Instantly Obsolete

I was in Portland last week to speak at DMI’s Design/Management Thinking Conference — Balancing Extremes: Tensions in Design. The two-day event, at the stunning Gerding Theatre, offered focused presentations, discussions, and interactive sessions with leading business and design leaders.

The program kicked off with John Hoke and Angela Snow, Nike’s VP of Global Design and Global Director of Creative Operations, who spoke about how tension in design fuels Nike’s breakthrough innovations. Thier big, bold keynote was peppered with high-energy videos featuring cutting-edge products and triumphal sports moments.

I immediately followed with my own session, Little ‘i’ Innovation, in which I proposed that committing to incremental improvements and pivoting on adjacent innovations are as critical to business success as the big breakthroughs ideas. It was a fitting juxtaposition. I was however compelled to employee the multi-talented Justin Timberlake to help me make my point.

A big thank you to the DMI and the conference organizers with a nod to co-chair Josh Levine of Great Monday.

Once again, SoDA (Society of Digital Agencies) has compiled the thoughts and opinions of more then 700 marketers, agencies, technologists and digital industry insiders. And, for a second year I participated as a section editor (Industry Insider) and content contributor. Below is my article from the above report:

THE ONGOING AGENCY EVOLUTION

The ongoing agency evolution is inextricably linked to an evolving and complex digital landscape—one that includes constant technological innovations, emerging consumer behaviors and the volatile economic climate in which they operate. With all these moving parts, it’s no wonder that many agencies are experimenting with new growth strategies and looking for opportunities to carve out an offering that’s both unique as well as timely for the brands in their portfolio.

Exploring the Adjacent Possible
The ever-shifting landscape continues to introduce new opportunities, areas of focus and business models to evaluate. These opportunities present choices, each of which can suggest a divergent direction. The decisions an agency makes about these prospective futures will have real and tangible repercussions. It will likely require unique processes, structure, talent-mix and even something as fundamental as company culture. However, a successful agency offering should always maintain a clear and purposeful vision. Below are a few of the competing directions agencies are debating—obviously the paths they choose have a tremendous effect on whether they are the right fit for a business or a brand.

Full-service vs. Innovation Focus
Agencies often banter around the idea of a 360° offering for brands. But in an age where services are constantly expanding and bleed from one type of agency to the next, where does “full-service” truly start and stop?Additionally, this path has the tendency to create a reactive environment in which big picture thinking and more innovative ideas struggle to thrive. Other agencies are focusing on delivering digital innovation. But, unless they’re just paying the word lip service (by definition innovation is disruptive), such a focus requires that the agency challenge the status quo for brands. It also requires that they manage the often uncomfortable process that a successful outcome requires.

AOR (Agency of Record) vs. AOI (Agency of Influence)
An AOR is a little like a “general contractor.” It manages a big pool of money and along with it the responsibility of managing a vast swath of projects, subcontractors, and—quite frankly, highly commoditized work. The price pressures that come with “buying in bulk” often require AORs to employee offshore production teams and/or lower-level talent.

Alternatively, other agencies prefer to be the “general counsel” (or consigliore) by focusing on the most business critical (and most influential) projects. While there is less overall work, the highly strategic nature and senior level talent required to deliver on initiatives

Marketing Communications vs. Products and Services
Simply put, there are agencies focused on “making the thing”, and others focused on “marketing the thing”—and more and more, on both.

In recent years, we’ve seen a great deal of overlap in the digital space when it comes to marketing and products. Today, marketers require that their campaigns continue to live on, acting as an open channel between the brand and its audience. Often this means building an application or creating a new service.

Simultaneously, companies are striving to deliver products and services that are imbued with emotive benefits—that tell a story beyond their core utility. Given that, it is possible this is less of a choice, and more of a question of philosophic approach. Don’t they say the best marketing strategy is to make a great product? Just
ask our friends at Apple.

Up and to the Right
A common sentiment shared by many agency principals is their desire to move up the ladder of influence with their client-partners. But of course, this progression requires strategic services that deliver clear value to their client’s business.

