Concrete Poetry

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Watch out for computers!

I can't stop watching the 'Don't Hug Me I'm Scared' series by the talented Becky Sloan and Joseph Pelling. Don't Hug Me I'm Scared 4 is a hilarious take on the pervasiveness of a 'Digital Life'. Referencing the likes of 'Rainbow' and old school kids television together with clever animation, catchy sounds and a warped ending (not necessarily safe for kids!) makes for a VERY engaging watch to communicate a somewhat serious idea.

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Fitter, happier, more productive

I have started reading Positive Computing, by Rafael A. Calvo and Dorian Peters of Young and Well in Australia. It sounds rather techy, but in actual fact the book is very accessible and I think relevant for any designer wanting to put their skills to 'good' use.

It provides the theory behind and a road map toward designing and developing with technology in such a way that it promotes human wellbeing. 'Positive Psychology' suggests that rather than simply eliminating disease (like a doctor) we take it a step further and promote being well. Calvo and Peters argue that this is the approach we should be taking with technology. We have made major technological advances and have scores of devices to assist us but we remain as happy and as healthy as we were 20 years ago – so what has technology really provided? Why can we not use technology as a force for good, helping humans fulfil their potential, helping people be happy, promoting their wellbeing. Inject the human into technology – rather than focusing on the productivity and efficiency of a machine.

Perhaps as designers we need to apply a little Positive Psychology to our own practice. Not simply eliminating illness (or solving problems), but actually promoting wellness.

The book arrived on my doorstep yesterday so I am not very far in, but I think it's quite exciting and I suspect there will be more to follow.

[concretepoetrynz]

What happened to Galt Toys?

The charming illustrations and playful typography above were courtesy of Ken Garland in the 60s. Ken Garland is recognised as a design great and these toys actually end up in design museums.

Somehow the company has ended up here:

I actually feel quite affronted. To go from something so beautiful, inventive and iconic to something so cheap and me-too. What would possess a company to throw away such a rich history?

Thanks to Design Boom, Motherland and Unit Editions for images

[concretepoetrynz]

Knowing is Seeing

I have found it interesting over the years, to consider how visual information connects with people. This is a typographic experiment of mine from YEARS ago made by layering parts of letter forms on acetate and running it over an old school projector. I was interested in how we add to what we see. And how much does what we see influence what we know?

Recently I returned to the idea as I have been reading Koestler's 'The Act of Creation'. Koestler argues that we bring knowledge to what we see: we do not merely gain knowledge by seeing.

Using the example of a coin: our retina image of a coin is, if not viewed overhead, is a squashed sort of oval. Our knowledge of a coin however, is that it is round. Try holding up your hands in front of your face – one hand closer, the other further away. Do you think that your hands are different sizes? The retina image in your eye would say that they in fact were – the closer hand being larger. But we know that our hands are (for all intents and purposes) the same size. And we bring that knowledge to what we see.

Those illustrations are on a very literal/functional sort of level, but I think it is a fine argument for those who communicate, to have a comprehensive understanding of their audience and what they really see. What about their context causes them to see things in a particular way? We stand a better chance at connecting with people if we have a fair idea of their context and culture, and the knowledge they bring to what they see.

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Project Notspend

I think making positive changes in your life, first starts with the belief that you actually can. Cue my first money experiment #notspend. Project #notspend aims to change the belief that we're all 'terrible with money' by upending traditional accounting of what we do spend, to what we don't. It is still a work in progress but you can check it out (or contribute!) here. stuff.co.nz picked it up for money week which was awesome – thank you Erin Read @ Fairfax and Janine at the Finance Commission!

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Camera Diaries

Self documentation is a great way of helping people become more aware of what they do, and also providing a springboard to explore behaviour in a bit more depth. Yes it's old school with disposable, film cameras, but I think this is more fun.

In aid of my project exploring money 'Money-lab', sending these cute puppies out to willing participants! Can't wait to see the results. Hit me up if you want to take part! Photographs will be displayed on MoneyLab anonymously (unless you would like it to be public).

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Money & people & people & money

I am conducting a few projects around money: exploring ways that help people be better with it – beyond the budget. Interested in concepts of behavioural change, participatory design, and generally the conundrum that what we know we do not necessarily do. Should be an interesting journey! One that I hope gives me greater insight into how people work and better methods of finding out. Watch this space!

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I have to admit I have bandied the term about myself, but I'm with Sagmeister on this one. 'All the storytellers are not story tellers'.

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This I cannot wait to see! Stunning. The design work that has gone into creating the new Google experience is extremely detailed and well thought through. Enough to make me go all Android on it. Designers check out the brand manual. ↬Brand New

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Making boring (and often patronising) adults advice fun and totally charming for kids. ᔥIt's Nice That

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You can teach what you do not know

Continue to do what you are doing, "learn the fact, imitate it, know yourself, this is how nature works". Jacotot, a French Schoolmaster who taught Flemish students French without knowing how to speak Flemish proclaimed that one could teach what one didn't know. And he indicated that 'a poor and ignorant father could, if he was liberated, conduct the education of his children'. An interesting concept. That by being curious, researching, practicing, imitating I can learn. Perhaps the art of education is in teaching people how to learn. Liberating no? From The Ignorant Schoolmaster, by Jacques Rancière.

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…and if the MakeyMakey wasn't inspiring enough. Here is it's Maker.

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My MakeyMakey. A great example of tools for creative learning, making and tinkering. This one you hook up to your computer and you can make anything (well most things – if they are slightly conductive) behave like a keyboard. I love the open-ended nature of this tool, and the creative possibility.

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This project by Sagmeister is a playful and also quite informing study on the human desire for happiness. I love the interactive bar graph: a sort of collective social learning.

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Alternative economies exchanging time for money. Time/Food, a temporary eatery that operated on the Time/Bank economic system, allows visitors to pay for their lunch with time currency earned by helping others in the Time/Bank community. The restaurant offered a changing daily menu of meals prepared using recipes provided by a group of artists who like to cook. ᔥCreative Time

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The Rise of the new Groupthink

I have often felt this, being somewhat 'introverted' myself. There is value and a time for team-work, but also for concentrated time alone. This from Steve Wozniak: “Most inventors and engineers I’ve met are like me ... they live in their heads. They’re almost like artists. In fact, the very best of them are artists. And artists work best alone .... I’m going to give you some advice that might be hard to take. That advice is: Work alone... Not on a committee. Not on a team.” ᔥOpen Manifesto

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Oh yay! A new app from Tinybop. Looking as curious and delightful as The Human Body.