kbignell / May 14, 2010, 5:18 pm
For the first time ever, the amount of data – text, e-mails, videos, music and other services – has surpassed the amount of voice data. “Originally, talking was the only cellphone application. But now it’s less than half of the traffic on mobile networks,” says Dan Hesse, chief executive of Sprint Nextel. In the past year the number of text messages sent has increased nearly 50% per user and the average local call length has dropped to 1.81 min, compared to 2.27 in 2008 (via nytimes.com).
So, what has caused this change? In my opinion, there are a couple of reasons that have led to this change:
1) Accessibility. Everyone is now online all the time. By tweeting, texting, or e-mailing you can talk to multiple people at a time, thus saving you – and the people you’re communicating with – time.
2) Intrusiveness. Calling someone seems much more intrusive then sending an e-mail or a tweet. It allows people to respond when it is convenient for them, and does not impose of anyone’s schedule.
2) Devices. It can take 2 to 3 steps to make a phone call on a cell phone these days. Smart phones with qwerty pads and touch-screens make it much easier (and more preferable) to send an email or text.
So next time you reach in your pocket to grab your phone stop and take a minute to think: what are you using your phone for?
kbignell / May 13, 2010, 2:10 pm
In 1963 Pantone release its first guide with 500 colors. And now, 47 years later, Pantone is releasing 556 new colors in The Plus Series, bringing the grand total of Pantone colors to 5,024. With latest release of Pantone colors also comes a digital version with apps for the iPad and iPhone. Check out this video to learn more about the latest changes in the world of Pantone.
kbignell / May 12, 2010, 2:09 pm
Kit Kat’s new campaign takes their ads and turns them into chairs with no tools required. Launched as an experimental ad campaign in New Zealand, the chairs can be assembled in a few minutes by pulling off the poster’s six wooden pieces and slotting them together. The chair posters are being strategically placed in park and public space entrances, encouraging passers-by to “have a break.” Where ever set up, they’ve been disappearing in a matter of minutes; someone even tried to sell one of the chairs on an online auction.
The Kit Kat chairs have been featured on design websites, and other media outlets. While some people are calling the chairs “grown-up version of a cereal-box toy”, I personally love the idea.
kbignell / May 10, 2010, 4:39 pm
“You learn more from your failures than you do from your successes.” But what if this isn’t the case?
A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity to go Fast Company’s “Innovation Uncensored” event, where I heard Alex Bogusky speak. He mentioned how, if one spends too much time considering their mistakes, they’d potentially create a harmful environment for themselves. “You are never going to be successful if you think you have to be perfect. You need to try things in order to find things that are going to work.” Alex went on to tell a story about Tony Hawk and how when trying to land a new trick, Mr. Hawk doesn’t view his falls as failures. Instead, he knows it’s going to take at least 100 times to land any trick. Each fall is simply a small “bump” in the road. If he saw each fall as a failure, he’d psyche himself out and never land it.
Like Mr. Hawk, and like Alex Bogusky, let’s embrace this fundamental shift, get passed the “bumps” and focus on our successes.
kbignell / May 7, 2010, 3:12 pm
A couple days ago Continental Airlines and United announced their merger, becoming the largest carrier.
United was the “cooler” airline of the two, with it’s Saul Bass designed tulip icon and clean typography. They describe themselves as having “a bold, yet simple design, representing the spirit of the United brand.” Continental, on the other hand, last updated their logo in the 1990s with a more refined, formal look. So, how do these two brands come together? You be the judge.
Someone decided it would be best to have both worlds. So, they used the United name and Continental’s look and came up with this.
Personally, I feel that United got the shorter end of this stick. At a glance you don’t even realize that the name as changed because the typography and logo are associated with Continental. It is rumored that this is just a stop gap measure, but we’ll have to wait and see.
kbignell / May 6, 2010, 4:35 pm
Green, sustainability, and recycling are all buzz words we hear in today’s culture. But what’s actually being done? Here are a few awesome stories about how plastic is being used:
Design student Anna Bullus started thinking about recycling gum after walking on her campus’ spotted sidewalks. She realized that gum is simply modified rubber, and should be able to be recycled. After 8 months she perfected the process of turning gum into pellets, and then into a plastic using secret additives. The plastic is now being used to create seat cushions that feel like memory foam, and there are more products to come! Learn more here.
Read More »
kbignell / March 24, 2010, 1:38 pm
At the Architectural Digest Show this past weekend I heard about an App from Benjamin Moore “Color Capture”. This app allows you to take a picture, or use a picture from your library and match a color. (It is similar to the eyedropper tool on Photoshop.) You can see the spectrum of colors that exist within the photo and also save colors you like. Although designed for Interior Designers and Architects, this apps also has a place in the graphic design world. So, next time you see something you like, take and picture and use the app to figure out the colors!
kbignell / August 27, 2009, 3:24 pm
I am in the process of reading Socialnomics by Eirk Qualman. His books talk about how social media transforms the way we live, the business we do and the world we live in. In Chapter 4, Social-Media = Braggadocian Behavior, he talks about how social media is changing the way people date.
If we take a look at dating over the last 10 years, people use to give out their home phone number. Then people started giving out their e-mail address instead, which led to cell phones and text messages. Today people just ask “Are you on Facebook, hi5, or Linked In?” or another social media network.
Qualman goes on to say, “[Today] the first date is more like a fourth date, you aren’t asking questions like, ‘Where did you go to college?’ or ‘What are your hobbies?’” Common friends, photos along with what you do, and who you work for all provide insight into their personality. “It makes you feel more secure knowing that the other person isn’t a lunatic.” He later states that:
1 out of 8 couples married in the U.S last year met via social media
Some say that social media is a fad, others say that is revolutionizing society. Check out this video, Social Media Revolution, to find more facts from Qualman to form your own opinion. Whatever social media is, it is definitely interesting to say the least…
kbignell / June 17, 2009, 1:56 pm
I started working at Blenderbox a couple months ago. Yet, it is only recently that people have started to ask me, “What is the best thing about your new job?” This seems rather ironic to me, as I knew the answer before I even began at Blenderbox.
I moved across the country to work here. I had never lived in the New York area before, and had no idea if I wanted to live in Brooklyn, Manhattan or somewhere in the neighboring New Jersey cities. Before I had even met anyone at Blenderbox, they were sending me apartment listing with descriptions of the neighborhoods, and writing to me what it was like in their neighborhood. It is the people I work with and company culture that are best parts.
