Logic+Emotion

You Might Be a Digital Anthropologist...

Upon recently talking about micro-interactions to the folks at Citi, I had a “micro-epiphany.”  It occurred to me that companies really need to be looking at the social revolution for possibly one reason over everything else.  Insights into human behavior that can lead to future innovations or even product/service improvements.  Point in case, as I was talking about some of the interactions I’ve had with brands on Twitter like Southwest or Zappos, I said something like “this isn’t about immediately jumping onto Twitter or any other network, it’s about making an observation that people are craving live interactions with other people who happen to work at the companies they buy stuff from”.  I went on to emphasize that they way I knew this wasn’t based on research, but my own personal observations and a willingness to take a step back and connect the dots.

Think about it, as spoiled as we are with great brands such as Trader Joes, NetFlicks, and Apple—when it comes to customer service we’ve unfortunately become accustomed to layers of poorly designed pre-recorded menus and canned responses that don’t actually help us. Companies have streamlined operations to the point where we assume it will take forever to speak to a live person who can actually help us.  Or if we get a live person, we’re disappointed.  Then all of a sudden a few companies start helping people via a network such as Twitter and we’re are all over it, happy to spread the news that someone is out there listening.  To me the insight is this:

We’ve become so starved for authentic live human contact that when it’s offered up to us we are all to happy to rejoice and tell the world.

As with many professions, digital has made certain things more accessible to people with potential.  Some of the most forward thinking companies like IDEO have invested in hiring anthropologists,  people who combine an intuitive curiosity with a learned skill for observation and pattern detection.  These anthropologists come from all backgrounds, and the really good ones have developed methods and toolboxes for capturing behaviors in the hopes of uncovering the insights they are looking for.

Today, a big part of that toolbox has become the Web, which lowers the bar for curious people who can detect patterns but perhaps haven’t earned their formal degrees in the social sciences or have the experience of recording hours of behavior via A/V equipment.  But there is a catch.  You have to be willing to investigate, spend time in the virtual communities—you have to participate to some extent and you have to develop your own system for capturing data whether it be tagging via delicious, favoriting links or archiving media.

The big shift is that the new kind of “digital ethnography” I’m describing is there for those willing to do what it takes to uncover those insights.  No special degree or professional recording equipment required.  I’m fairly certain some company out there is going to tap into this idea of “direct engagement”—live interactions with real breathing people enabled by digital technology.  Could be video, text, audio or a combination of all three.  But I’m fairly certain that the small percentage of people who are experiencing it through networks such as Twitter are acting as collective canaries in coalmines signaling a desire for more live human connectivity vs. artificial intelligence.  If you can relate to some of the things I've said here, then you just might be a digital anthropologist. At least, that’s my gut feeling.

Micro-Interactions 2.0

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Tomorrow, I'm giving a talk to a global group of executives from Citi, one of our clients.  I've revised "Micro-Interactions" and really feel good about the direction it's moving in.  Inspired by Randy Pausch (The Last Lecture) which I've talked about, I'm taking this concept down to it's core.  Much of our discussions in the industry (and outside) are focused on the social phenomena.  There's good reason for that—but we have to remember that the real power in "social" is the quality of interactions we have with companies and brands. 

The quality of these interactions is more important than ever, because the changes allow everyone to have a voice.  Randy Pausch wrote about his positive experience in his book.  Millions of people will be be influenced by that story in the years to come.  But social networks empower everyday people to be our own "authors".  We may not influence millions, but we can influence dozens and maybe even hundreds.

I've talked about this concept in influence ripples.  But what's worth noting is that the little things matter.  Perhaps now, more than ever.  Randy's $100,000 salt and pepper shaker may just be the poster child for why companies need to start putting the people they serve first.  If they do, we'll here about it.  If they don't, we'll hear about it.  Time to treat everyone like an influencer.

When Marketing Feels Shallow, Go Deep.

 

Here's a sneak preview from my next contribution to Ad Age, Digital Next:

"The problem with marketing is that it often times doesn’t allow marketers to go deep, to gain an intimate understanding of human behavior.  We’re strapped for time, spread thin and torn between making our clients or bosses happy while trying to do what we think is right.  We’ve got access to the latest trend reports, market segments, personas and metrics.  We’re surrounded by smart, capable people who, like William Hurt’s character—know what they are doing.  But there’s a question we need to ask ourselves.  Are we making the time to walk in the shoes of the people we market to?  Are we willing to swim in the deep end?"

Read the full article:

"Brand U.0": Why Your Personal Brand Matters.

Uploaded on April 22, 2008 by dougmeacham

From my latest contribution on Advertising Age, Digital Next:

"The hallmark of any great brand is authenticity -- just ask Harley-Davidson, Coke or Apple, especially when all of these brands lost their way and learned from it. Same thing applies to Brand You. In every tweak of a template, upload and keystroke, you have an opportunity to be authentic or disingenuous. Know what makes you special and unique, and tap into those qualities as you build your personal brand online. Most people can spot a fake when they see one, so remember that being genuine is more important that presenting yourself in an artificially glossy manner. It used to be important for bloggers to "find their voice" -- now it's relevant to all of us."
Read the full story

Disney's $100,000 Salt + Pepper Shaker

You're probably familiar with Randy Pausch.  If not, you should go and familiarize yourself with his story.  Randy is both a a tenured professor at Carnegie Mellon, a scientist, a husband and father. And he's dying of cancer. His last gift is for all of us, in the form of a video that's made it's way around the internet—as well as a precious book titled "The Last Lecture".  There are many stories worth talking about which Randy has put into words, but I wanted to take a moment to highlight one of them as it's helping me think through the idea of "Micro-Interactions".

