Noisy Decent Graphics

What I Really Really Want

 I love this. Simple, beautifully shot and very powerful. Best video I've seen in ages.

 

Find out more from Project Everyone, not to be confused with Dot Everyone.

Melvyn King interviewed by Will Hutton

I went to see Melvyn King, ex Governor of the Bank of England, interviewed by Will Hutton last week. It was more interesting than I thought. King spoke very calmly and was able to explain complicated concepts with great simplicity. The book would make a good read.

He said many interesting things.

He finds it odd that we had the biggest financial crisis for generations and yet we haven’t changed any of the things that caused it to happen. Similarly he said it was odd that none of the financial stimuli we’ve tried of the last 8 years have worked and yet we still keep using the same methods.

Asked about banks being too big to fail, he said “Too big to fail and too big to sail and too big to jail”. He explained it was very hard to prosecute banks as they operate complex operations across many countries. Too big to sail - even banking CEOs admitted they were too big to run properly.

“Capitalism has gone rogue. People don't trust it anymore." Will Hutton

“…trust is crucial. You don't bring a poison tester to a restaurant, you have to trust them.” Mervyn King

"The idea that it's fun to make money out of people who are less smart than you is corrosive.” MK on investment bankers

“there's a lack of purpose in business” WH

MK asked what it felt like to be in the middle of the crisis “a 0-0 draw can look very exciting on MOTD if you only show 2 minutes of headlines. Mostly it was boring meetings that dragged on and on”

MK on quarterly reporting “the quarterly thing is madness”

Not an optimistic evening.

Take a look at me now

Russell, this is good.

Six of Phil Collins' albums were recently remastered, so he went back and recreated the covers as well. Via loads of people.

Why do they bury the booking ref description?

Earlier Benedict Evans tweeted this.

And I replied.

Here's what I mean. When you book a train ticket online this is what happens. This example is with Virgin Trains but it's the same with others including the Trainline.

Finish booking and you get a screen with a nice big booking ref. The number you have to input to collect your tickets. So far so good.

You are offered the option of adding to your calendar. This is useful.

Adds to calendar, looks like this.

The vital booking ref is now buried in the description. Which is obscured when you look at the calendar. This is especially annoying when you're trying to collect your tickets at 7am and you have your phone in one hand and your credit card, needed for verification, in the other.

So I always replace the word train with the booking ref. Instead of saying "Train to Manchester Piccadilly" I put "4CK7JLL2 to Manchester Piccadilly".

Looks like this in my calendar.

Why can't the booking site do that for me?

My Dad is celebrating 50 years in the oil industry

 

From the village newsletter, written by Adam. Reprinted as is.

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"David Terrett has reached a magnificent 50 years of service in the oil supply industry. His admirable story is recounted below;

 

David attended Agricultural college after leaving school and had every intention of becoming a farmer, trying to get a small council farm in north Wilts or Gloucestershire but without sucess. He came across an advertisment with Bulter Fuels for an Agricultural Representative working out of the Kingswood Depot at Wooton under Edge, supporting a new fuel tanker that had been purchased. He applied for the position and with his agricultural experience and background together with that personality he secured the job.

 

The first day came and the start was in Avonmouth. Davids' father took him there making sure he knew all of the landmarks to find his way home. Little was he to know that this was to be his home ground for the next 50 years and more. The salary was a staggering £700 per year together with a company car (Ford Anglia in Duck Egg Blue)and a remarkable 12 shillings and 6 pence daily expense allowance! That was on the 14th March 1966 - which David said had to be a Monday because you just wouldn't start work on any other day.

 

David married his lovely wife Liz in 1972 and his hard work paid off in 1979 when he was made Manager of the Warminster depot of Butler Fuels. It was at this time that he moved to Chapmanslade. Over the years he held various positions and was well respected in the industry. As well as supplying fuel to farmers he also became involved in domestic heating fuel and fuel for industry and a variety of commercial uses. Often the new employees would spend some time with David to learn from his experience and sucess. David said he alway had three P s in his pocket - Patience, Perseverance, and Personality - with these three 'you'll get your order'. Many of the people who were trainees under David went on to become managers or directors in the oil supply and other industries.

 

In 2008 Bulter Fuels restructured and David found that technology meant more than experience and discovered that at 65 he was without a job, but still felt he had so much to give. It was Roy Kinch of Kinch Fuels of Minety near Malmesbury that helped David back into the business. Roy recognised the skill and experience that David had and offered him 3 days a week. David was delighted to be back in the saddle and to continue his career supplying fuel to farmers, contractors and industry as well as domestic users.

