6.2 THINKING
A BRIEF ON: INNOVATION // TECHNOLOGY // CULTURE
UNDER CREATIVE COMMONS: 6.2 Media is a part of 6.2 | an innovation lab. The content in this report is created and managed by 6.2. All articles and images have been used with permission of the providers. If you see something that may fall outside of Creative Commons, please notify us and we will remove.
CONTRIBUTORS Ben Rennie Co-Founder/Editor Partner/Director 6.2 || an innovation lab @benrennie
Glenn Chandler Co-Founder/Creative Owner – Seek&Design
Courtney van der Weyden Digital Content Manager @unclutteredwhitespaces
Paul Breen Partner/Director 6.2 || an innovation lab
Sally Hill sustahood.com sallyrhill@gmail.com @sallyrhill
Marie Lena Tupot www.scenariodna.com marielena@scenariodna.com @mtupot
Tim Stock www.scenariodna.com timstock@scenariodna.com @timstock
David Gillespie collectorsed.com @davidgillespie
Ryan Jacoby ryanjacoby.com @jacobyryan
Dan Solo nerdi.com
Paul Voulas nerdi.com
Leila Hibri Business & Brand Strategy
CEO/PUBLISHER: ben@sixpointtwo.net CREATIVE DIRECTOR: glenn@seekanddesign.com.au ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES: courtney@sixpointtwo.net 6.2 | an innovation lab Sydney: Level 1, 91 Campbell Street Surry Hills, NSW 2508. Melbourne: Suite 610, 370 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC 3000
BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
CREATIVE BY:
SIXPOINTTWO.NET
SEEKANDDESIGN.COM.AU
FROM THE EDITOR
Editor & Founder of uncluttered white spaces On Twitter: @benrennie
BY: BEN RENNIE
I’ve sat on the fence for too long when
especially when looking for a new job (think of
diversity. Forty urban mega-regions are
it comes to the service economy. I have
that last LinkedIn invite from the former CEO
estimated to hold 18 per cent of the world’s
a fascination with able-bodied nations,
perhaps - good chance he is looking).
population, and generate 66 per cent of the
companies and people who know how to roll
world’s economic activity and 85 per cent of
up their sleeves and just get on with things
We don’t have to be tech experts to
and create.
understand how these networks can build
It seems every major city in the world has a 2030 vision that they are working towards. For businesses, 2030 is a long time away. Whilst we all think we will be around in 2042, the reality is that the majority of the companies that exist today will not be present in 2042. Cities of course will. These 2030 visions are usually big bold documents that relate to what we know now and make assumptions about our future. The reality is, struggling nations, like struggling businesses need to hitch up their skirts, quicken their step and just get on with it. To wait for 2030 may be too late for some cities, certainly for most businesses. As we shift, and we are shifting, so will our behaviours, our consumer habits, attention spans and priorities. Sitting at the forefront of the big shift is what it will take to run our global companies of the future. I think it looks like this: 1. A COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING OF DIGITAL INFLUENCE
the scientific and technological innovation.
influence for people and businesses. I’m not
In 1800, 3 per cent of the world’s population
sure this is fully understood by management
called an urban sprawl home. That jumped
teams. As work becomes less about hierarchy
to 30 per cent in 1950. Today more than 50
and more about collaboration, managers
per cent of people live in urban areas and
in the future will need to have a complete
there are no signs of that slowing down.
understanding of how they can use Twitter,
Mousavizadeh states, “Cities rather than
Facebook, LinkedIn, blogging and other online
nation-states are the imagined communities
networks to build influence.
that define our modern existence”.
In our brave new world, the people who
This has an enormous impact on the way
understand how to drive influence through
we work too. Global business is becoming
online networks already know that
more frequent regardless of the size of the
online networks are based on reputation,
organisation. 6.2 works with clients in four
specialisation and network awareness.
countries with staff in two and contributors
Become good at this now and raise the value
in four This is all made manageable through
of your role in managing your shared future
the evolution of technology. This trend will
tomorrow.
continue and as a result, managers and leaders will need to be more and more
2. T HE REMOVAL OF CULTURAL AND
culturally fluent and aware, with an attitude
INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARIES
that differing cultures are in fact the norm in
Imagine a global meeting of the world’s leaders, only this time, the world’s leaders
the brave new world. Managers will need to feel comfortable in managing this.
are the people managing our global cities.
Being able to master cultural code switching
Sydney, Hong Kong, New York, Dubai, Athens,
and understanding will pay an important role
London. A world where cities drive decisions
in the modern manager.
for a shared future, not nations. As the world population increases at a rate faster than ever before, more and more of us are moving to our global cities. Nader Mousavizadeh
Most managers today know how to use online
imagines a future where global councils of
networks. I question whether they see them
political and economic power reflect this shift.
all as valuable. We know they are great for
Mousavizadeh talks about bringing together
building and staying connected to networks,
people, capital and ideas of unprecedented
01
FROM THE EDITOR
3. THE GREAT ATTENTION DIVIDE
According to Melbourne University, research indicates that people who use the Internet at
At a recent conference, I had the amazing
work for personal reasons assume it makes
opportunity to give a presentation on the
them less productive. In fact, research
rethinking of creativity and innovation.
