Who says crumbling up your notebook paper can’t be fun!

Reminds me that innovation and fun can take place when thinking about the end of an experience rather than just the beginning.

via bookofjoe

The New York Times has a great summary about recent buzz about one of Googles main designers, Mr. Bowman, leaving his amazing job for a very simple reason. Design was being trumped by data. This is not to say data is wrong or bad, but sometimes data is not how choices should be made.

I’ve had this exact emotion when decisions are made by some sort of point system rather than by a gut reaction from experience. First off, not every data point has equal value, and even if data points are given different weights, it’s just wrong to do this from a design perspective. Emotions can’t be quantified. And every time I tell this to an engineer they ask why not and the answer is exactly what I said, you can’t quantify an instinct, emotion, hence you cant ask me why.  I’m sure emotions can be broken down to hundreds of dynamic elements, but to do so would just take to long to process, and data does not factor in reaction and adoption to well.

I’m not sure if it’s something that is taught in design school vs a more technical field, but I’ve experienced so many industries that depend on some point system to make huge decisions which frankly makes me confused. This is not to say that the best choice doesn’t come forth using this methodology, but to make it a means is just not right. When it comes to something say more mechanical, I can understand why since robots are robots, machines are machines, but when it come down to something that deals with a human, it’s an incredibly different field since humans are so different, humans change, evolve, and most importantly we don’t even understand ourselves to determine what we do, understand, like, hate, etc… we are not robots, so don’ try to quantify us like a machine.

I love data, and I’m not saying data does not help drive decisions, but take a step back and remember we as humans process quite a bit of data that can not be explained simply. Be instinctive with decsions and don’t alway look at pie charts, graphs, axis comparisions, numbers, or what the past tells you. Be a human if you are making products for a human. Data can predict pathways, but rarely can they see massive adaptive changes.

Full nytimes article after the jump.

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I was introduced to VerTerra’s intriguing dinnerware products during this years GEL conference. At first sight these unique plates seemed like raw sheets of veneer pressed into structural shapes, but then the founder gave a quick overview of the project. Simply put:

“Our environmentally-friendly plates, bowls and serving dishes are made only from two products: fallen leaves and water. They’re non-toxic, biodegradable, compostable, durable, lightweight, convenient and downright stylish.”

I love it! Collect fallen leaves, steam press them to shape,  then deliver it. The plates will run you about a dollar for a pair, but once they get into Wholefoods later this month, I’m hoping Verterra will be affordable enough to be a abundant in everyday gatherings.

I wished I grabbed a few samples when I had the chance, but I’ll just have to wait for the next gathering to get some…unles someone from Verterra can send me some for my next party
If your seeking an alternative, check out Wasura paper plates, which will cost you a bit more, but just as cool looking.

Some pictures from VerTerra’s website after the jump.

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Topobo’s kinetic memory toys which I’ve known about since 2004 is finally available for a limited production purchase.  Check out the video above or website to learn more.  I played around with them while at the MIT medialab in 2004-5, and must say, they are addictive! Congrats Hayes and Amanda for inventing, sharing, and bringing this idea to life!

RISD’s first “What We Do” Event is going on today, April 11th. Head on down.. I’ll be there!

“What We Do is a new, student-run, RISD event designed to bridge departmental gaps and create new connections through the sharing of ideas.

On Saturday, April 11th, 100 members of the RISD community (students, faculty, staff, and alums) will share something that they do with the rest of the RISD community and the larger surrounding community of Providence.

Leading up to the day of the event, 8 site-specific “spaces” will be created by members of every department at RISD; majors paired up to encourage cross-departmental collaboration. The spaces that they build will house the day’s events creating a street-fair environment for the open sharing of how people at RISD spend their time and energy. ”

update: some pics of the event after the jump.
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The Career Evolution in Advertising! haha, so very true…
via RocketBoom

Behance and Coolhunting bring to us their very first conference “99%” which “focuses less on inspiration, and more on how idea generation and organization come together to make ideas happen.” It all takes place next week at the The Times Center building  NYC, April 16-17, 2009… I’ll be there, so get your tickets here while they last!

A few of the speakers:
- Michael Bierut of Pentagram
- Cheryl Dorsey at Echoing Green
- Seth Godin of  Squidoo, and several Books (purple cow, tribes, marketers are liars)
- Ji Lee of Google and Bubble Project
- Jeffrey Kalmikoff and Jake Nickell at Threadless
- Scott Thomas of Obama for America
- full list here.

This curiosity video made me smile. Reminded me that in life, if you dont try, you’ll never know. If you never know, you don’t discover…. discovery is where the fun innovative stuff is. Reward curiosity (sometimes failures) as knowledge more than accomplishments.

Daniel DeSure makes some pretty cool LED lights. I think all LED messages should scatter. Reminds me of Tom Hulberts(ideo) led wall installation.

I love it when an everyday object is turned into an entirely different emotional object. A bar of soap, foaming gel, or perhaps some soap leaves!
via BookofJoe
Buy at Wrapables, 20 soap leaves, $13

Cut&Paste Digital Design Tournament 2007 from Cut&Paste on Vimeo.

Cut & Paste is storming Boston this Saturday night, March 17th, hosting their visual battle sessions in 2D, 3D, and motion graphics while projecing contestants screens on large projectors as crowds of creatives watch on in Iron Chef fashion jamming to music. The events kick offs at 7pm and tickets can be found via their website. They hold events all over the world so check out their listing for upcoming battles! (NYC, Toronto, Chicago, Europe, Asia) I’ll be in the Boston location. Let me know if your there!

some pics from the event after the jump.
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Kreol – play music by typing from Kreol Music on Vimeo.

My long time buddy Mike Block (cellist guru) sent his latest side project Kreol, which turns any laptop keyboard into a musical instrument. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen keyboard instruments, but there are a few unique elements that set him apart using the mouse and collaborative group jams. Check the Kreol video above.