There are some striking photographs on display here
Design and Creativity
November 02, 2009
July 01, 2009
June 14, 2009
Congratulations Alt
Congratulations to Alt Design - the agency that we at pearcemayfield use for all our creative and marketing work. They have just reached the milestone of having completed their 5,000th job - and it was one of ours.
When we heard that it was going to be done for free - to celebrate the event - I did attempt to explain that we did, in fact, wish to make some minor amendments to the job (to now include a full national press and cinema campaign, sponsorship of Manchester United, full re-branding and PR campaign).
However, their change control system seems quite rigorous and the change was rejected!
Nevertheless, if you need a good agency take a look at http://alt-design.net/
November 10, 2008
The Power of Design
The recent US election result made me think about the corresponding election 8 years' ago. Do you recall the problem with the voting forms that eventually took over 30 days to resolve?
What I didn't realise until I read Daniel Pinks' book 'A Whole New Mind' was that the problem was actually one of design. The ballot paper was so badly designed that it was easy to cast a vote for Pat Buchanan when you really wanted to vote for Al Gore. To quote one analyst, "The fact that Gore was third on the ballot but looked second surely confused some (voters may have assumed that the major candidates would be in order). Yes, there are arrows, but you'd be surprised what people glance over or do not see (or think they see)."
As a result, Pat Buchanan scored "...an improbable number of votes..." leaving Al Gore defeated, but defeated by design and not by politics.
The power of design...!
November 05, 2008
Defining Moments
This morning, on television, I saw Barack Obama expressing his thoughts about his US election victory. One of the phrases that he used was that this was a "defining moment" in the history of his country.
I've heard the phrase used before, and I warm to it as an expression of those times in our lives when something happens that causes us to take a different direction. It could be described as the opening of a window of opportunity or as a transforming idea or as a 'fork in the road' of our life. 'Defining Moment' says all those things to me.
But how can we best position ourselves to be ready to recognise and then respond to a Defining Moment?
Let me suggest three things:
- Maintain a teachability in your life - be a lifelong learner, and be open to learning from all sources. Everyone you meet may have things to teach you, no matter what age they are or experience they have. Create in yourself an openness to new ideas and concepts, and do not fear challenges to your existing ideas and beliefs.
- Be in the moment - or as someone said, 'wherever you are, be there'. We miss so much of life because we live either in our past or we live longing for our future. Today is our reality. Be alert to possibilities and do not be restricted by what you believe to be your life or career 'master plan'.
- Be prepared and willing to respond to the Defining Moment. Consider your view and approach to taking risks - remember, at the end of our lives we will have more regret about the things we failed to attempt than about those things which we attempted, and failed.
Defining Moments do just that - they define the shape that our lives will take as we move forward from that moment. Today is a defining moment in the US. And for very different reasons, today might be a defining moment for you or me.
September 25, 2008
Step aside for a moment
I received an e-newsletter recently that I thought included an article on "the use of meditation in your organisation".
It was a little disappointing to then realise that the article was talking about mediation and conflict resolution (worthy topics though they may be).
However, it got me thinking, maybe we should try and build in reflection time into our schedules. Time to 'step aside'.
Now, a web search on meditation will give you some wild and wonderful sites (one says, "You will literally meditate like a Zen monk at the touch of a button"). Nevertheless, outcomes like greater focus, creativity or self-awareness; or simply a more relaxed and peaceful frame of mind do seem worthwhile.
So, when did you last take a moment away from the hectic pace of your life? Have you recently committed some time to reflect and consider?
Why not seek to get beyond the standard conditioned thinking and 'step aside'?
July 31, 2008
Patrick's 6 and a half
If you are interested in creativity you should take a look at Patrick Mayfield's latest blog post: http://pearcemayfield.typepad.com/patrick_mayfield/
If you are not interested in creativity, then PLEASE take a look!
June 13, 2008
Blooming Good Idea
The Bloom device - a subversive and inspirational tool for our concrete jungles.
Similar to the tuft of a dandelion as the wind carries the seedling, it is a way of dispersing seedlings with bubbles and bicycling. Seeds are co-mingled (their word not mine) with a bubble mixture and upon pedaling to your destination , you release the floating seeds which land in cracks and crevices throughout the city streets.
Over time, the seeds grow into flowers and plants to create a green "fringe" to our streets. Blooming good idea.
June 02, 2008
The Lazy Brain
Artist Xu Bing says that the human brain is very lazy, "We have such fixed thinking patterns - it takes people a while to adjust and re-order"
For example, what is your reaction when faced with this?
Can't read it? It is Chinese after all. Well, actually no, these are English words drawn in the style of Chinese pictograms (read down the columns: "Blazing in Gold and quenching in purple/Leaping like Leopards to the Sky...).
So there's a challenge for us - reject preconceived expectations and get that lazy brain running along new mental avenues!
March 17, 2008
Which way is up?
Sometimes we look and we don't see. Sometimes things look wrong. I like it when that happens, when I am jolted out of my visual complacency by something that looks wrong, because it forces me to take another look.
This photograph did that to me. I took it a few days ago in Toronto, Canada. It's a building right next to the famous CN Tower. I had my back to the building looking up at a protruding sculpture some way above my head, which meant that the sculpture was at the top of the frame and the sky at the bottom.
Looks wrong doesn't it? But it's not; it just challenges our expectations and assumptions - the sky is up not down.
In fact the sky is up - everything was up from where I was standing.
How does the world look from where you are standing? Take another look - which way is up?