indicated that it increased productivity by
It was a small audience of almost 100
9 per cent. For those who let their minds
people in a great venue. The audience was
wander, a break to surf the web (or stare
predominantly Gen-Y (whom I love speaking
into space) is seen as a cognitive refresher
to more than any other). Halfway through
and improves performance. It is called
my thirty- minute keynote, I noticed the
WILB, short for “workplace Internet leisure
majority of the room with their heads down
browsing�, and that is a real term.
playing on their iphones, laptops or ipads. Three years ago I could have mistaken this
In this brave new world, multitasking will
as boredom and questioned my ability to
take form, not as a problem or something
entertain (not engage - thank you David)
we need to adjust to, but as a specific skill
my audience. Thankfully, my audience were
that will involve the complete overhaul of our
tweeting, providing real-time updates to the
attention.
world. The good bits and the bad bits. Of course, this provides real-time feedback to
Unlock these three skills and prepare to rule
me too and creates a social element to the
the world by 2030.
evening, binding the audience together in a unified approach to listening, and digesting my (or anyone’s) discussion. As Twitter, Facebook, email, blogs, StumbleUpon, Pinterest and Skype consume our day, should we be concerned at the dividing attention these networks bring, or should we embrace the young leaders and innovators who can embrace them? I encourage everyone who can to create balance through the noise.
02
INNOVATIONX5
INNOVATION
FENUGREEN & THE TIFFIN PROJECT TACKLING FOOD WASTAGE COURTNEY VAN DER WEYDEN Fenugreen are concerned about the amount of
fruit bowl. It works best with strawberries,
food that goes to waste because of spoilage.
mushrooms, kale, berries, tomatoes, peaches,
As a result they have developed FreshPaper,
cucumbers only to name a few. One sheet can
a simple piece of paper that will slow the
last up to three weeks and are biodegradable,
growth of bacteria and fungi and keep fruit
recyclable and compostable.
and vegetables fresh for 2-4 times longer. In similar food news, The Tiffin Project out of Fenugreen are concerned about the amount of
Vancouver, Canada aims to combat wastage in
food that goes to waste because of spoilage.
the restaurant industry. The project operates
As a result they have developed FreshPaper,
under the umbrella of registered non-profit
a simple piece of paper that will slow the
organisation The Tiffin Project Foundation.
growth of bacteria and fungi and keep fruit and
The initiative offers customers discounts on
vegetables fresh for 2-4 times longer.
takeaways from participating restaurants. By purchasing a TO GO container for $25 the
According to their website, 25 % of the world’s
customer is entitled to a small discount when
food is lost to spoilage. Fenugreen have made
they use it at partnering restaurants. Using
it their mission to address this ‘enormous
the TO GO container will reduce your yearly
global issue’ with FreshPaper as their means.
takeout waste.
The paper is made from edible organic material. It has a distinct maple scent because
Supporting the project will also help support
of the natural components. The scent will
local growers of the produce. According to
signal if the paper is active or not.
The Tiffin website:
Sheets of paper can be put where fresh produce is stored such as in the fridge or a
“ WE THEN PUT $4 FROM THE SALE OF YOUR CONTAINER TOWARDS THE TIFFIN PROJECT FUND, WHICH WILL GO INTO RE-LOCALIZING THE TIFFIN PROJECT’S PARTNER RESTAURANTS’ MENUS. THE PROCESS OF RE-LOCALIZATION INVOLVES GETTING MORE PEOPLE TO CONSUME MORE LOCALLY-GROWN PRODUCE MORE OFTEN. WHEN RESTAURANTS SOURCE MORE OF THEIR INGREDIENTS FROM LOCAL PRODUCERS, THOSE RELATIONSHIPS ARE USUALLY CALLED FARMTO-TABLE RELATIONSHIPS.”
05
INNOVATION
BICYCLE MADE FROM CARDBOARD COURTNEY VAN DER WEYDEN Israeli designer Izhar Gafni has created
out of the cheap material. When he voiced his
This eliminates fear of the bike deteriorating
a functional bicycle out of cardboard. The
idea to make a bicycle, engineers told him it
in puddles or rain. Best of all, the designer
highly innovative design uses materials that
was impossible.
believes the bike is less likely to become stolen
come to a total cost of roughly US $ 9. The
compared to pricier alternatives. The bike is
cardboard is dipped in special coating that
However he soon proved them wrong with
now patent pending. You can watch the design
will ensure it can withstand the elements.
a durable, strong, lightweight and easy to
process above made by Giora Kariv.
The bicycle that can hold up to 136 kilos
carry design. The first design was a hybrid
(300 pounds) is an environmentally friendly
between a packaging box and bike. The most
alternative for cyclists.
challenging part of the process was to make the bike look real and ordinary. He repetitively
The designer was inspired by a man who
bends and folds pieces of cardboard until they
created a fully functioning canoe out of
are strong enough and tests the durability
cardboard. This creation ‘disturbed’ Gafni and
under cars and cinder blocks. Once all pieces
made him wonder what else could be made
are assembled they are coated in resin so the bike is waterproof.
05
INNOVATION
EMPTY STREET STORE CONVERTED INTO HOTEL ROOM COURTNEY VAN DER WEYDEN The Urbanauts Project have created a holiday
The places to be – our follows. Our hotel is our
experience that engages the tourist in the
network. vTravel as a local. Travel urbanautic.
local culture. Austrian architects Christian Knapp, Jonathan Located in Vienna the Urbanauts is a hotel that
Lutter and Theresia Kolmayr designed the
was once home to a suit tailor store. It has
concept in an aim to provide
been transformed to provide basic hospitality, a roof over your head whilst you sleep in
‘habitats for authentic city adventurers’
a comfy king size bed however all other amenities are not included.