The $100,000 Salt & Pepper Shaker

The story is simple.  At 12 years old, a young Randy Pausch was exploring Disney World with his family and he and his sister decided they wanted to show their parents their appreciation for the trip.  So they did what any other grateful children would do—they pooled their allowance money and headed straight for the Disney gift shop.  A few minutes later, they emerged with the perfect gift.  A ceramic Disney salt and pepper shaker featuring two bears in a tree holding the salt and pepper (not the ones in the photo above.)  Randy and his sister left the store excited to see their parents faces when they opened the gift.

Minutes later, a mini-tragedy struck when Randy accidentally dropped the shaker, breaking it on impact.  A nearby adult suggested that they should take it back to the store and they did so hesitantly, not expecting a positive outcome.  To their surprise and delight, the Disney employee who had sold them the items apologized for not wrapping them appropriately and gave them a new set, no questions  asked. 

So why is the Salt & Pepper Shaker worth $100,000?

As an adult faced with his own mortality, Randy looks back to that event with a unique perspective.  His whole family including his parents were so taken back by their "micro-interaction" with Disney, that they appreciated the institution on "a whole other level" to use his own words.  By Randy's calculations, over the years his family has enthusiastically spent over $100,000 with Disney brand over the years and they never forgot the symbolic importance of that one specific interaction.  In recent years as a consultant, Randy would often ask Disney executives this question:

"If I sent a child into one of your stores with a broken salt and pepper shaker today, would your policies allow your workers to be kind enough to replace it?"

Randy says, "the executives squirm at the question.  They know the answer: Probably not."  After Randy passes, his family will still have that salt and pepper shaker, and more than likely the memorable story that goes with it.  As we continue to look at the holistic relationship between marketing, products and the experience—it's worth noting that the little things really do matter.  More than we know.

Marketing's Wheel of Misfortune

One of the ways I have "monetized" this blog and other efforts in the social space has been the privilege of  getting out and speaking to folks in the marketing field from a variety of perspectives.  The refreshing part for me is that many marketers who I talk to are expressing the desire to move away from gimmicks, and traditional campaign thinking to solutions that offer more long term value and builds relationships.

BUT

There are a great deal of hurdles that marketers who want to do less subservient chickens and more Nike+'s will face.  This post isn't meant to be negative—it's a reality check.  If marketers on both the client and agency side really want to extend their influence, we'll need to ween ourselves from the impulse to spin the "Wheel of Marketing Misfortune".  It won't be as easy as it sounds.  So here's where we need to get to work:

Microsite Madness
The Microsite is actually a great thing.  It allows us to quickly launch an initiative that can link out to and be linked to from other sources and allows marketers to bypass slower moving large scale site efforts.  But increasingly, microsites are being cranked out by the thousands.  Many of them are sold as "high-engagement" vehicles when in reality they become souless, glossy artifacts that come off as traditional promotions in a digital shell.  Microsites as a format are not inherently bad, but we really need to think about why users will want to spend some time there, and even more importantly, why they would come back.

Viral Addiction
Let's be honest with ourselves. Marketers are severely addicted to the idea of "viral", and will do whatever it takes to make something reach this level of marketing nirvana.  The problem with viral is that it's a crap shoot and all of the time spent chasing the "viral dragon" could be invested in improving the customer experience, which ironically is what creates authentic word of mouth in the first place.  Again, viral is not a bad thing—but it's tricky business and marketers need to clearly identify the need for buzz before pursuing it at all costs

Flashturbation
We need to think of Flash the same we think about incredibly powerful mediums such as television and radio.  When done well, television can inspire and motivate us—when done awfully it comes off as annoying and makes us want to flip channels.  I think Flash is a wonderful technology and tool, but like any powerful tool it gets abused way too much, often times at the expense of the end user.  I've written about Flashturbation before and urge designers and marketers to use the technology responsibly.  Think about what happened to airbrush artists who spent all of their time pushing that technology to it's limit.  Where are they now?

Death By Big Idea
"The Big Idea" is still very much alive and well—but it's less relevant than it's ever been.  Especially big ideas that start with a top down broadcast messages first.  This is campaign thinking in it's finest and does not translate directly in a fragmented 2.0 world. Bud.TV for example was a "big idea" fueled by traditional thinking—what followed was a "big bang" launch, but not the engagement.  Marketers are going to need to diversify how we think, which means supporting both big ideas and lots of "big-little ideas" that can thrive in the niches.  That's one of the biggest challenges marketers now face.  Thinking in niche—the internet thrives on it.

Award Infatuation
Let's get this straight.  Peer recognition is important and we should celebrate when one of our own does something remarkable.  But the awards industry is here to make money too—and many of us are all too happy to forget about putting customers first in the pursuit of praise.  Agencies especially have to come to terms with this and should all talke a cue from what's arguably the #1 brand in existence right now.  Google.  We really need to think hard about how compatible awards are with being "Googly".  Actually, they are—but one needs to come before the other.

