Macrotrends 2010-2012: Social Behaviors in Retail Environments

Note: This is the first in a series of posts that explore trends at the intersection of human behavior and technology that might emerge over the next three years from the convergence of other, established trends.
The Macrotrend:
The normalization of social behaviors on the web, in combination with the ability to centralize human networks via [...]

Published on October 21, 2009 7:15 am.
Filed under: People and Spaces, Things I Have Written Tags: , , , , , , ,

Who’s Going to Own our Preferences?

Some related thoughts, disparately organized:
The inimitable Dave Coustan (@extraface on Twitter) has been up here in Boston from Atlanta working with us for the last few days. Among the many things I have learned about Dave in that time:

Dave has a soft spot for really good Pinot
Dave likes push messaging for his regular FourSquare updates
Dave [...]

Published on September 11, 2009 10:40 am.
Filed under: People and Devices, Things I Have Written Tags: , , , , ,

Facilitation and the Sound of Cracking Glass

I awoke to a fantastic post on Make this morning about Youth Music Box – an installation at the Royal Music Hall in London that allows kids to construct their own original composition in a few short minutes.
Youth Music Box is a free, interactive musical experience, allowing you to create your own unique track and [...]

Published on September 3, 2009 10:26 am.
Filed under: Notes on Things Seen, People and Devices Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Two Toys: Trading Up vs. Trending Up

Two equally-addictive toys I’m playing with this week:
1. The Brand Asset Valuator: Some of you will be familiar with this particular gadget from Y&R (or at least from John Gerzema of Y&R). The Flex application allows you to compare the momentum of up to three brands simultaneously along four distinct criteria:

Energized Differentiation – the measure [...]

Published on February 17, 2009 10:47 pm.
Filed under: Notes on Things Seen, People and Brands Tags: , , , , , , ,

Anselm Kiefer, American Cuisine, and a Common Vernacular for Online Communities

Three seemingly unrelated anecdotes, ultimately intertwined:
My wife and I retreated for a few days this week to North Adams, Massachusetts, to take in the Anselm Kiefer exhibit at Mass MoCA. For those unfamiliar with the remarkable work of the German sculptor and painter, a brief overview of the exhibit is below.

Anselm Kiefer @ Mass MoCA [...]

Published on February 9, 2009 9:00 am.
Filed under: Notes on Things Seen, People and Other People Tags: , , , , , , , ,