[ paul isakson ]

Required Reading: Leland Maschmeyer - Volume 2

For some time now I've been meaning to do a "Required Reading" post every-so-often on blogs, books, sites, etc. that I think others should take note of and spend time with for one reason or another. I've even had the category created for a while and tagged some old posts with it. Well, today is the start of that series. Enough putting it off.

My first post in this series points to Leland Maschmeyer. He formerly wrote Whistle Through Your Comb (which BTW, is full of good bits and bytes to explore if you didn't read it before) and has now moved on from that to start anew.

His focus here is on using design thinking to solve marketing problems (correct me if that's not quite right, Leland), particularly in the area of transformation design. I quite like it because as Neil would say, I'm in violent agreement with a lot of it.

When you have a minute, go see what he's up to. I think you might like it. I know I do.

Hal Riney Attempts Minority Report Navigation

In researching the below post, I happened across Hal Riney's new site. At first I was going to make this a footnote to that post, but decided it deserved to be called out on its own instead.

While it's not perfected, you can use your hand, webcam and the space bar to navigate it. Pretty cool idea. Makes me think of the Minority Report in some ways. Also of the Coke + Faithless site a bit.

The incorporation of the webcam into more and more computers presents new opportunities to engage people. It's something we should all be considering more, in my opinion.

Anyway, go check out the Hal Riney site and let me know what you think in the comments.

And if you've got any further examples of great incorporations of the webcam, please share those as well. Thanks!

Modernista! Gets Some New Digital Digs

Gareth put up a post to announce that Modernista! has "finally" put up their new site.

I have to say, I like it. I think it makes a strong statement (more on this to come in a second.)

In my brief chats with people around the office who have seen it and with friends over IM, most are liking it as well, but some are thinking it's just like Zeus Jones' site. I say it's not. It's different.

Zeus Jones' approach uses various social and web 2.0 sites to say, here's who we are. The key being that they own the content to most of those pages. They control the message of who they are.

This isn't to say I don't think Zeus Jones' site is good. I actually like it a lot. When they launched it, I thought it was one of the most interesting ideas I'd seen by an agency for how to present themselves online. I still do. It says, "Here's how people are presenting themselves online and connecting with others, so that's how we're doing it because we want to connect with people too." (My words, not theirs.)

But here's where I think Modernista! has approached it differently.

Wikipedia is a site for people, by people. It's not controlled by Modernista! It is controlled by subject matter experts and people who are passionate about the independent subjects within Wikipedia's pages. In setting the Wikipedia page as their main page, Modernista! says, "People define what brands are, so we want people to have a say in defining who we are - you tell us who we are."

It may not be what they are intending to communicate, but that is my interpretation of it. To me, it reflects their view of how products and services become brands. It's not about the company that creates those products or services controlling the message. It's about them putting their products and/or services out there and inviting others to take part in shaping what the brand is through their shared experiences with them.

Yep. I like it. Looks like plenty of others agree.

My favorite quotes from those posts:

"Not brilliant because it's based on an amazing piece of technology, design, etc. Brilliant because they had the balls to do it." - Mitch Caplan's What's Next In Marketing

"The Web2.0 as your Agency web site. F@#$@ this is good. Just can’t believe it yet." - 6ixpassions.com

Nice work Modernista!

Tele2 Beat Barxing Bassett Hound

Unfortunately, I'm not fluent in my grandfather's native Swedish, so I can't tell you what this is promoting. But thankfully, you don't have to be to have fun with this beatboxing Bassett Hound mixer from Tele2. Customize your beat, record it, and send it to a friend. Or just play around. Either way, it's a good bit of fun.

crgslst

Celeste pointed out this one a while back. crgslst is a new development from Ian Coyle.

I was aware that Ian had started a new company but didn't know he had anything out there yet. I'm excited to see this type of thinking going on from his new venture. And from the superhero.es site, it appears he's up to more interesting things.

If Ian's name sounds familiar, it's probably because you are familiar with some of his previous work.
 

Arcade Fire: Black Mirror Interactive Video

Arcade Fire has done it again. First it was with Neon Bible. Now they're letting you be the studio engineer on Black Mirror. I'm certainly a fan of their music, but am an even bigger fan of what they're doing online to let their fans play with their music videos. Well done, Arcade Fire. Well done.

a site to see: wolff olins

I happened across the new Wolff Olins site back in October sometime and mentally flagged it because the topic of their home page is one I've been noodling around since before getting up to Minneapolis and am going to put up a post about soon. (Posts are still slow and short due to spending time working on establishing a new life up here. I'm going to start getting back into the swing of things soon. Promise.)

Anyway, explore their site when you get a moment. I really like what they've done with it.

good things should never end

Meant to share this one last week, but didn't get to it. So, here it is now...

Poke has created a fun site for Orange that pays off their new campaign idea "Good Things Should Never End." Thanks to Iain Tait for pointing it out last week on his blog and via Twitter. Good work, Iain & Poke. Good work.

bundle of cardboard = cool album cover

Spoiled Milk has created some interesting album artwork for Danish rock band Marvel Hill. Prior to becoming a city lit up in neon, this was just a bundle of flat-packed cardboard found on the streets of Copenhagen. They've also put together a "making of" video.

The Marvel Hill web site is worth a look too if you have a second. Interesting dual navigation and overall design.

found

tycho - dictaphone's lament

I am a fan of pretty much all of Scott Hansen's/Tycho's/ISO50's work. See and hear more here:

ISO50.com

ISO50 blog

Tycho Music