Social Media Goldrush
The "social revolution" is real, transformational and not going away.  However, we need to proceed with a little caution.  Not every tactic requires "conversation".  Marketers need an intimate understanding of how social networks actually function and what is has to do with their business and brands.  Then, we need to try a few things and learn by doing.  But there's gold in them thar hills—which means that everyone right now who is claiming to be an expert in this area could potentially steer you wrong.  I am way more active than most when it comes to the social space and I would NOT consider myself an expert.  Let's be smart about how we can take advantage of the behavioral shift in this area. We'll need to be better at establishing credibility before we can guide, and the last thing we need is snake oil salesman.

Churn-n-Burn
Because much of marketing is deeply rooted in quick hits that demonstrate short term spikes, we've gotten used to an intense industry to work in that risks burning many of us out.  The industry is fast paced and more than happy to put fresh meat to work.  This is something that is not sustainable, especially in the digital space where there is a shortage of talent who truly knows what they are doing.  We'll need to overcome this somehow and it will take some time.

Shiny Object Syndrome
I've talked about BSOS (Bright and Shiney Object Syndrome), and most marketers are guilty of it.  It stems from the addiction to always looking for the "next big thing" without gaining a deep understanding of what's on our plate at the moment.  The result is a loss of credibility both in and outside of the industry.  We'll need to do a better job balancing what's next with what's already here.  The real risk here is creating initiatives that bomb because we missed the mark on where the customer's head was actually at in order to satisfy where our heads may be at.

Banner-Palooza
We're turning the internet into Times Square.  While we digital marketers claim to be cutting edge, we're not willing to turn down the lucrative ad banner business.  Again, there's nothing wrong with it—but for aspiring designers who work in marketing and someday want to design the next You Tube, banner ads will most likely not help you get there.

Campaign-Itis
If we're truly living in an "application economy", then marketing/ad campaigns are not the end all be all though they are still important.  But the biggest shift powered by digital is that the average Joe/Jane has become the new storyteller and digital experiences are becoming more important to an empowered consumer who frankly has more options than ever before.  Point in case, I recently ordered a replacement keyboard for my family's HP computer and was severely disappointed to see that HP had downgraded their industrial design.  The original keyboard was stylish, finished with metalic silver and felt right to the touch.  The new keyboard only comes in back and feels like plastic.  HP's campaign "The Computer is personal again" now feels like a lie to me.  If we get another PC, it will probably not be an HP—and no campaign can influence that.  It's time for marketers to bring the product, the experience and the marketing together because the average consumer is no longer making distinctions between them.  The future of marketing will take both storytellers + experience people to pull it off.

So that's the "Wheel of Marketing Misfortune" in a nutshell.  There's no reason to sugercoat it.  We're all smart people who want to make what we do better.  Whether you're on the client or agency side—it's time to get to work.

Social Networking Will Become Business As Usual

From my latest contribution to Advertising Age:

"None of this is inherently bad -- this isn't a gripe or a cry for help. It's simply an observation that not unlike e-mail, many of the social applications we use are becoming so convenient, so utilitarian that they begin to attract activity that we need to learn to filter out. Just ask any metrics analyst, they'll show you the stats of how effective well-designed e-mail initiatives can be. But there's a catch. Most effective e-mails are opted into by users who have decided to hear more from brands (or individuals) they trust. Violate that trust, and you are in the spam business.

As social networks become mainstream, it will be business as usual. We'll log onto our network of choice, just as we log onto e-mail and sift through the spam. And we'll be making up our minds about brands and people along the way. Those who spam us will become a nuisance, something to tolerate. And those who make it worth our time will be rewarded with our trust and maybe even loyalty. As marketers and individuals, the choice to add value or generate more noise is ours to make."

Read the full article on Digital Next

Micro-Interactions in The Real World

Last week I had the opportunity to get outside of the office, go out into the real world and interact with peers and industry colleagues in New York city (and Brooklyn too!). Sharing/exchanging ideas with smart people from diverse backgrounds is one of the best parts of my job and this last recent opportunity was no exception. On Monday, I moderated a panel at Widget Web Expo featuring (from left to right) Steph Agresta of Internet Geek Girl fame, Ian Schafer from media agency Deep Focus, Steve Rubel of Edelman, Matt Dickman of Fleishman-Hillard and David Malouf from Motorola. I was also able to present my evolving POV on Micro-Interactions to about 50+ Interaction Designers at IXDA’s NYC chapter.  And lastly I got to  those same thoughts at Icon Nicholson.  Here’s a few thoughts from my experience over these two days:
Read the full post at Experience Matters

Micro-Interactions: Making The Experience Portable

Update: Coverage on our panel in Ad Age (Digital Next)
Last week I went to a local gathering in Chicago where people in the industry were meeting informally over a few drinks.  It's the typical scenerio that we keep seeing more of—most people had been meeting for the first time even though they had heard of each other from some type of social network or another such as Twitter.

Mike, an Apple employee was one of the first to greet me—and he extended a simple gesture.  As he introduced himself he held up his iPhone which was displaying a digital name tag generated on the Web that he had just personalized moments ago.  Within minutes, nearly half of the attendees of this small gathering were doing the same.  it had gone "viral" so to speak—each person found our where they could customize their own "badge" and some were even adding "@" symbols so that their "Twitter friends" could recognize who they were.

And this I thought was a simple but relevant example of how we are having "micro-interactions" in ways that we we can take with us. 

