“The Ten Commandments” by Dieter Rams

By Larry Latore

Most known for his work with the consumer electronics company Braun, Dieter Rams is one of the most influential industrial designers of the late 20th Century. His fundamental principles of good design aptly titled “The Ten Commandments” are for a designer, words to live by.

Good design is innovative
It does not copy existing product forms, nor does it produce any kind of novelty for the sake of it. The essence of innovation must be clearly seen in all functions of a product. The possibilities in this respect are by no means exhausted. Technological development keeps offering new chances for innovative solutions.

Good design makes a product useful
A product is bought in order to be used. It must serve a defined purpose – in both primary and additional functions. The most important task of design is to optimise the utility of a product.

Good design is aesthetic
The aesthetic quality of a product – and the fascination it inspires – is an integral part of its utility. Without doubt, it is uncomfortable and tiring to have to put up with products that are confusing, that get on your nerves, that you are unable to relate to. However, it has always been a hard task to argue about aesthetic quality, for two reasons.

Firstly, it is difficult to talk about anything visual, since words have a different meaning for different people.

Secondly, aesthetic quality deals with details, subtle shades, harmony and the equilibrium of a whole variety of visual elements. A good eye is required, schooled by years and years of experience, in order to be able to draw the right conclusion.

Good design helps a product to be understood
It clarifies the structure of the product. Better still, it can make the product talk. At best, it is self-explanatory and saves you the long, tedious perusal of the operating manual.

Good design is unobtrusive
Products that satisfy this criterion are tools. They are neither decorative objects nor works of art. Their design should therefore be both neutral and restrained leaving room for the user’s self-expression.

Good design is honest
An honestly-designed product must not claim features – more innovative, more efficient, of higher value – it does not have. It must not influence or manipulate buyers and users.

Good design is durable
It is nothing trendy that might be out-of-date tomorrow. This is one of the major differences between well-designed products and trivial objects for a waste-producing society. Waste must no longer be tolerated.

Good design is thorough to the last detail
Thoroughness and accuracy of design are synonymous with the product and its functions, as seen through the eyes of the user.

Good design is concerned with the environment
Design must contribute towards a stable environment and a sensible use of raw materials. This means considering not only actual pollution, but also the visual pollution and destruction of our environment.

Good design is as little design as possible
Back to purity, back to simplicity.

Many of these principles, although stated for design, can be translated across all parts of our industry and all too often these fundamental principles get overlooked in the hurry to get the job done. So a note to everyone, take a step back and examine these principles with what you are producing. If it aligns, then you’ve done your job.

Source: http://www.vitsoe.com/en/gb/about/gooddesign

Where would you go?

By Amanda Sackawicz

The topic of my posting changed drastically this morning as I went to check the weather and encountered the banner below. There was nothing over-the-top about it – no fancy animation or flashing text – just a series of static images naming cities around the world with simple, straightforward copy placed just above the fold.

So why did this no-frills banner grab my attention? Quite simply – it was curiosity and the allure of what would happen when I did click on the image. I must say I was pleasantly surprised by what followed. Upon clicking, the banner switched to a live feed from high above the streets of New York City – there wasn’t an offer, a phone number or a catchy call-to-action. Visa wasn’t trying to sell me anything; instead they offered me another view of the world at 5:35am EST and, for a moment, they let me escape to a place the sun was already shining.

So why is Visa doing this? And why is the word “go” emphasized? As it turns out, this inventive little banner is part of Visa’s first global marketing campaign, entitled “More people go with Visa.” The campaign debuted globally on March 2nd and has been grabbing attention with both traditional and online advertising. Creative executions focus on the concept of “going” and making the most out of everyday life; and while Visa products are highlighted, there is no mention of spending more or being extravagant. Rather than focusing on the sell and trying to get more card members, Visa has taken an interesting position of suggesting that current card holders simply use the card more in their everyday life.

This notion has also been carried through to a microsite – http://go.visa.com. Upon entering the site, you are immediately engaged by elements entering from off screen to form the word “go.” Once the page has loaded, you are invited to click around and explore; in doing so, you learn that the elements on the page range from fun facts from around the globe to pictures that have been submitted by users via a partnership with flickr.