 

One old friend told David ' You're like a Gloucester Old Spot pig - you're a rare breed and because of that you have repsect! There are not many peope in industry today like you - when I ring you the problem is sorted'

 

David continues his career with Kinch Fuels and brightens the day of the many people he comes into contact with. One of his secrets for maintaining his energy is his regular visits to Warminster swimming pool where he will complete more than 60 lengths in one session! It has been a joy to write this note about Davids achievement and we congratulate him on his sucess."

Football Graphic of the Month Competition

I have never understood those football diagrams that supposedly tell you what’s happened in a game. How a goal was scored or whatever. And even when I think I’ve understood them I’ve never been sure what the point of them is.

This is a good example. I watched this game, this goal was a free kick that was curled around the wall.

In America they have a programme on NBC that shows live Premier League matches, equivalent to Super Sunday (or something) on Sky in the UK. On NBC the programme is called Extra Time. They display the name of the programme in the top right hand corner of the screen for the duration of the match. This screenshot was taken 71 minutes into the game.

Creative Journeys

Ben Terret from The Sorrell Foundation on Vimeo.

Last year I was interviewed by the Sorrell Foundation for their series on Creative Journeys.

They asked me how I ended up in full time employment as a designer and which subjects I studied at school to enable that. Trust me, it’s a very boring story.

But I know through my work with UAL and speaking to the Sorrell Foundation that not enough kids see a path from enjoying sketching and drawing and stuff to a full time job in design. Which is a shame.

The Sorrell Foundation does fantastic work to try and redress this. It’s National Art & Design Saturday Clubs run over 400 clubs every Saturday for 14-16 year olds. Find out more here and get involved.

The film was shot last year which is why I say I’m Director of Design at GDS. There are other videos with people like Bob and Roberta Smith and Cecilia Weckstrom Global Head of lego.com. She has the best business card.

 

When they take questions after a talk

The toothbrush test

In a meeting in Mountain View the other day someone said "would it pass Larry's toothbrush test?".

Larry Page likes to judge new products and services by asking this question. It means can you imagine this being used twice a day, all over the world. It's a nice piece of rhetoric.

It reminded me of Iain's idea to start a company that only made things that were the same size as the square in an Expedit. Screen, speakers, coffee makers etc. That was a good idea.

 

Michael Craig-Martin and colour inspiration

 

Went to see Michael Craig-Martin at the Serpentine. Very good. Very short. Exhibitions seem to be getting shorter.

Great colours. I've always been rubbish at colours so for a while now I've been saving pictures and taking photos of good colours and making colour palettes in illustrator when I get the chance.

 

 

 

 

 

I'll be in San Francisco next week

Speaking at O'Reilly Design. Might be nice to meet up. Inbox me. I think it's going to rain.

Wired Retail conference

I went to the Wired Retail conference late last year.

Some observations.

 

Drones are a huge distraction
Over half the presentations mentioned drones or drone delivery. This feels like a huge distraction to me. We're a long way off from that working in towns and cities (maybe not rural areas). Policy makers are struggling with self-driving cars, which is a much simpler problem set than drone delivery in built up areas.

This is way more interesting anyway.

 

Everyone referred to real shops as "offline".
Offline and online. That's it. That was the clear view of the new digital businesses.

 

This is a talent war and resources are scarce
Ocado were very impressive as you'd expect. They have 600 developers and they are recruiting a similar number this year. Likewise Zalando. Zalando? You might not have heard of them. Started in 2008 now has a $3billion turnover. Get hiring now.

 

Platforms, platforms, platforms
Ocado - our business is a big pipe that gets things to your home
Zalano - ""The platforms in China were so connected," Gentz said. "So they’re already able to deliver consumer experiences that are far beyond what we get in Europe." More here

.

 

Taxi Fabric - only for men

Roshnee a designer I met in Mumbai six years ago has made a taxi highlighting to men the issues women face travelling in India.

The BBC World Service interviewed her about it too.

Important stuff. Have a listen.

More details here.

 

Fun with frames

Bought my Dad a digital photo frame for Christmas. Hooked up to wifi you can send pictures and stuff. Basically anything with .jpeg on the end of it. Having a lot of fun with it so far.

 

It really is like blogging in 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neil and his listeners have nominated me for Post of the Month. Glenn, Kieran, Javier, Nicky, David, Mark, Gemma and Marcus vote for me!

 

Interesting new blog design update

I think the responsive layout works better when the pictures are massive. It gives the impression of controlled line length within the constraints of Typepad's design settings. 

Anyway. Good morning Glenn, Kieran, Javier, Nicky, David, Mark, Gemma and Marcus.

Space, Hope, Brutalism and Co-operation

This was recommended to me over Christmas. The one on the left about English Architecture, not the one on the right about Dulwich. Although the Dulwich Estate have a decent track record when it comes to modernist housing, we'll leave that to another time.