Today I'm moderating a panel on this very topic with Steve Rubel, Ian Shafer, Matt Dickman, Stephanie Agresta, And David Malouf.  It should be a lot of fun as we'll be discussing how indivisuals and brands are making content and functionality "micro" and designing it "to-go".  And of course a conference like this had to have both an iPhone and a Widget version (below).  If you are going to the event, hope to see you there.

Brands + Amplification = Influence

"1. Blogs are only effective if you already have a brand. People come here, or go read Seth Godin, or Marshall Goldsmith, or Jeffrey Gitomer, or David Meister, because we’re all well known in our areas of expertise. That is, a blog follows a brand, not the other way around. You can’t create a brand just with a blog, unless you’re ridiculously lucky, and business can’t be based on luck."
~Alan Weiss

Dear Alan,
You are both right and wrong (aren't we all?).  You've never heard of Robert Scoble etc. and until today, I've never heard of you.  That is until this thing called the "network effect" amplified the things you had to say on your blog . You are right to point out that a brand comes before the technology which can either help that brand gain traction or lose credibility in the marketplace.  But, digital media as opposed to traditional is all about amplifying a brand, product, service, or message to niche audiences and so the focus on that amplification is just as important as the brand itself.

Millions of us are using various forms of social networks to connect with, mobilize and even influence very specific groups of people who fall within our specialized niche whatever that is.  Unlike mass marketing which uses focus groups to appeal to middle America or (insert demographic here) the internet thrives on fragmentation, algorithms and networks made of people to spread ideas, product recommendations, information etc. 

Thanks to Google and various other search engines, digital touch points such a blogs, sites or other various incarnations of ourselves may be the first encounter someone has with our "brand"—be it company or personal.  If in the words of Seth Godin, you offer up a "Purple Cow"—do something remarkable, then it's likely that the value you offer may get noticed and incorporated into some kind of sem-reoccurring interaction with individuals.  As you point out, this isn't luck but in some cases it actually is.  Value is subjective.

All this may lead to influencing their behavior whether it be using your services, buying your product or just subscribing to the content you produce.

Brands + Network Effect = Amplification

But what may be the most critical piece for us to understand and harness is how amplification actually works.  The mechanics of it are intricate to say the least.  If you have nothing remarkable to offer, there tends to be no amplification.  If what you have to offer is remarkably good—the network kicks into overdrive resulting in the influence of behavior and ultimately some type of relationship.  If what you have to offer is remarkably bad—the network also kicks into high gear and amplifies the negativity—influencing behavior and often times causing perception and possibly relationships to go south.

Michael Dell understood this when he prioritized the effort for his company to participate in the positive amplification of his own brand via the internet including multiple social networks.  This ultimately lead to more than a 20% improvement of  opinions found on the Web accessible through Google etc.  Other major companies have watched closely and are now in the process of figuring out how their own brands need to come to terms with this new reality.

Whether we know who Robert Scoble, Hugh McLeod or Guy Kawasaki is—is irrelevant. 

Brands + Amplification = Influence on the other hand, is not.  If you are reading this post—you can thank the power influence of social networks.  And thank you for some food for thought—which is always a good thing.

People, Places + Events

A lot of stuff going on in the next couple of months, here's a quick breakdown of things to come:

June 12: Blogger Dinner/Tweetup
A bunch of social media types will be in Chicago for Blog Council and we'll be getting together for cocktails etc:

Colonel Tribune -- and the Chicago Tribune – is organizing an informal meetup Thursday, June 12 from 6 p.m. to whenever at Clark Street Ale House, 742 N. Clark.
Full details here:

June 16: Widget Web Expo / IXDA NYC
I am moderating a panel at Widget Web Expo including the following fine professionals:

David Malouf, Interaction Designer, Motorola Enterprise Mobility
Matt Dickman, Vice President, Digital Marketing, Fleishman-Hillard
Steve Rubel, SVP, Director of Insights, Edelman Digital
Ian Schafer, CEO and Founder, Deep Focus
Stephanie Agresta, InternetGeekGirl.com

And I will be talking about "Micro-Interactions" at NYC's IXDA event in Soho.  There will be a social gathering after and all are invited.  See details here.

July 17: PSFK San Fransisco
Really excited about this one.  I'll be participating in an interactive discussion with execs from Virgin and Facebook around experience design etc. PSFK San Fransciso has a really amazing line-up including Chris Riley from Apple, Gareth Kay from Modernista! and Rohit Bhargava author of Personality Not Included.  Check it out.    

September 16-19: O'Reilly Web 2.0 Expo
Special Thanks to Chris Fahey for inviting me to Web 2.0 in NYC.  I'll be presenting Micro-Interactions in no doubt a more refined version.

If you are attennding any of these events, let me know.  Best way to get a hold of me these days when on the road is Twitter.

Hope to see you.

Stairway to Brand Heaven & Hell

Inspired by a chat with Jared Spool.

High vs. Low Design

I recently did a phone interview for the User Interface Resource center which is sponsored by the folks at Adobe, Microsoft and Effective UI.  The folks at Effective UI were interested in having an informal discussion around the concepts of "high design vs. low design" that is, highly-designed "experiential" applications that push the limits of technology and human interaction (Think slick desktop applications)  vs. solutions that don't quite push as hard on (think Craigslist, Flickr, or Twitter).  Any insights I maye have provided may be rooted in common sense.  We use philips screwdrivers for cross head screws and regular screwdrivers for regular screws.  Skilled practitioners know they should carry both and really skilled practitioners build homes that people actually want to live in.

