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It’s all about the unique. In a sea of business cards, which ones stand out to you? Won’t those be the ones you remember?
Today for $20 or so you can get a 100 Moo Cards all with beautiful Flickr imagery of your choosing.
Or use DeyDey. An online service that lets you design your cards from scratch. For inspiration I recommend checking out DailyPoetics Art of the Business Card for more inspriation.
If you’ve never been to an Indian’s house for dinner, this is how it typically goes. You sit around the table together, all the food nicely laid out before you. The moms are talking away in the kitchen while cooking and then the dads come over and, well, they don’t serve you, they force you.
It’s always “what can I pass you … take this … finish this off … here … you’ll love it, (even if you don’t) …” It gets to the point where you literally are negotiating your way away from the table. I imagine if my father were ever to create an ad, it would be a pop up ad, followed up another, followed by another.
What This Has Taught Me
If you want me to do something (and this could work for parenting, not just ads), you don’t make me take it, you simply eat it yourself and say, “Mmm, this tastes good.” Leave it there! Don’t just put it on my plate for me. My reaction to that is always and immediately “NO.” The idea of being forced to watch ads, the idea of being forced to implement certain ad models all seem just as intrusive. I think the truly good ads that capture an audience, are the one’s that don’t tell you to do anything. Instead they simply portray the happiness that is a baby in a diaper or the plight of a PC against a Mac
What Do I Propose?
Let me decide for myself. In a sense Ad Sense does this by guiding ads geared toward my searches, sites, and other materials, but I’m talking IPTV and TV here. Watching Hulu.com I see the same ad consistently and frankly, it’s contrived and it’s forced. I don’t mind watching ads, but if you want to make an impact, give the user the ability to choose. I think interactive ads isn’t a new feature, but if implemented properly I think it could go a long way. By making ads more social, you allow the user to select from a list of ads deduced based on their viewing habits and other criteria. Allow for sharing ads. Honestly if I find a viral ad that I think is hilarious, I’ll want to show it to other people. Take Quicksilver’s Dynamite Surfing ad. What could really benefit a user?
Would there be a way to implement text CPM (cost per thousand impressions) for advertising on television or at least on the internet? I’m not clear on the workings of YouTube and their advertising scheme, and I’m thinking networks may not be too favorable towards it when it comes to online television, but as a consumer and as a user could it be developed to work better for us? Why force when you can let us choose? Who knows, maybe even the consumer can cash in on the CPM model? Perhaps for every thousandth ad they watch they receive a simple bonus? Even if it’s a free download to a video on demand feature? I’d be game.
I’m sure a more distinct model can be set up, similar to click through rates for online advertising, but by bringing the user into the experience, by allowing them to choose for themselves, wouldn’t that justify the use of ad content even further?
“Good design isn’t about making something beautiful. It’s about making something useful.” -ME
We look around and we see things of all shapes, colors and sizes. From portable devices with slick screens to iPods with touch screen. With such beautiful design, I believe people are becoming more confused by what true innovation is.
At the heart of innovation is truth. What I mean by truth, is the ability to find a use or a niche that this object can fill or sustain. This isn’t solely based on technology either. Take the environment, take construction even. How many tools are required to fill a certain role? Tools weren’t invented just because they could hit things hard, but that it could maximize the efficiency of how we assemble things.
When taking the design of an object into consideration, while it may look beautiful, you have to address functionality more. Does it achieve a certain goal of yours? Does it make life that much easier or that much simpler? By definition good design should create an inherent benefit of use.
A strong inspiration for what I’m trying to get across would be this TED Talk: Paul Bennett, Design In Details.
I’m curious to see what the next two years of computing will look like. While most projects are hidden far from the publics eye, we are left to imagine how the changing world will affect us. While “thin” is “in”, I still look around and see a desk that could use much more innovation. The way in which we attack projects has been fundamentally altered thanks to the Cloud and Web 2.0, but analog systems still exist.
The era of DVDs and CDs may be ending in a slow prolonged death, but we aren’t living in a completely wireless world yet. Growing up we, maybe just me, but I at least envisioned a bit of the Jetsons mixed in with a bit of Star Trek. Maybe I’m a bit greedy and expect a flying car to pop out of no where. But I can’t help but look around and see the technology and innovation around me today. So I do expect more, a lot more. If not a flying car, then access or a rehash societies fundamentals. Not a flying car, but a more efficient car? A car that can communicate with others on the road?
Now the question lingering for me is portability. Yes we have the iPhone, yes we have 3g, and soon we’ll see what comes of the 700 MHz bid. For more details check out Gigaom.com. Will that provide us with the access we so seek in this society? Everyone’s talking social, Facebook gets valued at 15 Billion dollars. While I use their service, I question how far advertising as a model for financial gain will carry us through the Web 2.0. For it to provide national access to the internet seems like quite a stretch to me. The cost for phones plus the contracts for a 3g network are still a bit much for this budding writer.
So what can I expect in the coming years? More political turmoil? A vested interest in environomics (environment + economics)? Or just the end of the world?
So the Stevenote is over and life can resume as it was. Sort of.
Apple announced the MacBook Air, the worlds thinnest computer. And from the specs it’s pretty amazing to see what they squeezed in. A Micro DVI for video out, iSight for video conferencing, a USB slot, 1.6 GHz Core 2 Processor, 2 gigs of ram embedded, LED 13.3 inch monitor. And the list can go on for such a small device.
So will this be the ultra portable that sweeps the world? Or will Apple have something more up their sleeves in the coming months? I guess time will tell. For now though, I’m very curious to play with the MacBook Air, along with the Apple TV refinements. Renting Movies might just work out well for them. Would be nicer if they threw in Rental TV Shows as well.
What Digital Media Can Learn From Books
We are the generation that lives through media. We don’t watch to pass time, we watch to learn and grow. I’m not sure what this reflects on our education system, but just as literatures inspires, media can spark the same creativity and instill similar values.
What can media learn from books?
For one, the inherent value we gain from a books physicality is amazing. I can buy a book, write in it, store it, trade it, share it, sell it, and burn it. I may not be able to physically hold a movie or a song, but I hope to be able to create the same utility surrounding it.
Books have remained successful regardless of whatever digital revolution you look at. Audio books, E-Readers, nothing digital has hindered the creation or sale of books. I’m not sure if publishers can be compared to the Entertainment Industry, but they seem to allow a lot more freedom with books. Digital books come with their fair share of DRM, but physical books, while under Copyright Law, still don’t have RIAA breathing down our necks. With a book I understand the author’s words and right of ownership, but I’m free to quote them, to spread them and, if anything, that seems to help the author. Even if I lend someone the book, ultimately it builds name and reputation. Why can’t the same happen with digital media?
I understand the role of money in media. Without monetization, the Entertainment Industry would not be able create the beautiful epics we see, nor the TV shows we see. That’s why it seems more important now with the ability of Podcasts and independent thinkers and creators to develop media. Because if they can succeed, then they will be the future of entertainment. The success of independent creators like The Next New Network can prove that the industry doesn’t need to equate profit with content. I’m very curious to see the actual breakdown; to take a season of The Office and see how much total production costs verse how much is monetized and gained from commercials and sales (DVDs, etc).
Why hasn’t independent content caught on as successfully as the Industry?
I don’t know. You tell me. Is it quality of production? Is it the acting? Or the writing? All I know is media should be based on reputation, not profit. If it helps make you more known, provides meaning, and basic ownership is understood, then why can’t TV follow suite?
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