One lens to determine where any agency falls along this continuum is to examine what their clients are asking them to do—and how they are responding to those requests.

A Process of Continual Improvement
The landscape will continue to evolve, so, in order to stay relevant and thrive, most agencies are in a perpetual state of adjustment and realignment. I’d say that any agency that professes to have the perfect offering is lying, or delusional.

In fact, some of the most successful agencies embrace a “beta culture”—where they are always experimenting, prototyping and placing small bets to learn and build on what’s working—both for their client’s needs as well as their own bottom line. Not a bad approach, as long as in the absence of certainty, they maintain clarity of purpose.

End.

Pictured above:
Fig 1: Our client, Sony, had an impressive showing.
Fig 2: The new G-Shock with Bluetooth.
Fig 3: The Chambers, by Rza.
Fig 4: Polaroid’s Android camera.
Fig 5: Justin Bieber-bot with Tosy’s mRobo.

I went looking for the future in Las Vegas. From the moment I walked into the first hall of the Consumer Electronics Show I was adrift in a sea of 3D TVs, bedazzled iPhone cases, iPad wannabes and a myriad of lifestyle headphones. “Beats” by Dre have been popular for some time, but have you heard about “Street” by 50? Or, “Soul” by Ludacris? Perhaps you’ve heard of “Chambers” by Rza? Then there was the candy colored assortment from iWave, iLuv and Nixon. One thing is clear — lifestyle headphones are more than a fleeting fad.

We Like to Watch
By sheer quantity, you’d probably surmise that the future is all about TV. Ultra-thin and ultra-big — one was 84 inches! 3D in every flavor — including the new kind with no glasses required. (Speaking of glasses, I saw a TV that up to four people could all simultaneously watch different programs by wearing special glasses with built-in earbuds. I didn’t try it, but I can tell you that without the glasses it could possibly cause seizures).

The 4K and 8K TVs that offer four to eight times the pixel resolution were certainly impressive. Sadly, it may only be an alternate future in which the broadcast industry supports these formats.

For me, TVs that boasted facial recognition and took voice commands showed the most promise. I’m ready to ditch my many remotes and own a TV that knows what volume I like it set at and can pull up my favorite show, based on a verbal description.

“Hey TV, play that episode of 30 Rock when Jack talks to his TV.”

The Evolution of Things
It was the adaption of existing products that did the most to suggest future possibilities. For example, the Bluetooth G-Shock watch that communicates with your phone, Motorola’s smart fitness watch that collects both biometric and telemetric data, or Polaroid’s “smart camera” that runs on Android. There was also a swath of home electronics designed to allow users to control and monitor products and systems via their smartphones — from lights, to security systems, to thermostats, to washing machines and even dog collars. Personally, I loved the Swiss Army knife equipped with a 1-terrabyte drive, demonstrating that even our most basic survival tools are quickly adapting.

“Scissors, saw, sewing needle, screwdriver, bottle-opener, toothpick, all six seasons of Lost and my entire music collection, right here on this handy little pocket knife.”

Meaning in a Mass of Memes
CES does more to surface prevailing trends than to point toward future states. There were loads of replicated ideas, all played out with subtle differences in their form-factor, feature and styling. However, when you looked closely, clues to our future certainly emerged. For me, it was in the things that weren’t prevalent:

Entertainment without interactivity: We may be looking for deeper immersion, but we still love passive entertainment experiences.

Devices without boundaries: With sensors, apps and access to the cloud, smartphones are becoming smart everything.

Control without a GUI: Be it by voice, facial recognition or gesture, natural human interfaces offer wonderful new possibilities.

In my view, the natural human interfaces foreshadow the most interesting future possibilities — suggesting that the emotive connections digital technology can create are far more important than the electronic devices that deliver them.

The R&D team at The New York Times designed and prototyped this interactive mirror they call Reveal. It displays news media content as well as personal health and lifestyle data — all controlled through voice and gestural in-puts (or “natural user interfaces”).