Below are a few highlights:
For the full transcript go here.

Tim Wood:
That’s a great segue into the context of today’s discussion. I want to get your take on two contemporary user experience trends that we see on the Web today — that in many ways seem contradictory or divergent. That is, simple design versus complex design. On one hand we have sites like Delicious, Google Apps and Craigslist, all of which have a very minimal hypertext-based UI presentation. On the other hand we are seeing a strong emergence of RIAs of various flavors — in Flex, Silverlight and AJAX — that support a very rich presentation of user interface elements, as well as very dynamic interaction. Do you see these two trends as being contradictory or do you see them as complementary?

David Armano:
That’s a really big question without a black-and-white answer. Way back in 2003, Kevin Mullet wrote a Macromedia white paper titled The Essence of Effective Rich Internet Applications which was a precursor to what we’re talking about today regarding high and low design. He made a great case for rich design. In hindsight, I would have thought that was where everything was going because it just made so much sense.

Mullet proposed that when you take something with function and value, which most applications have whether they’re Web-based or desktop-based, you should create a really engaging experience around it using the “breaking the page” metaphor. That makes total sense because when we interact with the Web, it’s not natural to wait for a page to load. Back then, it was safe to assume that everything was going to move in the rich direction. But then the curveball got thrown, as you mentioned, with the popularity of simple HTML sites like Delicious, Flicker, Twitter and Google Apps. Why are they gaining so much steam?

Tim Wood:
Are you saying that people are more willing to accept experiential failings as a trade-off for successful utility?

David Armano:
I think it’s a reality. Whether we’re developing using a high-end design or a low-end technique, we need to focus on what the project does and what kinds of needs it actually fulfills at the end of the day. We should think about usability as a continual process."

...In the white paper that I referenced earlier, Mullet talks about this idea of fitness to purpose. A basic example that he gives is: you shouldn’t use a mallet to try to drive a nail and you shouldn’t use a hammer to pound in something that could break. In our discussion today, the same holds true; you really have to think about when to go with a rich Internet application and when not to.

From Right Brained To Light Brained

I'm really fatigued by the whole left brained/right brained debate—while I think it's worth debating, it's not the issue of our time.  I believe the issue of our time is how quickly we can successfully adapt in an era of rapid and dramatic change.  Anyone who's worked in technology related fields understands this—only the difference is that technology's effect has permeated nearly every nation in the industrialized world.  It's like breathing now. 

This is what was at the core of my "Fuzzy Tail" POV from which the above visual was pulled.  Each time I think about how overwhelming change is—I remind myself that the qualities outlined in the visual are becoming the critical soft skills that will allow individuals and business not to merely survive—but thrive.

That said, I look around and realize that while change appears to be rapid—we still tend do things the way it's always worked for us in the past.  This may be the dilemma of our time.  Either way, it's still worth assessing your "light brained" qualities.  If you have them, worst case scenario—you'll be able to utilize them when needed. If you don't—it might be worth taking the time to do or learn something new.  Maybe it's something you don't really understand and it makes you nervous. If so, all the more reason to take it on.  So Are you left brained?  Are your right brained?  Are you a little of both? 

Don't forget about being light brained.

Who Killed The Marketing Funnel? Accidental Marketers.

That's the title for my contribution to the "Age of Conversation 2" which is currently being pieced together by editors Drew McLellan and Gavin Heaton as I write this.  My contribution will include the above visual—here's a brief snippet:

"The traditional marketing funnel is dead.  Who killed it?  You and I did with a little help from this thing we call the Web.  Well, OK—we really didn’t kill it, we just traded the linear funnel metaphor for something more organic and cyclical. I like to call this “The Marketing Spiral”.

Other contributers include:

Adam Crowe, Adrian Ho, Aki Spicer, Alex Henault, Amy Jussel, Andrew Odom, Andy Nulman, Andy Sernovitz, Andy Whitlock, Angela Maiers, Ann Handley, Anna Farmery, Armando Alves, Arun Rajagopal, Asi Sharabi, Becky Carroll, Becky McCray, Bernie Scheffler, Bill Gammell, Bob Carlton, Bob LeDrew, Brad Shorr, Bradley Spitzer, Brandon Murphy, Branislav Peric, Brent Dixon, Brett Macfarlane, Brian Reich, C.C. Chapman, Cam Beck, Casper Willer, Cathleen Rittereiser, Cathryn Hrudicka, Cedric Giorgi, Charles Sipe, Chris Kieff, Chris Cree, Chris Wilson, Christina Kerley (CK), C.B. Whittemore, Clay Parker Jones, Chris Brown, Colin McKay, Connie Bensen, Connie Reece, Cord Silverstein, Corentin Monot, Craig Wilson, Daniel Honigman, Dan Goldstein, Dan Schawbel, Dana VanDen Heuvel, Dan Sitter, Daria Radota Rasmussen, Darren Herman, Darryl Patterson, Dave Davison, Dave Origano, David Armano, David Bausola, David Berkowitz, David Brazeal, David Koopmans, David Meerman Scott, David Petherick, David Reich, David Weinfeld, David Zinger, Deanna Gernert, Deborah Brown, Dennis Price, Derrick Kwa, Dino Demopoulos, Doug Haslam, Doug Meacham, Doug Mitchell, Douglas Hanna, Douglas Karr, Drew McLellan, Duane Brown, Dustin Jacobsen, Dylan Viner, Ed Brenegar, Ed Cotton, Efrain Mendicuti, Ellen Weber, Emily Reed, Eric Peterson, Eric Nehrlich, Ernie Mosteller, Faris Yakob, Fernanda Romano, Francis Anderson, G. Kofi Annan, Gareth Kay, Gary Cohen, Gaurav Mishra, Gavin Heaton, Geert Desager, George Jenkins, G.L. Hoffman, Gianandrea Facchini, Gordon Whitehead, Graham Hill, Greg Verdino, Gretel Going & Kathryn Fleming, Hillel Cooperman, Hugh Weber, J. Erik Potter, J.C. Hutchins, James Gordon-Macintosh, Jamey Shiels, Jasmin Tragas, Jason Oke, Jay Ehret, Jeanne Dininni, Jeff De Cagna, Jeff Gwynne, Jeff Noble, Jeff Wallace, Jennifer Warwick, Jenny Meade, Jeremy Fuksa, Jeremy Heilpern, Jeremy Middleton, Jeroen Verkroost, Jessica Hagy, Joanna Young, Joe Pulizzi, Joe Talbott, John Herrington, John Jantsch, John Moore, John Rosen, John Todor, Jon Burg, Jon Swanson, Jonathan Trenn, Jordan Behan, Julie Fleischer, Justin Flowers, Justin Foster, Karl Turley, Kate Trgovac, Katie Chatfield, Katie Konrath, Kenny Lauer, Keri Willenborg, Kevin Jessop, Kris Hoet, Krishna De, Kristin Gorski, Laura Fitton, Laurence Helene Borei, Lewis Green, Lois Kelly, Lori Magno, Louise Barnes-Johnston, Louise Mangan, Louise Manning, Luc Debaisieux, Marcus Brown, Mario Vellandi, Mark Blair, Mark Earls, Mark Goren, Mark Hancock, Mark Lewis, Mark McGuinness, Mark McSpadden, Matt Dickman, Matt J. McDonald, Matt Moore, Michael Hawkins, Michael Karnjanaprakorn, Michelle Lamar, Mike Arauz, Mike McAllen, Mike Sansone, Mitch Joel, Monica Wright, Nathan Gilliatt, Nathan Snell, Neil Perkin, Nettie Hartsock, Nick Rice, Oleksandr Skorokhod, Ozgur Alaz, Paul Chaney, Paul Hebert, Paul Isakson, Paul Marobella, Paul McEnany, Paul Tedesco, Paul Williams, Pet Campbell, Pete Deutschman, Peter Corbett, Phil Gerbyshak, Phil Lewis, Phil Soden, Piet Wulleman, Rachel Steiner, Sreeraj Menon, Reginald Adkins, Richard Huntington, Rishi Desai, Beeker Northam, Rob Mortimer, Robert Hruzek, Roberta Rosenberg, Robyn McMaster, Roger von Oech, Rohit Bhargava, Ron Shevlin, Ryan Barrett, Ryan Karpeles, Ryan Rasmussen, Sam Huleatt, Sandy Renshaw, Scott Goodson, Scott Monty, Scott Townsend, Scott White, Sean Howard, Sean Scott, Seni Thomas, Seth Gaffney, Shama Hyder, Sheila Scarborough, Sheryl Steadman, Simon Payn, Sonia Simone, Spike Jones, Stanley Johnson, Stephen Collins, Stephen Cribbett, Stephen Landau, Stephen Smith, Steve Bannister, Steve Hardy, Steve Portigal, Steve Roesler, Steven Verbruggen, Steve Woodruff, Sue Edworthy, Susan Bird, Susan Gunelius, Susan Heywood, Tammy Lenski, Terrell Meek, Thomas Clifford, Thomas Knoll, Tiffany Kenyon, Tim Brunelle, Tim Buesing, Tim Connor, Tim Jackson, Tim Longhurst, Tim Mannveille, Tim Tyler, Timothy Johnson, Tinu Abayomi-Paul, Toby Bloomberg, Todd Andrlik, Troy Rutter, Troy Worman, Uwe Hook, Valeria Maltoni, Vandana Ahuja, Vanessa DiMauro, Veronique Rabuteau, Wayne Buckhanan, William Azaroff, Yves Van Landeghem

That's some list eh?  Phew.

 

Learning By Doing

I'm Wrapping up my time spent at ID's Strategy 08 conference held at Chicago's MCA.  It's been a great couple of days filled with nuggets of inspiration ranging from the topics of designing for the other 90 percent, and changing the culture of corporations through design thinking.  But hands down for me, the most intriguing talk was given by John Seeley Brown also known as "JSB". 

JSB's talk was aimed out how we are learning and being educated and how much change is happening in this area.  His framing of the subject matter was to think about education as an institution which needed to be re-built from the ground up.  In essance, his call was to re-define what an actual instutuiton is—from something which is controlled and overly structured to something that still has shape but is more flexible and pliable.

But for me—John's talk came down to one statement he made.

"We are going back to the one room school house"

I believe JSB was pointing out the irony of what's happening with how we learn.  In the one room school house, the teacher acted as a guide and students learned from each other.  The setting was obviously intimate because it was small and the students all knew each other.  I'm taking a few liberties with his metaphor, but the one room school house is a really interesting way to look at things.  JSB called out that there is a renaissance in "tinkering", a soft skill which in the past has been marginalized, but is being taken seriously as a way people learn.  Some would call this learning by doing.  How do you think I learned what I have about "social media'?