They saw a need to transform vacant shop fronts into hotel rooms that would encompass
The visitor is encouraged to use the facilities
the local infrastructure. The shop has been
surrounding the hotel within the local area. As
refurbished with customised architecture to
a result you are truly immersing yourself in the
ensure it’s not too noisy as your room is on
culture of Vienna and in turn supporting the
street level.
local businesses.
Bikes are also provided to aid in your travels around the local area.
The Urbanauts breakfast room is the local cafe situated around the corner and the spa is the Hammam right next door. There is no room service or lobby but the city right outside your doorstep.
ENTERING OUR LOFTS RIGHT FROM THE STREET TRAVELLERS LIVE LIKE LOCALS, ON A UNIQUE PERSONAL JOURNEY.
INNOVATION
THE ORACLE CLUB: CREATIVE SPACES COURTNEY VAN DER WEYDEN The Oracle Club is an exclusive members only workspace for artists and writers in Long Island City. The club includes a library, living room, art studio and has been selectively designed by owner duo Jenna Gribbon and Julian Tepper. The design aesthetic is based on
“ SALVADOR DALI’S HOUSE MEETS WHISTLER’S PEACOCK ROOM MEETS COCO CHANEL’S HOUSE MEETS COCTEAU’S CHAPEL.” (QUOTE BY GRIBBON)
They have created an atmosphere that alludes productivity and collaboration and created a space that will capture like minded individuals. Members are invited to make themselves feel like their at home and inspire creativity. There are three membership tiers available starting from $50 to $175 a month. Its open from 7am-11pm seven days a week. It also holds events such as lectures, readings and performances. Along with events its also a place to hold classes. At the moment they include a ballet stretch class, moon shadow spirit: explore mood through collage and draw, and sunday paint class. To apply you contact the club via email, tell them something interesting about yourself a nd send samples of your work.
05
INNOVATION
ENCODED TEXTILES USE QR CODES TO PRESERVE CULTURE COURTNEY VAN DER WEYDEN Los Angeles based Chilean artist Guillermo
Bert noticed a similarity in the QR codes and
Bert has found a new use for QR (quick
the traditional Mapuche text in the form of
response) codes, to raise awareness of the
geometric patterns. He has been interested
plight of Mapuche of southern Chile. The
in linguistics and the disappearing of native
artist is using the little black and white
languages. As a result the past year has
boxes of pixels that encode links and codes
seen him travelling from The States to Chile
to preserve the identity and traditions
and recording the narratives of the Mapuche
ENTERING OUR LOFTS RIGHT FROM THE STREET TRAVELLERS LIVE LIKE LOCALS, ON A UNIQUE PERSONAL JOURNEY.
of Mapuche, Chile’s largest indigenous
leaders as well as native poems and tales.
The project titled Encoded Textiles featured in upcoming film, Coded Stories which was
population. Six stories were then encoded into bar codes. Bert believes that the QR codes have serious
Traditional Mapuche women have woven them
political and cultural connotations. He
into textiles that can be scanned by
foresees that individuals might be reduced
any smartphone.
to a digital identity and assigned a binary code. It would be easy for these codes to become lost or stolen, much like the experience of many indigenous people.
funded through Kickstarter. Image and quote sourced from Wired.com
TECHNOLOGY
CASTING CALL ON INSTAGRAM
PHOTO-SHARING APP USED TO FIND THE NEXT FACE OF LEVI’S. HTTP://EXPLORE.LEVI.COM/NEWS/SEARCH.PHP?INCLUDEBLOGS=1&LIMIT=6&SEARCH=INSTAGRAM
Global denim icon Levi Strauss has used photo-sharing service Instagram as a casting tool. The app was used to find models for their 2012 print and broadcast campaigns. The casting call was open to everyone and anyone from all over the world, inviting the public to nominate either themselves or a friend to be the face of the brand. Users of the mobile application were invited to upload images with the special #iamlevis tag. Levi’s call to action, which was aptly a photo taken with Instagram, included the following blurb: “ Individuals who go forth everyday with a sense of purpose and an open heart. The new Levi’s collection was designed with you in mind. And we would like you to represent it.” Levi’s intention was to take advantage of the free, popular image sharing device, using it to crowdsource the new face of the campaign. The recruitment process commenced in December 2011 with no end date announced. In May 2012 Instagram reached over fifty million users (it started the year with fifteen million users). With the campaign still running, Levi’s has an exceptionally large database from which to source their next ‘star’.
