In the Future, It Will Just Be Starbucks & Amazon
Stephen Gordon argues that with the ever increasing availability of online goods and services, universities, book stores, retail shops, and offices will all shrink to the size of coffee shops.
My Christmas shopping this year was 90% through Amazon Prime. Not having to fight the crowds and having it delivered free of charge to my home is a big plus, but as with the Kindle store, the online retail selection is much better that even the largest retail outlet.
Which is more enjoyable: Starbucks or Walmart? For the sane: Starbucks. So if you can accomplish your Walmart shopping at Starbucks, why do it any other way?
Also, imagine the 3D print shop of the future. You put in your order, probably from your smart phone, and then go pick it up. What does the lobby of such a business look like? Again: a coffee shop.
Every Presentation Ever: Epic Communication Fail
I think any of us that have worked in “corporate” American have seen just about all of these things happen during a few presentations.
Video: Saul Bass’ Bell System Pitch
This is a video of Saul Bass presenting his brand identity suggestions to Bell System in the early 1970s. The first half is a fantastic overview on the importance of brand identity,. while the second half (starting at around 13:00) is the identity pitch itself. A long video, but worth every second of your time.
Edward Tufte Profile
Joshua Yaffa profiles Edward Tufte, one of my personal heros, for The Washington Monthly.
After the publication of Envisioning Information, Tufte decided, he told me, “to be indifferent to culture or history or time.” He became increasingly consumed with what he calls “forever knowledge,” or the idea that design is meant to guide fundamental cognitive tasks and therefore is rooted in principles that apply regardless of the material being displayed and the technology used to produce it. As Tufte explains it, basic human cognitive questions are universal, which means that design questions should be universal too. “I purposely don’t write books with names like How to Design a Web Site or How to Make a Presentation,” he told me.