Lastly and possibly most importantly JSB discussed a shift from instruction based learning to "interest-driven participation".  While he did not define this in depth, I believe that it reflects other shifts that are happening in all types of fields.  Connected and empowered individuals are no longer content to sit back and be lectured to. Information has been set free.  Monologues have been replaced by conversations and increasingly we learn by doing—from watching what our peers do, from using what's been made into open source. So the classroom got a lot smaller—and we're back to influencing each other directly.

Some really great discussions happening in the halls.  Wish you were here. :-)

BusinessWeek's Bruce Nussbaum visits Critical Mass

(Bruce Nussbaum chatting with Experience Planning Director David Stallsmith)

View video interview

This morning we had the distinct pleasure of giving BusinessWeek's Innovatiion Editor Bruce Nussbaum a tour of our Chicago office.  I showed him what we actually do for some of our clients and then we ended up recording this LIVE interview using CM's Always In Beta site.  We discussed the changes in the business climate, learning from the OLPC effort, sociology and design democracy among other things.

The video is still for the first minute only and will then kick in.  Sound quality is good overall.  Enjoy watching it, I think it will be worth your time.

Web 2.0 is Velcro

From my latest contribution to Advertising Age:

"Velcro, as we all know, is a simple and effective invention that has permeated millions of products and replaced more antiquated ways of making things stick. The science of Velcro is simple. One side of the material is composed of thousands of tiny "hooks," while the other side is made of just as many "loops." When the hooks engage with the loops, they stick. When pulled apart, they un-stick. There's a reason why millions of children's footwear has been replaced with this material -- it's effective, easy to use and it works.

And that's why Web 2.0 is Velcro. Marketers, designers and developers alike are scrambling to figure how two things:

1. What are the viral "hooks" that capture people's attention?
2. What are the viral "loops," which create infinite engagement that spreads like wildfire? "

Read the full article

The One Video All Marketers Should Watch

The above video is a presentation given by a couple of staffers from the small experience design consultancy Adaptive Path to employees at Google.  It's a compilation of thoughts that has been synthesized into a book titled "Subject To Change".  The reason why I'm saying marketers should watch this video is because I'm convinced that many marketers still don't understand the basics of customer experience and how this integrates with marketing efforts (which it does).  And the reason why is because I've noticed lots of perspectives floating around the marketing industry positioning customer experience as if it's a "new form of marketing", when in reality it's always been the oldest and most effective.  Adweek's Brian Morrissey reports that brands like Google and Craigslist have become successful icons because of their investments in user experience.  Havas media lab calls Google's strategy "revolutionary":

"Yet Google obviously invests heavily in its brand. Its home page may have nothing but a search box and links to Google's services -- which means the company is forgoing tens of millions of dollars in advertising -- but it's doing something more important: putting its customers first. Untargeted ads, even simple text links, goes the rationale, would put too steep a cost on its users.

This decision is "revolutionary," wrote Havas Media Lab director and London economist Umair Haque on Harvard Business Online in February. "By choosing to invest in consumers over advertising, Google is a living example of a deeper truth: The future of communications as advantage lies in talking less and listening more."

The biggest challenge that today's marketers face is understanding HOW to overcome the obstacles that get in the way from creating user/customer/consumer experiences that people want to make part of their everyday lives.  Everything has changed.  Years ago, Starbucks was celebrated as a brand that understood this—today, it's customers are less loyal and it's stock price is reflecting this.  Blockbuster promised to transform our living rooms into home theaters—today, media consumption including movies is fragmented.  Marketers today are faced with a choice.  As Seth Godin points out, we can choose to become liars—spinning fabrications around inferior products and services who depend on traditional marketing to make themselves appear more appealing.  Or we can be honest, and figure out how to actually make the product, service, and brand better—so marketing initiatives will become a natural extension of the experience a customer has with that brand.

Is this the job of the company, the consultant, the agency, the brand?  If you want to thrive in an age where basically we're all spoiled and demanding—then the reality is, it's all of our jobs.  So watch the video and think about which side you choose to be on.

PS, if there are any Adaptive Path peeps reading—you should give this presentation to marketers in addition to companies like Google who do a pretty decent job of doing the things you talk about.

How to Twitter Conferences Like A Rock Star

I'm fast approaching having 3000 followers on Twitter.  Though my followers on Twitter don't match the readership of this blog, it's a fairly substantial audience and I've found Twitter to be incredibly useful in a number of ways which I've spoken about at length several times.  One of these ways is to "live-broadcast" from conferences.  Each time I do it, most of the people on Twitter who receive my stream seem to really like it.  Those who don't either deal with, it or can temporarily un-follow me until I'm finished.  I was recently asked by a Twitter user if I ever put my conference tweet "methods" into a blog post.  I had not.  Until now.  Here's how you can Twitter conferences like a rock star.  :-)

1. Filter The Signal From Noise
There's a lot of noise at conferences.  People are there to promote both their organizations, their books and their personal brands.  There's also an incredible amount of insights and thought nuggets that manifest at conferences and events. Train yourself to look for these choice bits.  Listen with all of your senses.  Trust your intuition and filter out the things that offer insights vs. that which doesn't.

