RONALD VAN BUUREN

>Louis Vuitton creative director Marc Jacobs has tapped the...

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:50:15 -0500

>Louis Vuitton creative director Marc Jacobs has tapped the legendary Japanese polka-dot painter Yayoi Kusama as the company’s latest artist collaborator
[http://www.istanbul74.com/2012/01/13/kusama-for-vuitton/]

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Sun, 08 Jan 2012 11:12:43 -0500

"I always carry a small note-book to jot down ideas - I’ve got through hundreds. (…)..."

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 11:00:00 -0500

““I always carry a small note-book to jot down ideas - I’ve got through hundreds. (…) Every thought could come in handy. It might turn out to be rubbish, but you won’t know unless you write it down” [Paul Smith about writing your thoughts down in notebooks]”

-
Paul Smith (2001) “You can find inspiration in everything* (and if you can’t, look again) Violette Editions, London (UK): p.162

Julian Brangold [julianbrangold.com]

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:26:23 -0500

Julian Brangold [julianbrangold.com]

The Anatomy of a Great Story

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 17:00:00 -0400

The Anatomy of a Great Story (lead Character. Ambition. Conflict. Resolution)

1. Lead character: All stories must have a Lead Character. Someone that over the course of pages or time we get to know and begin to connect with. Authors and Directors give us insights into the lead character by giving us a back-story in order for us to: Understand the motivations behind their actions Connect with their situation Emotionally engage with their story Know how they got to where they’re at Understand where they’re headed In order for Designers/developers to create compelling interactions they must first and foremost understand who they’re designing or building for. Without a back-story, an intimate connection to the user, then all we’re doing is designing for the sake of designing. We’re not truly designing for the end user but rather what we “think” the end user would want. So Understanding the Lead Character in your story is critical to the success of the experience!

2. Ambition: So now that the movie is progressing and we have a pretty good grasp on who the lead character is we begin to uncover their ambition; their Goal. The ambition gives us the ultimate view into the tension and motivations that exist within the story: Ambition helps give clarity to the characters goal Ambition sets the tone and direction of the story Ambition gives us a purpose Ambition now gives us a Lead Character with a set of objectives Once we have that intimate connection and true understanding of the end user we now can understand their ambitions, their motivations. Motivations and reasoning for them using the application, wanting to buy that car, wear those jeans, or purchase that song. We now have something to work with! But without understanding who the lead character (demographic, sex, location, race…) is we would never fully comprehend their goals and ambitions, thus creating something I would consider to be the opposite of “user centric.”

3. Conflict: Ah yes, every great story has conflict. Some impending disaster waiting to unfold that catapults our character into a sea of uncertainty. Like in the movie 300 or The Lord of the Rings where the smaller armies awaiting a certain death hold their ground as the sound of the enemies drums pound in their chests. It’s doing what’s right even in the face of certain obstacles. Conflict brings tension but tension brings resolution Conflict is fraught with risk and is never easy to deal with Conflict gives a voice to the characters ambition and motivations Conflict occurs when opposing forces don’t understand one another Conflict has the ability to change the course of a story! When you’ve done your homework and took the time to understand the end user you’ll always have something to go back to when tough decisions need to be made. Why are you choosing to use that platform and not this one? “Because the end users are all early adopters of technology and would embrace this environment with open arms” Why would you chose that color? “Because your users will be using mobile devices such as an iPhone and we needed to accommodate for outdoor usage and the mobile culture”

4. Resolution: When the lead character has, through their ambitions and conflicts, struggled through to the end they’ve typically ended up someplace better than before. Resolution gives us closure on the decisions we’ve made throughout the story Resolution gives us the ability to learn and accept change Resolution gives us a new starting point to begin again Resolution is not the end of the story but rather a new starting point. Perhaps during the story we’ve learned new characteristics about our lead character that were previously buried beneath the rubble. Or it’s possible that others have joined the story and have new perspectives that would enhance or even change the course of the narrative. Whatever it happens to be resolution ultimately gives us a fresh perspective and a new set of guidelines that will help shape the narrative because now we are starting from a place filled with knowledge!

The Art of Storytelling has given us insights into the Anatomy of a Great Story but what we can’t forget is this: It’s not just about the story but its also how the story is told that matters!

How are we being engaged within the story? (photography, cinematography, transitions, sounds, color, brand impression)
How is the user moving through the experience we’ve created?
What metaphors are being created to help guide the user?
What obstacles exist that need to be moved? (business, financial, economic, personal, community)
What objectives must the user meet in order to be successful?
Is it better than it was before (Quicker, simpler, more engaging)

The Art of Storytelling is all around us and can be seen everywhere you look. From the clothes we wear to the music we listen to. Everything, and everyone, has their own unique story. These compelling, engaging experiences that give us insight into who we are as an individual, a community, a company, a product, and a culture. Infused with a style and language all our own we are all the leading character in our own stories! For us designers and developers helping to create these stories we must constantly revisit the cast of characters in order to fully create a story that is inspiring, thoughtful, and simply worth coming back to!

[http://undertheinfluenceofdesign.wordpress.com/]

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Tue, 26 Apr 2011 17:32:36 -0400

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Tue, 26 Apr 2011 17:32:12 -0400

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Tue, 26 Apr 2011 17:31:29 -0400

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Tue, 26 Apr 2011 17:31:10 -0400

How food micro entrepreneurs are nourishing our city

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 10:48:20 -0400

How food micro entrepreneurs are nourishing our city

Temporary Restaurant “What happens When” -...

