Now That’s a Crazy Dashboard

I am a data junkie and have to admit I spent way too much time dorking around with this dashboard:

sprint.com/widget

Much respect for Sprint for making an effort in the market.  I want to know who rejected the offer to have the iPhone under their network, they should be shot.  I still have one reliable Sprint phone but have to deal with Apples stupid partnership with AT&T.  I love the iPhone product but AT&T blows donkey widgets.

Filed under: Differentiation, Experience Design , apple, at&t, dashboard, iphone, sprint, timesink

PET Recycled Bags

Here are some cool bags made from recycled PET bottles. The full article at Treehugger and the online shop is from www.act2greensmart.com. I hope to see some cooler designs from this material from TUMI and other bag designers soon.

Filed under: Differentiation, Environment, Positive Change , design, laptop bags, recycled

Future Trends in Advertising

Here is a clip from Leo Burnett. A very slick presentation style with a powerful way to communicate ideas along side the talking head.

Filed under: Creative Direction, Differentiation, Positioning

Genealogy and Family Social Networking

I have been using Geni.com for over a year now and never thought the site would have such an impact in my life. Facebook is a bit uninteresting to family members and though they have privacy features it is still difficult to master, control, and trust. It makes so much more sense to have a site dedicated to families to communicate and document past and future events. I am uninterested in ‘living online’ with social network sites and more interested in ‘living outside’ with friends and family so you will find this review coming from someone who spends little time on these network sites but just enough to keep them active.

I am actually feeling a bit guilty writing this now but I hope that someone else finds this personal experience interesting and wants to keep family close – but not that close. 

Usability
I do miss logging in and seeing the visual tree but the Facebook-like feeds of activity is very interesting and comforting. The site is easy to use for a six-year old and a 66-year old. I have my daughter using the site to view photos – and now videos – of family. She is also more interested in the family tree than I ever was. My grandmother is a huge genealogy nut and has written several books on family names but I never shared her enthusiasm until now. If you have formphobia like myself, then you will appreciate the polite, clear, and engaging way the Geni website collects data. It as not as demanding as you may think and before I knew it I had a lot of info, photos, and a growing tree after a few other family members got motivated to post their family info. 

Friends
I hope Geni gets enough feedback on this because I see some hints of adding friends to the network and I am concerned with this idea. There are photos and details that I would not mind sharing with close family friends but I have more public websites for that, Flickr, Ofoto, Facebook, etc. This is not a public website and the differentiator is that very fact. The black and white ‘family only’ format gives me the peace of mind to use and ask family members to trust. The only way to allow godparents or very close friends of family is to have approval by 10 or more other family members. Friends could only see that immediate family info because other family members may not want to be contacted by this person who could abuse the trust of this family network. 

Videos
Finally! This should have been added at launch but I know priorities are all part of the launch and beta process. I have been using Vimeo.com for posting private videos and HD footage of family events and will continue to use that for HD but then post a version for family to see on Geni. Vimeo password protects the videos but it is clumsy and if someone forgets the password I am bothered all the time. The videos can be posted from your hard drive or created on the fly with a webcam which is great for those times you want to capture a moment and a video camera is not as handy as a laptop or cam.  Once downside is all videos are posted as public and you cannot send someone a video greeting like a Happy Birthday! message. It is also a bit lackluster experience to watch the status of the video upload/encoding process – but it works and a small video clip is there. I will still use Vimeo for my HD versions of the footage.

Business model
I can forecast a few ways to make money from members but whatever they do a bit of resistance will be normal. If they can continue to build trust with the product and not violate privacy concerns then I am sure users will be keen on a minimal fee for upkeep. Advertising would feel like a violation of trust if the ads were targeted based on data that was submitted. Sponsoring areas by certain brands would be the most tactful and valuable method to associate a brand with a trusted site. Demanding users to click outside their path is asking a lot and I would feel much better about a company who spends their ad dollars on the Photos section of Geni rather than invading content space. 

Summary
Overall, this Geni product has been a great way to connect with the people I care about most: family. Like a lot of families, everyone is scattered all over the place and it’s nice that we have phones, email, etc. but when I want to ‘reach out and touch someone’ I like to create a video, photo slideshow, or make a card with my daughter and send it. If Geni can look at the real world experiences and mimic those on their site it will be a lot more personal and a great alternative to connect.