As you go through the site, each section requires a different form of interaction from the user; this not only engages the user but also re-enforces the spirit of the campaign. The “go explore” section provides ideas for activities and getting out an about with links to helpful sites. A wide range of categories are provided and users are invited to submit their own ideas. In the “go save” section, merchants discounts are provided to help the user save on everyday life. It is only is this section that the user will encounter mention of Visa products since the merchant discounts are dependent on their use; however, this is not done through a flashing banner asking you to “sign up now” or anything of the like, just body copy and a logo.

But will this get Visa the results their looking for? They have a strong start and a concept full of possibilities, but in the end it’s up to the consumers to buy into the idea. So watch a commercial, play with the site and see if Visa makes you want to “go.”

Truly On Demand!

By Nick Dimitrakiou

I think back to when I was 8 yrs old, and first introduced to the concept of cable TV. I recall it being described to me (from another 8 yr old) as the best thing since BigWheels – “there are over 50 channels and you can watch anything you want, whenever you want” he claimed.

At the time, to me, an 8 yr old Mets fan…this was a dream come true – I could actually watch my beloved Mets whenever I wanted! After much convincing, my parents finally subscribed to cable TV… and to my disappointment, not only could I NOT watch the Mets whenever I wanted, but the same was true for all my favorite cartoons. I had just experienced the promise of Video on Demand…not delivered.

Fast forward to 7 yrs ago, VOD, DVR’s allow me to “watch when I want” , but not necessarily “what I want” (very limited movie selections available)! Although getting closer…I am once again stymied by the false hope of True “On-Demand”.

While I understood why the likes of Blockbuster and TV Networks could not offer True On Demand experiences at the time, I was still hopeful that someday my vision of true Openness and On-Demand would mean exactly what I envisioned.

Fast forward a few more years. Broadband penetration and the pipe to homes enable improved video experiences. The ray of light emerges again….truly an opportunity to experience true On Demand – Movies, TV Programs and more! BUT, why do I have that beautiful plasma TV hanging from my wall if this experience can only be delivered online? Sure I could stream from my computer to my TV, but who wants to be bothered with all the hassle, and the less than HD quality etc.

Fast forward to today – I recently met with Yahoo to discuss the latest venture toward the convergence of TV and the Internet. – “Yahoo Connected TV”. This experience aims to bring the benefits of both platforms seamlessly fused together to offer TRUE OPENNESS and ON-DEMAND content – and we shall see soon enough.

According to Yahoo, sometime late March/early April of 2009, in a partnership with Samsung, they will begin rolling out IP TV’s that offer consumers the ability to download widget applications which deliver the promise of personalized, customized content whenever and however you want it!

How will widgets on TV allow this to happen you ask? Here’s how – some of the partners lined up to help roll out this experience include the likes of Blockbuster, Netflix and others…I think you get the picture. Finally, I will be able to experience true (dare I say it) On-Demand programming.

Below are some examples of what the widget gallery and doc tray will look like.

FD kinesis Brings Real Estate to the Microsoft Surface

Company develops innovative new real estate application for client Coldwell Banker

Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC and FD kinesis announced the launch of their customized real estate application developed for Microsoft Surface™, unveiled at the Coldwell Banker® International Business Conference being held this week in San Antonio, Texas. The new home search application – the first of it’s kind developed for the leading-edge Microsoft touch-screen platform – allows users to interact with home listings, mapping and other coldwellbanker.com features in a way that is familiar, by using simple hand gestures.

“It’s a ‘wow’ application, and one that fits perfectly within the Coldwell Banker brand strategy of utilizing the right technologies to enhance and improve the customer’s real estate experience” said Andreas Panayi, Sr. Managing Director/General Manager of FD kinesis.

The first commercially available surface computing platform from Microsoft, Microsoft Surface turns an ordinary-looking tabletop into a vibrant, 30-inch diagonal interactive computing surface, giving users access to digital content through natural gestures, touch and physical objects placed on the display.

Coldwell Banker worked with FD kinesis – the real estate giant’s Interactive AOR – to leverage the unique interface and capabilities of Microsoft Surface, developing a home search application that will provide a new interactive and intuitive way to explore real estate listings and neighborhoods. Over the course of the roll-out, the following features are scheduled to be released:

• Explore. Home listings can be viewed via area maps, and sorted thru search criteria such as city, state, price, bedrooms and bathrooms. Users can zoom the search area in or out with simple gestures, locate listings, Coldwell Banker offices and area amenities such as restaurants, hospitals, schools, and more.