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 09:33:18 -0400

Temporary Restaurant “What happens When” - crowdfunded via kickstarter.com [Holland Herald - April 2011 p 11]

NY BOOKMARC MARC MY WORDS - a bookstore with an attitude by Marc...

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 10:15:53 -0400

NY BOOKMARC MARC MY WORDS - a bookstore with an attitude by Marc Jacobs and suits a high school students budget (prices under $ 30,-) 400 Bleecker Street, New York

LONDON: concept boutique LN-CC is open by appointment only or...

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 10:11:45 -0400

LONDON: concept boutique LN-CC is open by appointment only or 24/7 open online [plaza 01/2011 p20]

"For me, Ralph Lauren is the ultimate lifestyle designer. I like to see myself more as a lifestyle..."

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 10:03:32 -0400

““For me, Ralph Lauren is the ultimate lifestyle designer. I like to see myself more as a lifestyle designer than a fashion designer” [Alexander Wang does fashion (relaxed sportswear) his own way: street meet couture / the sexy meet androgynous / the vagabond meet the modernist]”

- Plaza Magazine (UK & European Edition) nr 01/2011 p38

Instant Poster Power

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 06:33:14 -0400

Instant Poster Power:

Ad by Océ Technologies (color printing) - movie by Lemon scented tea

"THE TREND a new breed of curator works outside the museum sifting through mountains of cultural..."

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 18:46:00 -0400

“

THE TREND

a new breed of curator
works outside the museum
sifting through mountains of cultural data
gilding his personal brand
(and making some dough) in the process

”

- Simon Dumenco - Details magazine March 2011 p38 & p82

WHY CALLING YOURSELF A CURATOR IS THE NEW POWER MOVE

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 18:38:24 -0400

[by Simon Dumenco - Details.com]

AS HE SIFTS THROUGH MOUNTAINS OF CULTURAL DATA, THIS NEW TYPE OF TASTEMAKER IS GILDING HIS PERSONAL BRAND (AND MAKING SOME SERIOUS DOUGH) IN THE PROCESS.

Around the turn of the millennium, it seemed like every other person you met was a DJ. Now “curator” is the job du jour—even for DJs, like Mark Ronson, who “curated” the music show Topman CTRL MX for Britain’s Channel 4 this February. The term is everywhere: Bands like the Flaming Lips and Sonic Youth “curate” the annual All Tomorrow’s Parties music festival. In its fall 2010 catalog, Restoration Hardware modestly announced, “No longer mere ‘retailers’ of home furnishings, we are now ‘curators’ of the best historical design the world has to offer.” On Twitter, Kanye West recently declared: “If I had to be defined at this point I’ll take the title of an inventor or maybe curator.”

All this self-aggrandizement might seem a flagrant distortion of a profession that the Oxford English Dictionary defines as “the officer in charge of a museum, gallery of art, library, or the like.” And in fact many traditionalists are unhappy with this etymological hijack. Last spring in a post titled “You Are Not a Curator,” a blogger at the British arts journal newcurator.com sniffed, “Anyone calling themselves a ‘curator’ when it is clear that they are dealing in merchandise should have their thumbs removed… . You have not reached some cultural apex through the range of shoes you have on offer.”

Maybe not, but there are plenty of benefits for those who excel at this kind of curation. Dave Brown discovered the power of picking when Holiday Matinee, his “blog for creative inspiration” (music, movies, design, travel), led to consulting gigs with MTV, W Hotels, and Ford. His “personal brand” became associated with discernment, imparting him with a much-sought-after sort of expertise. “I had an open line of communication with Fortune 500 companies,” he says.

“The Web democratized the ability to spot things,” explains Josh Spear, who launched his influential design-and-culture blog, JoshSpear.com, after realizing “that curated consumption was a kind of a business, because of the sheer quantity of decisions people have to make around buying things.” He later parlayed his curatorial acumen into the launch of Undercurrent, a New York digital-strategy firm with clients like GE and Pepsi.

You could argue that we need this emerging class of finders and choosers now more than ever, because we’re living in a world where everyone has become a creator. Consider the 24 hours of video uploaded to YouTube each minute or the endless supply of niche products available to consumers. “Nobody revels in being overwhelmed,” says Steven Rosenbaum, author of the new book Curation Nation: How to Win in a World Where Consumers Are Creators. “And so we start looking for people who say, ‘This thing you’re interested in? I will curate it for you.’ We’re like, ‘Okay, you’re my new best friend.’” Excel at selecting exactly who and what to pay attention to, and soon everyone will be paying attention to you.

And, as Brown’s and Spear’s trajectories make clear, there can be other rewards. “For people who get good at this early,” Rosenbaum says, “I think there will be more and more economic payback.”

[http://www.details.com/culture-trends/critical-eye/201103/curator-power-move-trend]

Sculpture by Xavier Veilhan

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 18:26:06 -0400

Sculpture by Xavier Veilhan

"Someone is ECLECTIC when they take and use elements from several different sources - religion,..."

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 19:04:02 -0400

“Someone is ECLECTIC when they take and use elements from several different sources - religion, philosophy, style, culture, dogma - to forge their own set of beliefs, views, tastes and style, or simply their way of doing things”

- [Sublime 25 p9 - sublimemagazine.com]

Holstee began as a dream. Mike, Dave and Fabian had to create a...

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 18:50:03 -0400

Holstee began as a dream. Mike, Dave and Fabian had to create a lifestyle for themselves - a lifestyle which reflects their manifesto. Holstee designs and curates with the hopes that each product and its inherent story inspires others to follow their dream.