10
TECHNOLOGY
AN ALTERNATE USE FOR MOBILE APP DRAWSOMETHING SOCIAL GAME DRAWSOMETHING USED TO RECRUIT INTERNS. VIEW LINK: HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=AMH2N6RSUQQ
Digital agency Muse Amsterdam developed
to create a new game, add the user name
a unique use for the social drawing and
‘Drawsome intern’ and start drawing the
guessing game DrawSomething; a tool to
words supplied by Muse.
recruit interns. The free app was used to assess the applicant’s visual communication
Muse Amsterdam selected a fast growing
skills.
trend to find interns, a platform that their
Working with the premise that advertising messages should be as clear as possible, applicants were invited to show off their drawing and interpretation ability using the free application. This would allow Muse to find the prospective intern with the most suitable skill set. To apply for the position, applicants were invited to download the game from the app
target audience would be familiar with, choosing to ignore traditional recruitment tools such as email, adverts and even Facebook. The creations deemed the most ‘beautiful,
APPLICANTS WERE INVITED TO SHOW OFF THEIR DRAWING AND INTERPRETATION ABILITY USING THE FREE APPLICATION.
stupid and genius’ received a response from the Muse team. Applicants were given their email address to enquire further about the position.
store onto their smart phone. They then had
11
TECHNOLOGY
TAKING THE GUESS WORK OUT OF RECRUITING DEVELOPERS
SCORING WEB DEVELOPERS ON ABILITIES AND FEEDBACK HTTP://VIMEO.COM/40031702
Gild Source is a tool that aims to take the
These findings are input to a database made
guesswork out of the recruitment process.
available to tech companies looking to hire, for
It will assist recruiters from a diverse range
a monthly subscription rate.
of disciplines hire the most talented web developers.
Recruiters can rest easy as they can better target people for the position. Gild Source
Resumes submitted for web development
promises to make it easier to build engineering
positions are typically littered with technical
teams in today’s competitive environment.
jargon associated with the profession. This leaves recruiters a little dazed and confused. Gild Source works by searching the Internet for publicly available coding that the potential candidate for the position has worked on. It pulls the code from open sourced repositories such as Google Code or SourceForge and evaluates the quality of the code as well as the professional knowledge of the developer. As well as determining how clean and straightforward the data is, it acts as an immediate assessment of the candidates experience and skill. The code evaluation technology will check social networks such as Linkedin and Facebook that are used by developers to see if others within their network have used their coding. It then provides a ranking based on algorithms (the process or set of rules to be followed in calculations). It takes into consideration their abilities, productivity and feedback received. The higher the score, the stronger and more experienced the developer.
12
TECHNOLOGY
FACEBOOK GAME DESIGNED TO RECRUIT EMPLOYEES
MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL WANTS YOU TO PLAY HOSPITALITY.
In June 2011, hotel giant Marriott International created a Facebook game to assist in filling some 50,000 open positions. The game, which was targeted at the age demographic of 18-27 years, required participants to manage a virtual hotel restaurant kitchen. In a virtual world, participants had to purchase kitchen supplies, ingredients and equipment, and were responsible for the hiring and training of new staff members. Points were accumulated for satisfying customers’ needs. Conversely points were deducted for poor service. Rewards were obtainable if a return on profit was achieved. After the restaurant proportion of the game was completed, players could move onto other areas of hotel operations. Marriott used the Facebook game as a means of recruiting their target demographic, as it was found they spent a majority of their time online engaging with this social media. It acted as an introductory tool between the hotel group and prospective employees. As the hotel chain was expanding into markets outside of the U.S, the game was a means to demonstrate the opportunities and growth potential that can be found working within the hospitality sector. As a result the game was available in English, Spanish, French, Arabic and Mandarin. David Rodriguez, Marriott International’s Executive Vice President of Global Human Resources explained:
“ AS MARRIOTT EXPANDS IN GROWTH MARKETS OUTSIDE THE U.S., AND AS WE SEEK TO ATTRACT MORE MILLENNIALS TO OUR WORKFORCE, WE MUST FIND NEW WAYS TO INTEREST THEM IN HOSPITALITY CAREERS.” 13
INNOVATION
WHERE DOES THE DIGITAL AGENCY FIT? WRITTEN BY: DAVID GILLESPIE
Over the past few weeks I’ve had the pleasure of getting all over New York and meeting a variety of people in and around the digital marketing world. Throughout these conversations I’ve heard the same thing over and over, reconfirming a bunch of things I’ve been feeling for a while. It’s hard to say without the risk of offending a lot of good friends, but at the same time it’s hard not to say; in the immortal words of Uncle Jimbo from South Park, “It’s coming right for us.” The part that is hard to say is the part that really follows on from Digital Strangelove. If you haven’t read that, take ten minutes to do so now. It will help with context and understanding of where I’m coming from. It’s something I started saying a few years ago, although I was hardly the first. Perhaps it’s more a case of the words were coming out of my mouth without me fully understanding what the implications were. Bono once said, “sometimes the last person to know what a song is about is the songwriter”. With that in mind, consider the tune of a canary in a digital agency coal mine; consider it a song that has ceased to be sung. Let me explain.