• Learn. Details of a particular property listing are displayed and arranged by simple screen touches. Multiple images of the home are easily accessed, enlarged and passed across the table by familiar hand movements.

• Interact. Users organize listings by “grabbing” the content from the display and “dropping” them into appropriate folders, creating a “saved” file or an itinerary of homes with driving directions that can be emailed & shared.

“Getting a chance to step out from behind the web and build a new real estate user experience – one that is as much a social event as it is an interactive one – is a thrill” said Gordon Miller, Managing Director/Creative for FD kinesis. “Our aim was to create an application that seamlessly facilitates the roles of consumers and realtors, providing a shared workspace that meets the needs of everyone. Based on the reaction so far, we’ve taken a huge first step towards that.”

Coldwell Banker unveiled its home search application by conducting demonstrations of Microsoft Surface during this week’s International Business Conference. More than 1,700 attendees were provided with specially tagged badges that, when placed on the Microsoft Surface, unveiled that individual’s profile and contact information.

Coldwell Banker plans to continue rollout of this technology at brand events and at offices across the country this year.

As a leader in the real estate industry with a strong heritage of innovation, we recognized that the Microsoft Surface technology has some very interesting potential to change the future of the real estate search,” said Michael Fischer, senior vice president of marketing for Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. “Microsoft Surface allows us to showcase listings in a very unique way that offers users a different experience with the entire real estate search process literally at their fingertips. We believe the technology can take consumer engagement to an entirely new level.”

Business Week Article about the Microsoft Surface

Last year FD kinesis helped Coldwell Banker became the first national real estate brand to put its listings on in-car GPS devices through an exclusive feed to Dash Navigation launch, and launch a customized online platform for iPhoneTM and BlackBerry users.

Tying it all together…

By Thomas Gamble

Web 1.0…….Web 2.0…… Social Networking……

What does it all mean??

The vocabulary being used to describe the Internet has gotten to the point of confusion.  Instead of using buzzwords to describe technology this article will focus more on the simplicity of what we now have at our fingertips and how it can help us in everything we do, from consumer messaging and marketing at a business level, to consumer research or just using some neat stuff on the web.

Web 1.0

In the beginning there was the Internet… ok, ok, lets not go back that far. When the Internet first became popular it was the perception that it was this great sales tool and that anyone who had a website could and would make truckloads of money. While it did happen for some, for most it did not. What it did show us, however was that there is a new medium for reaching consumer spending and new ways for consumers to shop, compare and buy – all from the comfort of their own home.

I give you Web 1.0.

Web 2.0

As the Internet and its technology matured, the birth of probably the most important feature/function occurred, content portability and content on demand. Yes – e-commerce advanced too through the refinement of large-scale auction or sell/buy anything sites such as Priceline, eBay or even Craigslist! But the focus shifted from pure commerce to what the Internet really is – a content repository that can be shared and absorbed from anywhere, by anyone on their terms.  Through technical communication standards such as web services, content can be shared and shaped based on what the user wants to see and when they want to see it or even how we as marketers think it should be seen.

With the Internet being always available, people started to use it more then just for shopping. The Internet became a viable content resource to do things such as asking questions using sites like Ask.com or Yahoo Answers, or learning about topics using sites such as Wikipedia.org, or Dictionary.com. These tools provide the ability for users to obtain both formal and social content whenever they want it, from anywhere even a cell phone or other Internet connected device such as an iPod touch. Not only has the content gotten better and more reachable, the technology and means to serve it up has advanced too. It’s now commonplace for a site or device to recognize where the user is and even share that information with the application being interacted with so that content can be changed in real-time to the user viewing it. Talk about a captured audience!

This, my friends, is what Web 2.0 is in the truest sense:

• From the users perspective — being able to get to content on my time on my terms.
• From the marketer’s perspective — being able to serve up content and messaging based on who the user is, where they are geographically even as deep as to the device or what sites or keywords that user used to get to the content being viewed.