• Surprise birthday on webcam. Now they have video capabilities it would be awesome to have family from all over the world to get online at one time and wish someone a happy birthday. 
• Send real gifts and not these silly icons without a message. 
• Send personal video greetings.
• Donate in a family members name.
• Sponsor events, walks, and other things to raise money.
• Post needs and wants. 
• Allow embedded content.
• Encourage family reunions – this would make ‘create an event’ a bit more confusing though.

Filed under: Differentiation, Positioning, Positive Change , family, genealogy, social network

Jobs of Web 2.0 = Fringe Gigs of Today

 

Jobs of Web 2.0

Fast Company posted a 10 slide piece about jobs that exist in the online world – even though the editor has some slides and text in the wrong order. I thought it was odd that they titled it Jobs of Web 2.0 since these roles are pretty commonplace. Even around in 1998 a lot of companies had the same positions with varying titles. I was designing type, iconography, and interfaces for SonicNet in 1996 and they had someone hacking the social software and developing audience more than trying to trick Google.  

The real jobs of the future are going to be how well you interact with people, develop ideas as a team, and make deals. Since most of the jobs are putting people in front of computers, these roles can easily be outsourced. See Daniel Pink’s Whole New Mind to be convinced that these roles will be low-wage roles in booming cities.

I do worry about sending so many jobs outside the U.S. when there are communities of people who need jobs. What would happen if we trained Detroit auto-workers to be a web-hacker/support person? I know some people in Flint, Michigan who would embrace a 24K – 30K salary.  With the way the dollar is headed and the rising rates of Indian companies this is what some companies are paying to firms who give a fraction of that to their employees.  

Jobs of Web 2.0

Filed under: Differentiation, Positive Change, Poverty , daniel pink, fast comapny, job-shifting, jobs, outsourcing, web 2.0

$10,000 rebate for the 2-Year Plan?

I am not sure if there will really be a “rebate” but the notion of building a company around the same type of love affair people all over the world have with their phones is very clever indeed. Americans have had this affair with their cars for decades but the mobile phone is the object people all over the world love. If the electric car can be introduced to consumers the same way a phone plan is initiated then the barrier to entry will be minimal and attractive.

This is an innovative piece and with the backing they have it is beyond “could happen” and in the realm of happening. This will not happen in the good old USA at first but other countries will adopt this and like the mobile phones, we will get a version that barely resembles the orginal vision because of all the companies who had to get their sticky fingers in the mix.

Time will tell and by the time the warranty is up on the Prius, I can get one of these and upgrade the batter via thrid-party on the Toyota. Petrol? What petrol?

Visit projectbetterplace.com

Filed under: Differentiation, Environment, Positive Change , , alternative fuel, electric cars, prius, shai agassi

The $200 iPhone for change

What an opportunity that was missed by Apple to be able to have $100 – $200 of the dollars that was padded for profits in case the phone did not meet expectations to go to worthy causes. Look at what Good Magazine is doing:http://www.goodmagazine.com/subscribe

Then we have the One Laptop per Child program and to be honest, I am sure these children in rural areas would rather have an iPhone. But either way, a create the $200 iPhone or a step up to the current positive change plate and promote that a portion of proceeds that go to an organization of your choice. That would have been a much better idea than to pad the phone and then surprise people with conditional rebates.

Shame on you Apple. And after the critisism and reply for environmentally sound practices and manufacturing you should know better. Look at the products that people are supporting because they can buy their gadgets and feel good also. Didn’t you have a “Product Red” iPod Nano?

http://www.joinred.com/

I hope the next generation iPhone is as globally concious as the current generation iPhone users.

Filed under: Differentiation, Positioning, Positive Change

Virgin America Website Experience

I have to admit, I was completely seduced when I was exploring the airline, Virgin America, Richard Branson’s new hipfordable (first time ever used word) airline to compete with JetBlue and Southwest. The section called “The Difference” was very well done Flash-based experience that got me sucked in and jealous I was buying the flight for someone else.

The main reason I chose to book this airline was because I heard Sir Richard Branson mention that he is passionate about converting his airline fleets into biofuel and have the first alternative fuel airline in the industry. If anyone could do it, I feel he can and I like the fact he tries to slip this “old news” into interviews when reporters want to cover the new press release topics. Sure Branson has been saying this for over 10 months but when a master of PR like he is keeps on pushing this initiative – and not letting this claim die off so he can save face – I respect him for being this kind of leader even more.