ORIGINS
thing to be asked to wrestle with when the
Facebook pages for $50,000 when $5,000 with
result is going to be a one-way message
Wildfire will get them close enough to what
The territory digital agencies exist on was
intended to embody that idea and be received
they want?
formed in the late 90s after the head-on
by a particular audience. In fact, the more
collision of the Internet and advertising. It was
nebulous the better up to a point, because
That was fine for the digital agencies, because
born in software and technical understanding,
who knows where it might lead? Traditional
suddenly every brand wanted an app. Every
in making. Suddenly companies needed
agencies, even when they sold work, didn’t
brand still wants an app of course, even when
websites, display advertising got invented,
really have to make. There were production
80 per cent of them fail to achieve a measly
direct marketing moved online, and agencies
companies to do that for them. When digital
thousand downloads. Yes, said Deloitte, there
and brands needed people who understood
agencies bemoan the traditional shops that
remained an opportunity for brands to produce
this to manage it for them. A handful of people
“don’t get it”, the argument being made is that
apps that offered genuine utility, and these
got very wealthy as a result, and a wave of
the art director in question should also know
were generally successful. What they didn’t
acquisitions by all the big holding companies
which lens they want to use for a particular
say though, what nobody seems to be saying,
not wanting to be left behind ensued.
shot, something the director of photography on
is that even if a brand does have a good reason
For the digital agency, making is in its DNA.
the shoot has spent a lifetime understanding
for making an app, it becomes a new product
This is a point of pride for digital agencies
so the art director doesn’t have to. And nobody
that requires supporting.
these days and distinctly different from the
complains that this arrangement is somehow
traditional shops whose stock and trade is
unfair or disrespectful to the production
It is, at its basest, advertising that
stories. Who wants to say when you can do,
company. They like making things.
subsequently needs to be advertised in order
right?
to stand a chance of being at all effective. WHAT IS THE WHAT?
However, inherent here is the problem. Digital
Now, take away the apps, and assume that
agencies spent all this time making, and then
If traditional agencies didn’t “get” digital, one
a brand is going to need a new website
(rightfully) started getting tired of being so
thing they certainly got was lateral creativity,
every three years. Where does that leave
crucial to a client’s communications, yet stuck
communications and problem solving. They
us? Campaigns and communications work,
down the food chain while the “dinosaurs” set
invested not in better understanding how, but
trading in skill-sets we’ve already established,
brand strategy and lead with TVCs. So they
better understanding why; why and what is the
are not the purview of digital agencies in
started hiring planners and invented digital
implication of why? Meanwhile digital agencies
general. Sure somebody still needs to know
strategists in an attempt to move up the food
were all about how, because if they didn’t
the how, but the how is very rarely going to
chain. Sound in theory, but how did it play out?
understand how, then they weren’t really much
get you to a place where an idea transforms
Well, it played out with very few digital
use to anyone. So they doubled-down on how,
a company’s business. Watch Simon Sinek’s
agencies managing to land that coveted
while adding some form of strategy, and began
Start With Why talk and tell me you don’t then
Agency of Record spot, and even fewer being
a slow ascent up the ladder, fighting for a (I
understand the line being drawn here. Your
able to hold it. The problem with being able
believe well-deserved) seat at the table.
friend, and mine, Faris said, recently he found
to hold that spot is inherent in the DNA,
he was increasingly having conversations
in making. Digital agencies needed to be
While the digital agencies doubled-down on
that began, “But what if it wasn’t an ad?” He
staffed by brilliant digital designers - that
the how though, something else happened.
said the question usually met with some head
was their bread and butter, and herein lies
Companies like Buddy Media, Wildfire and
scratching, but it got to the heart of what
the problem: someone who was a tried and
Peazie started springing up, making what was
he was after: what else could we do that we
true web designer was suddenly asked to be a
difficult decidedly less so. We’re quick to forget
just haven’t thought of yet? The challenge
communications-focused conceptual creative
that the jobs being done in call centres in
with digital agencies is almost identical. It
thinker, trading in stories and big ideas. I’m
India were once skilled jobs that could only be
is “What if it wasn’t an app? What if it wasn’t
not saying that web designers are not capable
done by talented folks in the West. We forget
a website?” This again rubs against the very
of such things, I’m saying it is a distinctly
that everything gets easier, that the barrier to
DNA of most digital agencies who’ve been
different skill that digital agencies had never
entry in tech is forever being lowered, turning
forced to cling so dearly to making: if making
invested in. Suddenly it was the currency they
almost any skill-set into a commodity that will
is what we do, then how do we talk about what
demanded to trade in – with decidedly mixed
be delivered, not by the most talented person
we could do without talking about what we
results.
or company, but by the lowest bidder. In a
could make?
world where brand managers are reluctant to A big part of being able to trade in ideas is
increase their Facebook spend except for the
being comfortable with vague, esoteric notions
fact that their marketing directors demand
and big brand what-ifs. That is a reasonable
it, why would they continue to build custom
15
INNOVATION
There are exceptions to this rule, such as
thanks to the aforementioned companies who
Whether you agree or not, answer me this:
Big Spaceship’s “Always Beautiful” work for
have brought in off-the-shelf solutions most
what was the best digital campaign you can
Microsoft. It is work unlikely to come from a
brands are happy to take advantage of.
think of from the last few years? For me it is
brief, and unlikely to come from people who
no contest. It is Old Spice’s “The Man Your
aren’t obsessed with making. It is also unlikely
The other side is that technology itself is
Man Could Smell Like”. Yes, they launched
to be the kind of thing very many brands will
getting ever more complex, and that is only
with a Superbowl spot. They then put Twitter
pursue, because most of them don’t have a
going to continue. Last year’s HTML5 is this
and YouTube to work for them in a way no
free browser they’re hoping you’ll download.
year’s responsive design, and next year’s
brand has managed to match since. The sheer
Most of them are trying to figure out how to
who knows? Information architects are
audacity of the idea made it breathtaking, but
stay on the shelves at Walmart.
talking responsive typography, though I’ve
the execution was flawless. And it came from
not managed to wrap my head around it. You
Wieden & Kennedy who, last time I checked,
The work that is likely to come from a brief will
will rarely hear the industry’s best developers
weren’t a traditionally digital shop. Yes, they
be one-off projects such as Huge’s HBO GO
talk about websites anymore; everything is an
had great talent in-house, but they’re the
work for Xbox, not a systemic series of work
app of some sort. Not for the sake of jargon,
exception that proves the rule. It was a brilliant
that can sustain an entire industry.
but because they are actually apps; they are
big idea experts then executed to perfection, a
complex pieces of software that experts have
seamless marriage of the old and the new. And
laboured over to make it easy for you and me
it shifted a tremendous amount of product.
