Over the last few months we have been working with Cynnal Cymru-Sustain Wales to develop their digital brand experience. Utilising the open source content management system Drupal, we worked with Cynnal Cymru to produce a core set of tools that will allow their online brand to grow overtime, yet remain open and allow for flexibility should they require to change in the future.
Its still very early days in the development and positioning of Cynnal Cymru's online content, but we have good ground to grow from... www.cynnalcymru.com
In preparation for our forthcoming screen printing marathon we popped over to Printhaus on Tuesday afternoon for our induction.
A few weeks ago now I attended an event hosted by Design Wales. The event was a small event centred around the ageing population and how services will need to change in the future as we get more and more elderly people within the general population. Nesta attended the event and spoke about their recent project Age Unlimited which you can find a presentation of it here.
The event sparked a number of memories from university about inclusive design and accessibility. Within the product design arena it is looked at being Universal Design
and was probably one of the hardest modules I did. For me there was always this contradiction in the idea. This was mainly because at the time the concept of tailored solutions for people was very strong. Customisation had been challenged in the form of projects such as NIKEiD which had hit the market and was showing the potential for a future where you could truly design a unique product for yourself. So Universal design seemed to be fighting a losing battle, as it was hardly very exciting. Discussing a form of universalism seldom is.
So mass customisation V's uniform universal products.
In part this issue is still the same, some ten years on. The problem however at the moment in terms of the products that allow customisation are still based on a basic already existing base model. i.e. making things bespoke or unique for people currently merely means you aesthetically altering a set design. In the case of NIKEiD the changes you make are pretty uniform the only recent change being the ability to change the sole type. This is also the case with more techie products such as the iPhone. You can make the product bespoke by buying certain App's and arranging them in certain folders, however other than putting a sleeve around it the product is pretty much set in stone.
These products are both hugely successful but if we look to the future and the idea of ageing and general accessibility and compare one of the original NOKIA phones to that of the iPhone. The NOKIA wins hands down? well firstly it has buttons to press with the centre button having a tip to allow people with poor eyesight a way of accessing the phone. The iPhone for example is almost impossible for someone to use as it has no feedback to inputting data. It could be argued that voice control allows this access however it is hardly a 'universal design' measure.
The base units are already very unaccessible so no matter what is attempted to make them friendlier is not going to be possible. It seems like there are huge strides to be made for companies willing to look into this type of service and product range. It will be interesting to see how will this alter brands and organisations? It seems to me that the first brands that open up to this concept in the next few years could begin to create fantastic experience for their customers.
Over the last few months we have been going back and fore discussing App's and mobile websites and in general mobile content in all it's forms. There have already been lots written about the pro's and cons of web based applications are apposed to an actual App you can download from a shop. There have been further talk about how and what content goes on a mobile version of a website. And even more recently a report by Deloitte (I will find the link later) recognised that large brands are struggling to make an impact within the App market.
While the majority of talk centres around content and technology and compatibility I think for me there a few more fundamental things to discuss about App's and mobile websites. I think for me the idea of an App is very different from a mobile version of a website. An App is a challenge, to the idea that the internet is a resource of information and so an App should be made in the image of the internet. Due to the portable nature of the devices that currently hold these App's they have far more scope to be extensions of our experience. While gaining information is always going to be necessary such as the next scheduled train or the weather forecast. There seems to be a huge dimension of other opportunities that the App's can be. An example of this would be an App such as NIKE+ or on another level something like Dropp. Both of these App's utilise the mobile nature of the device the App is on, to create a richer experience for you. In either running (NIKE+) or by just learning more about the local area (Dropp). I think this type of app is one of the major reasons why App's have taken off. It's not because of the fact you can get instant information but more the fact you can access a new experience an enriched experience that has been provided through a well thought out App.
So I think for me I believe that App's and web app's are different creatures and should be treated differently. They have different rules and different expectations. For example if they were people an App would be a trainspotter and the App would be a joker. So while I am not saying this is carte blanche I do feel that App's are not necessarily constrained to being information portals.