If we have to go to space on dinosaur juice then we have not come very far have we? For now, we will travel in easy luxuries: 9-shades of lighting, mini-bars, and to me many amenities that should be standard in the first place. The other airlines were too slow to recognize that an underseat power outlet, some fresh food, and on-demand entertainment would get our rocks off and Virgin has created the new standard in coach travel.

Back to the web experience, the online ticketing system had some flaws when I wanted to order for someone else and it would not allow me to do so if I was logged in so I had to log out or go to another browser that did not cookie my settings and hardcode my “eleVAte number” in the system and assume that I was the traveler. I could not find a way to buy a ticket for someone else while I was logged in like I can with JetBlue. I love the ability to be able to buy tickets for others with the JetBlue system when I have credits in the pot. I am sure Virgin America will sort out the kinks and make the seat choosing section a bit more usable also.

They type they use is very small when type is enlarged the seat numbers do line up and the overall formatting is still fairly legible for visually impaired and elderly. Contrast is very good and instructions are clear and I do not feel that things are hidden. Overall, a very pleasant web experience that can be usable for a wide audience without difficulty.

UPDATE: The flight experience reported by sister-in-law was not very good. The interface crashed on her and was not easy to use compared to the up/down controls that may be clumsy but it is obvious. They also did not have the open bar as promised and Jen said that they did not even offer snacks. Worst of all the flight was over two hours late from Los Angeles to San Francisco so the cheap airline (cheap airfair wars) still go on and I have to stick with JetBlue for reliability and experience. So all the parties, slick website, and amazing spokesperson will not get me to go with Virgin and I would rather deal with the hassle of going to Oakland to fly out if I need to go to LA (or Long Beach).

Filed under: Differentiation, Experience Design, Usability

Tradeshow Noise

It’s funny how a creative company who is doing innovative things cannot explain what they do in a single sentence or a even in powerful concept that grabs you. Recently at the Dwell on Design 2007 event, I was impressed with the EcoSteel product and their process which was not communicated at all when walking by their booth. They had a 20 x 10 booth in a high traffic area but nothing invited me or intrigued me to ask about what they did.

Their booth was so hodge-podge that nobody felt welcome in the space and there was no central message. After talking to Lynn Chadderdon, who is in operations and not sales, she told me, “EcoSteel buildings contain recycled vehicles, appliances and industrial scrap metal.”

Wow, that is cool. Where does it say that in the booth? Why don’t you shout that to everyone: “Where have all the junk yards gone?” This would get some attention, maybe even show a building or house and say how many cars it took to build these. 80% recycled steel to make beams and Frank Gehry inspired architectural structures is a great story that can be communicated better.

Filed under: Differentiation, Positioning

Prefab Home Designers Need to Sync Up

After going to Dwell Magazine “Dwell on Design” event, I was disappointed to hear resistance from designers and builders considering using BluWood and EcoSteel. After discovering how the process and business of prefabs are no different than a car where you may have a few base models and then add a ritzier fit and finish to one, I wanted to see how one of these would last in extreme climates. None of these manufacturers considered the influence of global warming issues to their homes and how they would handle floods, extreme heat, extreme cold, and tornadoes.

The saddest answer I got from one builder – will go unnamed to save face – was, “this is a business like anything else, we have to survive and compete. The frame anyone can build, but getting all the suppliers to get us a good price is what keeps us from being more competitive.” A few of the builders admitted to shipping wood from China to save costs. Will we ever learn?

This is a great opportunity to differentiate from the new home building and yet the costs for these are not cheap when all said and done. The prefab home materials and process was not very sustainable because most metals were not recycled (like EcoSteel) and the woods they used are rarely FSC certified (Forest Stewardship Council). I thought the EcoSteel was one of the most interesting products there but dwarfed by the speakers and snazzier exhibitor showcases. They use recycled steel: did you wonder where the junk yards went?

Some popular prefab designer/manufacturers that have been doing this for almost five years have about 30 homes actually built. Others like the H-Haus are struggling to complete 10 by the year end. H-Haus was the main stand out prefab product at the show because they are using smart energy solutions as a foundation of the structure but also in the details such as windows, tiles, floors, plumbing, roof, and more.

None of the prefab builders were using the GreenSpec listed BluWood which was amazing to me since mold is such a huge issue. Overall the prefab market is very small but getting a lot of attention and press. The concerning thing is the opportunity the designers and suppliers can exploit if they get together and focus on their message so it does not take so long to figure out who is truly innovative and who is simply making trendy looking cookie-cutter homes.

Filed under: Differentiation