THE WORK YOUR WORK COULD LOOK LIKE
to interact with them. That collision of worlds that advertising
(As an aside, if you haven’t seen your friend
and the Internet brought about created the
However, there reaches a point where
and mine Bud Cadell’s collection of the
landmass upon which the digital agency was
companies start feeling more comfortable
evolution of those spots, do yourself a favour.
built. Those plates have continued to move
seeing Sapient, IBM or Accenture on a tender
It is incredible to see one idea or territory
though, and now they’re slowly moving away
versus AKQA, R/GA or Profero. Sometimes
become relentlessly refined over time)
from each other.
those coming in from the digital creative world are going to win, but the odds are
SO WHAT NOW?
On the advertising side of things, the idea has
against it over the long haul. There is a rigour
never been more important. Big or small, with
those companies bring, it is the enterprise
I did of course leave one thing out, and that
people’s attention so fragmented, it is harder
consulting and selling to the enterprise, and it
is that every agency CEO will tell you the next
than ever for brands to stand out from the glut
is human nature to favour the familiar over the
Angry Birds, or Instagram, or Shazam, or
of content available to us online. Some saw
unknown. It’s also unlikely that the people who
whatever both could and should come from an
this coming well before anyone else and acted,
went to R/GA in the first place even have any
agency, to which I say, “Maybe.”
starting with Johnson & Johnson’s purchase
interest in the work that SAP are doing; they’re
Maybe, but probably not.
of Baby Center for a paltry $10 million in 2001.
not working at Sapient for a reason.
Amidst this, the how has never been easier
I began my career making video games, before
millions of dollars seemingly just out of reach?
claim new territory, thinking “At last! THIS will
moving into product management at two very
Yes, Instagram was bought by Facebook for
ensure our seat at the table is here to stay!” It
different start-ups; it’s only the last few years
$1 billion. And Picplz, Instagram’s closest
rarely does.
that I’ve resided within the advertising industry.
competitor, raised money from top tier VC
So having seen this argument from all sides,
firms before recently going out of business.
I say maybe but probably not, largely because
At Christmas time I found myself having coffee with the MD of a successful digital shop. We
not just the business models but the approach
Ralph Waldo Emerson famously said, “As to
spoke candidly over the course of a couple of
to the work is so fundamentally different. Alex
methods there may be a million and then
hours and he admitted he felt like he needed
Garden once said to me, “A great idea is not
some, but principles are few. The man who
to fall in love with digital again. Something
the same as a great game.” (This was when he
grasps principles can successfully select his
was lost for him, and I understand why. The
was about twelve months away from launching
own methods. The man who tries methods,
thing is, it was never about “digital”, it was
what was then known as Sigma, and what
ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble.”
about shiny and new. It was about looking at
came to be known as “Impossible Creatures:
a piece of technology and wondering not only
The Adventures of Rex Chance.” I’ll let those
The method is the easy part, the how is there
what it was capable of, but what you were
playing at home decide for themselves how
for all to see. The principles, that is to say the
capable of with it. “Digital” is no longer shiny
that turned out).
why, well, that is a different story. Be it a game
and new, the word itself is too ubiquitous to
or a successful tech start-up, the road is much
mean anything. We now have that base layer
If you have never made a game, then there’s
the same: lots of iteration on a very specific
of utility: collecting email addresses and
something you’re probably unaware of: they
product with a .0000001 per cent chance of
managing a Facebook page and understanding
are no fun to play for most of the time you are
being the case study that inspires everyone
Google Analytics. These aren’t shiny and
making them. You are likely to spend 75 per
else to have a shot. Balance that with the
new anymore, they’re the price of admission.
cent of your development time just building the
required billable hours and client work and
Meanwhile the work that excites us, the work
damn thing, and the last 25 per cent figuring
then tell me an agency is going to have the
that is novel gets ever trickier to find, let alone
out how to make it fun. That ratio does vary
patience to out-execute and out-maneuver
pull off. That’s why the traditional shops, I
with experience and with the level of talent in
the companies working night and day without
believe, are still better poised to succeed:
the room, but it is roughly true. You can look at
distraction, to have the impact on popular
their trade, despite the invasion of technology,
Plants vs. Zombies, Popcap’s second biggest
culture that five flightless slingshot-riding
hasn’t really changed all that much. Each
selling title after Bejeweled and say, “I could
birds have achieved.
award show is a competition among over-sized
make that.” Maybe you could. The question is:
egos to see whose work inspired the most “I
could you have devoted the three years it took
Every few years the agency world falls in love
wish I’d thought of that” comments.
from conception to actually having something
with a new piece of technology. Before start-
For the digital folk it’s slightly different; they’re
worth releasing? Rovio were in business
ups it was apps, before apps it was “social
saying, “I wish I had made that.” The things
for six years before Angry Birds made them
media”, and before “social media” nobody
they’re wishing they had made however, look
wildly successful. What agency is going to
needed to worry all that much because no
less and less like the things they were brought
tolerate six years of games that fail to attract
one outside the digital world really had any
in to do in the first place. That is only going to
an audience, when they stepped into the arena
idea what was going on. There is a regular
get worse - and it may very well never, ever,
with pre-written cheques for hundreds of
and predictable rush by the digital agencies to
get better.