This year was the second year a TEDx has taken place in Cardiff. Unfortunately the shear popularity of the event ment that tickets sold out in about 45 minutes and so I didn't manage to go (I was also moving so that kind of got in the way as well). The event run by Neil and Claire has grown form their work on the ignite events over the last few years. Anyway it has been a few months since the event and it is only now I have managed to get a chance to look through the talks. The one below is particularly interesting, particularly for the elements of collaboration and co-operation that have been born from the internet and social elements of it.
Posted by Julian Sykes
So the show is up and you are thinking about the summer, maybe some of you are thinking about going travelling. Others are thinking about looking for a job and some just a bit of work experience / internship. So for the ones out there looking for a place in a creative studio what do you need to do to get some experience?
Firstly let's say there are around 30 odd students in your uni class, there are probably about 5-6 courses each with students who might consider themselves capable or getting a design job, then say there are around 100 or so uni's who do creative courses. That is already about 18,000 people. Then you have people who havn't got a job yet from last year and others generally looking for a career change. So that is a lot of people.
So here are a few things to be thinking about:
Hope this helps...!
The development of the internet age has led to a plethora of 'name' brands. Google, Twitter, Skype to name but a few. Yet has the tide begun to turn? are name brands going to to be replaced by symbols and icons over the next decade?
This is a question we have been discussing within the studio for a number of months now.It seems like 'digital' is slowly becoming everyday, and as it does so the distinction, or more the need to distinguish between digital and non-digital worlds becomes less and less. This is already been seen within branding itself. Branding company are once again looking at the 'experience' of the customer not differentiating between on and offline. Technology and hacking is also becoming more and more commonplace with open source becoming more and more accepted people are now hacking (experimenting) and technology and code is the modern day piece of mahogany timber.
So following this back to the internet. Has it grown up? are people now looking for richer more engaging experiences? To follow this further does this mean that we will be looking at more story led brand marks that conjure up tales? One of the most recognisable brands to have recently lost it's name and developed a symbol only brand is STARBUCKS. The strong simple icon instantly feels richer and someone who has always steered clear from STARBUCKS has made me re-consider them as a possible coffee venue.
While of course there is a huge amount of brands that rely on text and symbol within their brand marks. It seems like the fresher symbolic approach also has a huge advantage in this worldwide web of a planet. No name meaning no translation. Potentially a less global feel and even an ability to adapt the symbol to it's local requirements?
It's still very early to say, but I am very excited to see if this is the start of a shift in the visual representation of peoples brand experience. After all it is stories that sell brands to people.
Last weekend saw a thrilling weekend of Rugby in this years Six Nations. A historic win Italy over France, Scotland losing narrowly to England, and in Cardiff, Wales beating Ireland through a controversial try. During game day, Cardiff transforms into a busy, cosmopolitan city full of colour and noise. For many it is a perfect opportunity to try and sell or advertise their business or brand. So who better to advertise during a game day than Under Armour – shirt manufacturer for Wales national team. On the thursday before the game Under Armour brought in a cargo crate to expand the experience of Under Armour to the people of Cardiff.
The area around the crate had been setup with loads of physical training challenges – from running and jumping competitions to skipping with huge ropes. The area was always really busy and there seemed to be a real buzz with music being pumped out all day. In all it was a well thought out event – pulling on key brand values of Under Armour and a great way to give someone a brand experience that went beyond a traditional billboard advert or flyer. Indeed while there were jerseys available to be viewed (and I think bought). It was much more about giving the customer an experience and a memory of Under Amour as being "Engineered to Perform".
So after a very loud evening of revelry (Wales did win after all), I woke up and went to get some breakfast. As I walked past the area where the Cargo Crate had once occupied I came across the below rubbish and mess. Sand bags that had weighted down banners and wood that had stopped the crate touching the new paving stones had all been left behind. So for me it left me with a sad memory of the event. One that I had thought was really cool and enjoyable. On a more interesting level I wonder how this translates to the brand of Under Armour and how deep do things go. While the whole company began through the pursuit to develop a superior t-shirt, it seems the question should be – at any cost??
It also seems to sum up a use and discard approach to the experience and a deep lack of understanding that for a sponsor of a National Jersey you dont's leave rubbish in their capital – or anywhere for that matter. For me there was a real breakdown in the Under Armour experience and the service that had been so high has now crashed.
