tradition is a newly formed group called Growth Initiatives, anascent project that focuses on creating, testing, and bringing new innovations to market. The group’s objective is to capture and systematically fund potential revenue streams as they look 5 and 10 years into the future. To accomplish this Growth Initiatives uses a rigorous venture capital-style investing process that grants progressively larger amounts of resources as an idea proves its value. This method mitigates Steelcase’s investment risk and ensures that only the most viable ideas move forward.
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