17
CULTURE
DRIVING EDUCATION WITH TECHNOLOGY BY PAUL VOULAS & DAN SOLO
It is simply amazing when you think how far
investment with powerful tools that teachers
in their agendas without a real knowledge
our society has come, in such a short time
could use to engage students in a much more
and understanding of how to really approach,
as a result of technology. My first computer
meaningful way. Startups made up of exciting
leverage and deploy it.
in 1986 wasn’t connected to the internet; all
and experienced educators and bleeding
I ever used it for was to write up university
edge technologists could have an enormous
Those of us in the educational startup space
assignments. I upgraded it myself to a 20MB
impact on student outcomes in all areas of
are trying to change the way technology is
drive and 640K of RAM, ridiculously powerful
education. With access to the outcomes of
used and perceived, not only in the classroom,
at the time. I was continually breaking it
ventures like these startups, even schools with
but also in the community as a whole. Nerdi,
by taking it apart, testing it, fixing it and
the poorest, most disenfranchised students
amongst others, are re-imagining the delivery
learning all I could.
could reasonably expect excellent academic
of education. We are not happy with the
outcomes for their alumni.
status quo: we are disrupting an industry that is so strongly resistant to both change
Consider the few years that have passed since then and what an amazing array of technology
Governments and teachers need to make a
and technology. Perhaps most importantly,
we now have access to. Not only can we put
fundamental shift in the way they perceive
technology allows students to learn what they
our desk in our backpack, but incredible power
and use technology in education. Perhaps the
really want to learn, not just what they are
can now fit into our pockets. Technology has
most exciting potential of technology in the
forced to learn.
revolutionized all aspects of life – health,
classroom is the ability to make experiences
art, communications, transport and even the
far more rich and engaging for students
Daily, more startups are being born that will
humble book. From a social good perspective
through the ability to connect socially and
change the way we all learn. A fundamental
one of the most the most significant areas
communicate with students all over the planet.
shift in our thinking needs to be that education doesn’t just belong in the classroom… it
that has been impacted and revolutionized by technology is education… or has it?
Imagine a student who chose to do a project
belongs everywhere.
on the Japanese tsunami of March 2011. They I started my career off as a software engineer
could collaborate with students in Japan who
and an educator for a university and now I find
experienced the tsunami first hand. They could
myself lucky enough to be a co-founder of an
contribute across all subject fields. They could
amazing education startup, Nerdi.com.
direct their Japanese counterparts to collect soil samples for science, share financial data
One thing that strikes me whenever I
for economics, create tsunami barriers in
visit a school is how technology is being
technical drawing, and make collaborative
used. Teachers might deliver PowerPoint
art pieces. They could even build animations
presentations, they might use a smart board,
showing the impact that the tsunami had
and they might even let their students use
on their counterpart’s home. This is rich
Google to research the topic they are studying.
education. This is possible. Unfortunately, this
However, schools have been relatively slow
is not really happening.
to embrace technology for educational purposes and, as a result, students miss many
Once we understand how important it is to
opportunities. Schools all over the world now
deeply integrate our curriculums and teaching
have access to many educational technologies;
methods with technology we will significantly
however, sadly in many cases neither children
improve the quality of all educational
nor teachers like to, or know how to, use them.
experiences. As the younger, more tech savvy generations start to take over from the older
Innovation hotbeds like startups should be
“analogue” generations, this will happen more
a part of all governments’ public education
frequently. Technology is treated as a ‘nice
expenditure to supplement the infrastructure
to have’ and is bandied about by politicians
19
INNOVATION
COLLABORATION TOOLS CHANGING THE WORK ENVIRONMENT HOW THE TYPICAL OFFICE CAN BECOME A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT VIEW LINK: HTTP://CAGEAPP.COM/
Cage is an online collaboration tool
to maximise their most valuable resource: the
These ideas can be propelled into action at a
designed specifically with the end user’s
collective intelligence of its people. The platform
much faster rate, as feedback can be received
needs in mind. The tool will allow for the
will help colleagues to better communicate,
instantly (there is no waiting for meetings
sharing, managing and approving of work
better work together, problem-solve and innovate.
or face-to-face interaction). This feature
for those in the design industry. Agencies,
will ultimately foster a culture of continual
designers and freelancers can gather
The platform is flexible in that it can be used
(virtually) on the platform and present
company-wide or for small project teams. Those
work for creative review.
who work from home, or businesses engaging
Similar to Cage, it will eliminate the need for
in collaboration with other businesses, can also
email. HyveWorks will ‘pull communication
benefit from using the tool, as it will act as a
out of individual emails to accelerate the
hub of information, housing everything that is
speed of information sharing. It will ensure
required for a project.
all eyes involved are not missing out on
Launched in 2011 by Oklahoma City startup Bit Confused, they promise to abolish the mundane collaboration process. This will be achieved through the elimination of email trails, marathon client meetings and folders full of mock-ups and revisions. Users can upload their work to the platform once an account has been created. A unique URL will be sent through email or IM to those involved on the project to view project work and mock-ups. Notes and comments can be added directly onto the work. This process will ensure all conversations are work focused; no more distracting conversations taking up precious time.
innovation within the organisation.
crucial information. The platform is modular in design, meaning businesses can pick and choose which features,
The program can be connected to tools already
connection points and security options they wish
used by an organisation. For example the
to include.