More here on Reveal and the NYT R&D Lab.

I’ve seen my share of childhood science fiction come to reality, and it never gets old.

I knew that Jaron Lanier was working at Mircosoft Research on applications for the Kinect device, however, I was unaware of the output from their Sensors and Devices Group — a part of the Computer-Mediated Living research area. The team produced the “HoloDesk” (video above), a system that combines a special optical display and the Kinect camera to create an experience that replicates realistic physical interactions with virtual 3D objects.

The demo is intriguing. And adjacent possible, astounding.

For years, David Kelley, and his disciples at Stanford’s d.School and IDEO, have been working to educate executives on the benefits of “design thinking”—specifically when applied to solving their most complex and critical business problems.

What’s interesting is that some of the most progressive businesses today, not only have employed the design-thinking principles, but even have designers as founders and at the helm. Companies like Airbnb have captured the attention of VCs, industry press and designers alike.

This observation was the inspiration behind The Designer Fund. A network of angel-investors, mentors and advisors, assembled to support entrepreneurially minded designers launch new businesses.

The “d.Fund” was recently established by 500 Startups founder, Enrique Allen. And, I’m excited to lend my experience to the network, perhaps even help foster the next big thing.

Learn more about it in this recent article in Fast Co. Design.

Being around Industrial Designers and engineers, I’m no stranger to 3-D printing. In fact, “additive manufacturing” has been an invaluable tool for prototyping for nearly a decade.

However, I am amazed at how close we are to leveraging these types of printers for personal and even mass production. What’s more, the level of complexity and detail that’s now possible remarkable – I’ve seen examples 3-D printed fabrics only possible with this type of technology.

If you’re compelled, here are a couple pieces from the Economist that are worth a read.

Print me a Stradivarius >

A factory on your desk >

Now, all I need are the CAD files for my Porsche 918 Spyder.

Ah, the business card. Evolving from the calling (or visiting) card, made popular by 17^th Century European aristocrats, they’re truly one of the oldest tools for social networking and most basic examples of marketing collateral.

By the late 20^th century, business cards had transformed into a real art form – becoming the topic of countless design books and a true capitalistic status symbol.

I’ve certainly belonged to the cult of the business card. I’ve designed more business then anyone I know. In fact, it was my first paid design job in high school. Since then I’ve designed cards for just about every business I’ve been associated with, sometimes a multiple versions for the same agencies. One of these days I’ll publish the collection.

But times, they’re a changing – and it’s time for the business card to be reconsidered. And, no, I don’t mean like this!

Recently the app 3-UP caught my eye. Today, it’s an event-based social networking game, but I like the territory and certainly hope they continue to develop it.

While I’ve have yet to see an application that makes my heart flutter like beautiful type, deeply letter pressed on a fine-toothed heavyweight cardstock, it is easy to imagine how the digital calling card could evolve into an art form all it’s own.

I’m ready to take my experience into the digital age. Any developers game to take on the challenge with me?

In the meantime, here are five, not so amazing, solutions:

1. SnapDat

2. beamME

3. twtBizCard

4. Bump

5. BusinessCard2

My friend Buzzy recently wrote this great review of Steven Johnson’s new book, ‘Where good ideas Come From – The Natural History of Innovation’. I must say that I’m inclined to pick up the book. Immediately.

Johnson’s book identifies the patterns, connections and spaces that lead people to innovation. In fact he’s structured the book around key ideas. Of them all, “The Adjacent Possible” is particularly captivating to me.

The adjacent possible is a kind of shadow future, hovering on the edges of the present state of things, a map of all the ways in which the present can reinvent itself.

Additionally, I love his concept  of “The Slow Hunch”, highlighted in the video above. Dispelling the theory that big breakthrough ideas come from epiphanies – instead offering that they incubate over long periods of time, and often need to collide with other smaller ideas before coalescing.

Finally, he argues that the great driver of innovation has been the historic increase of connectivity, and our ability to exchange hunches and build on the ideas of others to make something new.

Innovation favors the connected.