Space, Hope, and Brutalism: English Architecture, 1945-1975 is massive, heavy and fascinating. 

I found some history of the Co-op which was relevant to my interests.

Remarkable to think that in the 50's the Co-op Insurance Boss went on architecture tours in the US to seek inspiration.

And fascinating to learn that the furniture and decoration were designed by Design Research Unit.

Here's a bad photo of the back of that building. Must get myself a proper tour.

There is more interesting stuff about a Co-op in Sheffield, but I'll save that for another post.

 

Design Research Unit, they keep popping up, don't they?

Anyway.

 

Now responsive. Maybe.

I've spent all Christmas fiddling with my blog layout, which you should never do, to get it to work on a phone. Which it does now.

It just looks rubbish everywhere else.

All I really want is the simplest possible layout with one column, one typeface and one size, one colour and the odd bit of bold. Fully responsive and with decent line lengths on big screens.

But I'm stuck on Typepad and I don't think anyone works at Typepad anymore. But then I don't think anyone reads this anymore just Russell and Famous Rob. 

Anyway, this is proper blogging. It's like it's 2008 all over again.

 

this way or that way

"It usually comes down to a choice between two ways to go: this way or that way.
And all the thinking won’t tell you which is best.
So just pick one, it doesn’t matter which, and go with that."

Advice Alan Parker gave to Dave Trott. He could have said "More harm is done by indecision than by wrong decision" just like Tony Soprano did. 

Have a good 2016 everyone.

2015 - remember the interesting bits and the fun bits

On Pinboard I tag a few links with the year in case I get round to blogging about it over the Christmas break. 

Looking back through various bits of social media it seems like I had the most fun on Instagram.

So here are some interesting links from the 2015 tag interspersed with random Instagram pictures.

Nick Asbury highlighted the ridiculousness of Andrex trademarking a five-step “Clean Routine” as an example of mission escalation in brands.

Conversation my arse

There was a fascinating profile of Jony Ive in the New Yorker. Fascinating, like any peek behind the curtain at the world’s largest company, although I’m always aware of how distorting Apple is an example. One of the most startling bits for me was Ive’s love of Josef Frank, the Austrian-Swedish designer of floral fabrics.

How an industrial designer became Apple’s greatest product

Cat Scans of the underground Mail Rail tunnels in London. What’s not to like?

Urban Cat Scan

Creative Review wrote a good summary of the controversy Volvo LifePaint caused in Adland. I can see the debate from both sides, but what comes across strongly is how ridiculous the marketing profession looks. As Matt Jones said to me many years ago “you had a brilliant idea like that and you wasted it on advertising?”

Volvo LifePaint: awesome new product or PR stunt? 

Nick Clegg speaking two months before the election and the Lib Dem’s huge defeat. “Westminster is a joke. PMQs is a joke… The fact we’ve got a democratic system that isn’t democratic… Of course it’s ridiculous.”

Clegg: I am more anti-establishment now than when I entered government 

 

Elon Musk didn’t like the school his kids were at, so he started his own. Of course he did, he’s a crazy billionaire. But this article is still interesting on teaching in general.

“Let’s say you’re trying to teach people about how engines work. A more traditional approach would be saying, ‘we’re going to teach all about screwdrivers and wrenches.’ This is a very difficult way to do it.”

Instead, it makes more sense to give students an engine and then work to disassemble it.

“How are we going to take it apart? You need a screwdriver. That’s what the screwdriver is for,”

Elon Musk didn’t like his kids’ school, so he started his own

Ad blockers made lots of news in Adland. Ad people seem to think the problem is bad ads, when of course the problem is just ads. This is a good example of the snow blindness of that debate.

New D&AD Ad Filter blocks bad advertising

 

UsTwo continue to be brilliant, doing interesting things in smart ways. Redefining what a digital design agency can be. Here's one small example launched before anyone else did it. An open source framework for smart watch designs.

Wear Hub - Clockwise Framework

Marketing Week begin to realise that “engagement” is bloody annoying. “consumers don’t want brands involved in any of this stuff. They just want a coffee, or a burger, or to be able to use their credit card to buy a pair of shoes.”

Brands’ inane ‘visions’ have lost touch with what consumers really use them for

I’m not into cars, but I’m a big fan of Tesla as a business. It’s another agile internet business that makes the existing companies look like dinosaurs. The Guardian sums it up well, “I drove the Tesla S last week and it offers such revolutionary solutions to so many of the oily problems that bog most manufacturers down that you wonder what on earth they’ve all been doing.“

Tesla S: car review

Daniel Craig gave some very punchy interviews when the new Bond film came out. This one is good.

“What could we learn from James Bond that would help us in our day-to-day lives?

Nothing.”

Daniel Craig on James Bond