HyveWorks feed can be streamed into Outlook for easy access and viewing. It can also be
Features include file sharing, group work facilities
installed onto iPhones.
and messaging. It includes an idea tab/module. Ideas can be captured, shared and crosspollinated in a unified place. It allows for the brainstorming of solutions to the ideas identified.
A new feature recently added to the collaboration tool is the option to share, review and approve video content. This addition will be attractive to those who specialise in motion graphics, animation and 3D imaging. The newest version of the software is yet to be launched. It will be rolled out in the next few weeks due to numerous requests from those who can’t wait to use the service. HyveWorks is a collaboration tool designed to assist dispersed businesses, adding a unique social component. HyveWorks believe that to compete in today’s world, organisations need
15
TECHNOLOGY
TAKING THE TRASHOUT OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES
APP ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO REPORT ILLEGAL DUMPING VIEW LINK: HTTP://WWW.TRASHOUT.ME/
TrashOut is a current example of how new
Once the app has been downloaded, citizens are
technology can be used to make a positive
encouraged to report any findings with photos
impact on the world. It is a crowdsourcing
and comments on its size and type. Photographs
app out of Slovakia that helps citizens
will be uploaded to TrashOut’s Trashmap which
to report the illegal dumping of waste.
can be viewed on their website. Trashmap is
However it is not just limited to those
based on Google Maps so it’s a comfortable way
who reside in Slovakia, it is a worldwide
to search, browse and filter results.
initiative. According to the TrashOut website, the world creates 200 million tonnes of plastic a year and eight million gallons of waste are thrown from moving vehicles each and every day. The free mobile app available for both Android and iOS serves two main purposes. Firstly it encourages people to be on the look out for illegal dumping within their local community and provides them with a method for reporting
If the dump hasn’t previously been reported the finder is rewarded with a reporting badge. If someone beat them to it they are still rewarded with a badge of confirmation. The location-based app allows for the contacting and notifying of local authorities so the rubbish can be cleared. However users can earn the most prestigious badge by clearing the rubbish themselves.
such findings. Secondly it rewards those for their contribution through the accumulation of points to be redeemable for badges.
21
INNOVATION
WHAT A LOAD OF GARBAGE; THE SEA CHAIR
APP ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO REPORT ILLEGAL DUMPING VIEW LINK: HTTP://WWW.STUDIOSWINE.COM/STUDIO_SWINE/SEA_CHAIR.HTML
UK based Studio Swine, comprised of
coordinates of where the materials were
Azusa Murakami and Alexander Groves,
sourced and a production number.
together with Kieran Jones have created
All tools and materials used in the design
the Sea Chair. This extraordinary piece
process would enable for the production at sea.
of furniture is made entirely from waste
The designers envision fisherman collecting and
recovered from the sea.
moulding marine plastic into chairs, breaking
According to Studio Swine’s website: The United Nation estimates the world’s oceans to contain some 100 million tons of plastic. As our society’s consumption grows, the concentration of plastic increases. Current trajectories predict this figure to double in the next ten years.
The trio designed a sluice-like contraption called The Nurdler that can collect and process vast amounts of marine debris to provide the materials need to make the chair. The contraption consists of a hand powered water pump and sluice that sorts and separates bits of plastic from natural materials. The pieces used to construct the Nurdler came from old agricultural machinery collected from salvage yards and have undergone transformation for the purpose of harvesting plastic. The collected waste is filtered to separate smaller pieces of organic material from the plastic debris. Roughly one quarter of the material collect is seaweed and wood. This is then compressed into a block to burn as bio fuel that can melt down the plastic. The melted plastic is poured into moulds to create the Sea Chair. As a final touch a tag is added to the chair noting the geographical
22
away from an age-old tradition of seaman retiring and making wooden furniture in ports scattered around Great Britain.
COOL CAMPAIGNS
FINDING MEDICS, BONE-MARROW DONARS AND YOUR LOCATION LINKS WORTH VISITING TO SEE WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING. BY GLENN CHANDLER
MOBILE MEDIC
HELP I HAVE CUT
CHANGING
Client: Australian Defence Force
MYSELF
DESKTOPS
Client: Australian Defence Force
Client: Personal Project
Agency: GPY&R Melbourne
Agency: Tom Taylor
Country: Australia
Country: United Kingdom
Sponsorship, the agency utilised mobile
An amzing idea to get people to register as
An app that changes your desktop image to
phone technology created medically
bone-marrow donars.
your current location.
http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/droga5-
http://satelliteeyes.tomtaylor.co.uk/
Agency: GPY&R Melbourne Country: Australia Looking to recruit highly skilled medical students worthy of defence University
diagonosable advertising to challenge these potential recruits.
creative-invents-adhesive-bandages-savehttp://http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=oUNm_n61maU
lives-138588
or