2. Color Your Commentary
Unless you are a professional journalist, you have no reason to be objective.  Do your best to capture quotes accurately but also don't forget that people are reading your thoughts because they want to know what YOU think.  Don't be afraid to agree or disagree with a speaker.  Throw out your POV for what it's worth.  Spice up things by adding additional thoughts to what you just heard.  Add your voice to the conversation.  For lessons on how to do this, think of the great sportscasters.  After all, you're covering a live event as it happens.

3. Talk To Your Audience
As you are busy capturing ideas and quotes, it becomes increasingly difficult to do anything else.  But, you've made a choice to be an active participant as opposed to a passive member of the audience.  Acknowledge followers on Twitter as much as possible.  If someone has a really smart question for a panelist, try to ask that question on their behalf.  Remember that the people who are choosing to follow your stream in real time are taking time out of their day to do so.  Try to provide as much value as possible.

4. Paint The Scene
Twitter users who enjoy following conferences coverage through someone on Twitter will often times express how they "felt like they were there".  Do what you can to reference the sights, sounds, and even smells of what you are experiencing.  Talk about what people are wearing.  Write about some of the details that might get overlooked in a wrap up of the conference.  Paint a mental picture for your audience so that they can actually envision themselves there.  It's cheaper for them and a more rewarding digital experience.

5. Do it For Yourself
Don't lose sight of the fact that unless you are being paid, you are ultimately choosing to tether yourself to a device during a conference because YOU are getting something out of it.  If it's not fun for you, don't do it and don't be afraid to give yourself breaks for speakers who's messages you really want to absorb.  Think of Twitter as a substitute for a notebook.  Write down the things YOU find interesting.  Add your personal thoughts.  Be yourself.  Don't be afraid to forget that you actually have an audience every once in a while and practice "responsible candor".  This means saying what comes to mind as long as you don't jeopardize your professionalism.  Be who you are—authenticity is the name of the game in this medium.

So those are my tips.  Next week I will be live tweeting from IIT's Strategy conference.  If you want to tune in, sign up to Twitter and follow me here. Special thanks to hdavis for inspiring this write-up.

Whispers

Walking by the train tracks on my way to work one day, I noticed a tiny tree sprouting from the rocks alongside the tracks.  Headphones on, and power walk in place, I saw it—but really didn't "see" it.  But a "whisper" told me to stop.  So I did.  Taking off my headphones, I knelt down and took this picture.  The whisper said "there's something here.  something to think about... How can tree grow in a place like this?".

With the image captured I went about the rest of my day but couldn't stop thinking about it.  And it made made me realize a few things.  Life thrives in unexpected places and beauty can be found anywhere.  Technology helps us capture a moment, but it can also keep us from hearing the whispers that are so important for our own development.

Life's whispers are often soft and subtle. They come without warning.  The whispers are always there—but we're not always listening.  The noise we surround ourselves with often keeps the whispers at bay.  We become incapable of hearing them, until we choose to.  At this point we see through fresh eyes.

I'm choosing to listen.  But first I had to slow down and stop in order to do so.  I had to be willing to miss the train if it meant learning something, even if just for the day.  The whispers are there, waiting for us to notice them.  But only if we're open to turning our own volume down, even if only for a brief moment in time.  For me, this moment just happened to be the right one.

Application Economics

 
From my recent column in Adweek:

"Some kid comes up with the next YouTube, Facebook or mobile platform, and most advertisers want to figure out how to market on it. Instead of designing and developing useful applications that could give brands the opportunity to insert themselves meaningfully into our lives, we get cutesy but useless "Sprite Sips" on Facebook, ubiquitous banners in all shapes and sizes and microsites that you won't likely return to. And I'm talking about digital advertising -- never mind traditional."

Read the full article

Micro Interactions + Direct Engagement

| View | Upload your own

So here's a presentation I gave recently to a client.  I'm thinking through the concepts of "Micro Interactions" and "Direct Engagement".  The slideshow (download PDF) includes both previous and new thoughts and was inspired by a quote I wrote for Inspire UX:

“We live in a world where the little things really do matter.  Each encounter no matter how brief is a micro interaction which makes a deposit or withdrawal from our rational and emotional subconscious. The sum of these interactions and encounters adds up to how we feel about a particular product, brand or service.  Little things. Feelings.  They influence our everyday behaviors more than we realize.”

Feedback welcome!

People, Places + Events

Here's a quick breakdown of events I'll be attending/participating at over the next few months:

May 22-23 Strategy 08
I will be covering one of my favorite events of the year via Twitter. Speakers include AG Lafley, Roger Martin, Bill Buxton, Bruce Nussbaum, and Claudia Kotchka among others.  Follow me on Twitter here.

May 29th: Tech Cocktail
I'll be speaking on a panel titled "Creating A Brand & Leveraging New/Social Media For Your Business".  Tech Cocktail is taking place in Chicago and will include Jason Fried of 37 Signals, Gary Vaynerchuck, and Frank Gruber among others.

June 5-6: The Conference Board
I'll be co-leading a workshop for a powerhouse audience including senior execs from fortune 500 companies.  The workshop will be titled, "Positively Influencing Brand Behavior".

June 16-17
I'll be speaking at Widget Web Expo and have assembled a fine panel of professionals including:
Brian Morrissey: Adweek
David Malouf: Motorola