Social Media

As if that wasn’t enough. Let’s take things a bit further. What if I wanted to find friends that I haven’t talked to in a while?  Or share how I was feeling, show pictures from a recent trip or even share interesting or helpful sites or articles? Well, now you can. New sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter have harnessed the speed and accessibility of the web as an omnipresent delivery medium delivering information to anyone, anywhere, anytime.  And what’s best… all this new technology works together using a “post once push many concept”. An example of this concept can be found at www.addthis.com, which allows anyone who wants to make their content share-able across popular social sites possible… FOR FREE!  Paid tools such as www.clearspring.com or www.kickapps.com are other great ways to share content.

I give you… drum roll please… Social Media, the power of speed and reach with a push of a button…. strong enough power to win an Election! (see previous blog post)

Why is this important?

And why do I care as a marketer?

• It took radio 38 years to reach a market audience of 50 million
• TV 13 years
• Internet (general) 4 years
• The iPod 3 years
• Facebook 2 years!

• In 2006 Google had 2.7 billion searches. Today there are 31 billion searches on Google every month.

• The first commercial text message was sent in 1992, The total number of text messages sent everyday exceeds the total population of the planet

• There are over 200 million users registered on MySpace, If MySpace was a country it would be the 5th largest in the world

How can I use it?

The philosophy hasn’t changed – Marketing 101, keep the message consistent, just more tools in your bag to get people to read it.

Here is a use-case:

Company x just completed the production of an innovative idea and wants everyone to understand their innovation and their achievement as a leader in their space..

Sample 1 – The basics..

1. Mr. Marketer from company X decides to post a news release to the companies’ website about their big achievement.
2. Mr. Marker adds a Share button creating a viral component that provides every person that reads the article the ability to share the content on sites ranging from MySpace to Digg to StumbleUpon – driving traffic
3. Mr. Marketer then sends a tweet linking the title of the article or subject using the companies twitter account driving those followers to the article.  All followers of the companies Twitter account get the update and subsequently the link to the posted article – driving traffic
4. Because Mr. Marketer has his Twitter account sent to automatically update the companies Facebook page. The status now carries the same Twitter post to the posted article and has already alerted those who have added company x’s page to their Facebook profile that a new article has been posted – again driving traffic

A simple article that would normally only be viewed by company x’s organic site visitors just received exponential traffic by doing nothing more then:

• Adding a share button
• Updating the companies’ Twitter status
• Linking Twitter updates to Facebook

Total time = less then 5 minutes

Total Payoff = unlimited exposure to people that don’t normally visit company x’s website

Well that’s it for now.. If you would like to know more or find out how to leverage these technologies better stop by and say hello.

What The Font?

By Erin Warren

Traditionally a font has been defined as a specific size and style of a particular typeface. Thanks to the ever changing world of computers, a broader definition has evolved. Font is no longer size-specific, but still refers to a single style. However, according to Wikipedia, the term font is also often used as a metonym for typeface. Today there are thousands of fonts to choose from and distinguishing between them can certainly be a task.

Is there a font that you’ve seen, but don’t know it’s name? Looking for some type inspiration for a project, but don’t know where to begin? The answer to both questions can be found at MyFonts.com, a site exploding with 2.0-esque features that make it simple to identify and find the right font for any project. The greatest part about this new site is the WhatTheFont feature, which allows users to upload a mystery font, identify what it is, and then download it! You simply submit an image of a font in use and WhatTheFont will use character recognition to find the closest matches in the database.

On the go? Myfonts takes it a step further and introduces WhatTheFont for iPhone! You can use your phone’s camera to snap a pic of the font in question. The app has a feature allowing you to crop the image, focusing on the key features of the font and voilà! A list of possible matching fonts at your fingertips. Bonus, the app is free! (image2) Image from myfonts.com. For more info, check out the WhatTheFont for iPhone page , or download the app directly from the iTunes Store.

But wait! The fun doesn’t stop there – if you’re a font junkie and up for challenging others, they have that too! Enter the WhatTheFont Forum where you can upload an image of a font and let others lend a hand in indentifying it. Currently to date there have been 67,866 solved cases, and at last check 73 cases solved so far today!

Never be without a font again. Instant gratification is what it’s all about. A lot has changed about the web and what users have come to expect from it. This is but one small corner of the universe, but is a powerful example of how Web 2.0 interfaces continue to push the frontier of design innovation, and help to improve the designers tool kit daily.