Plot | strategic design & innovation agents

New ways of storytelling

I like this!

New ways of storytelling.

Magic.

Finding your way...

Seen recently at a London design school - a hand-drawn guide written on the wall next to the lift door. It refers to each floor in a place where the wayfinding in the building is a challenge. The school is composed of many parts, naturally built at different times, but connected through doorways.

I love its simplicity and inside information, and wonder why the school doesn't use it more.

Plotting Happy Users

In Bristol talking to people about happy things, and beginning to wonder how on earth something like a pervasive media product could ever help people to be happier. Getting into the details and nuances of lives is such a grounding force - so hard to go off on one, like "well they all take out their nooshers, watch the screen for hours and swipe the air." Somehow I don't think so. And from the interviews I've done, I think there's some really subtle things people might actually find interesting.

I think the Happy Towns thing will be something so simple, and of very small impact.

Bristol's a fine place. If it could happen anywhere, it could happen here.

Happy Towns are go!

We've been awarded one of Media Sandbox's six developments funds for our project with BDH which we've titled Happy Towns. It's a research and development project aimed at understanding how using pervasive media can support a city being happy.

Right now we don't know what form it'll take. And we don't know what form of technology we'll be using. But by the end of March we'll know everything...well, we hope we'll have a hunch at least.

We're looking for extending this research project in a number of ways. We've spent some time getting to know the area of happiness, the people and ideas being posed. Thrilling!

One question for you:
what are the three things you do to make yourself happier? We'd love to hear from you.

Wayfinding Pilot goes live in Regent Street

Nick's been working with AIG on the Legible London project for some time now, and it's not without a little pride that we see the pilot of the wayfinding system developed for London going into the ground. They're building on the ideas developed in the wayfinding thinking started in Bristol which they did all those years ago.

This much copied way of developing a more legible approach to how cities are made visible to people and visitors.

Happy Times

Happy times to you.

Playing in the Sandbox

We've joined in with BDH on a proposal for the Media Sandbox run by Watershed Bristol, South West Screens, the RDA and ished. It's been fun going to the briefing, and putting our ideas on the table for a change... We find out on the 21st if we've got through. We're looking at an idea called Happy Towns.

More here. It aims to:

Bringing together leading technology, artistic and media talent, Media Sandbox is a new commissioning scheme to support South West companies/organisations to research emerging possibilities in digital media.

These are from the briefing day. Great stuff. It's interesting how these initiatives have different flavours. Different to the Innovation Labs at the BBC. All making things happen.

No Dotts

We're not going to get up to see Dott07, but our heart is there. How brilliant!

The Pure Power of attraction

It's great going to events where people think they have the next big thing in mastering (sic) control over that uncontrollable bunch of people out there in the market. So when I heard about a herd driven mentality which is predicated on our copying behaviours, and which can be manipulated, I wondered (to use a K Holman phrase) "why would you do that?"

What about ideas that are powerful enough that people just turn up? Like a search engine that works, or a way of keeping images, or a bunch of people we want to be associated with? Yes, I know most of the best ideas don't get promoted or funded, but some do!

Just like the hot pork sandwich stall at Borough market - talk about a compelling idea! I was in stitches watching people walk past the stall, smell the smell, turn on a sixpence over the huge piece of perfectly roasted pork, then join the queue. Now that's an attractor!

I just wish I had ideas as worked as powerfully as that!
Must keep trying...

Water Salon

Next week is the Dirt Cafe Water Salon, which is my excuse for lo density thought pieces recently.

It's on the 19th September at Borough market Trustees Building at 7pm.

Here's the flyer if you'd like to know more.

And a brief piece made for sponsors, where they can sponsor a chair at the Debate, which would make things a little easier. Enjoy, and come along!