Weekly Insights February 13th – 17th
Allison’s Insights:
This is an interesting and somewhat eerie collection of photography found in the corners of old desks and in between that 1970′s vinyl and your grandma’s power bill from February of ’65. I think it’s an interesting look into the informal & unscripted (or perhaps upset script) life of former days– http://www.accidentalmysteries.com/home.html
I’m sure by now no one really needs an introduction to TED talks, but I just loved this one. Shawn Achor talks about how positive thinking makes you more effective, more successful…even smarter! It is definitely short, sweet, packed with a lot of though provoking information, and is pretty hilarious too – http://www.ted.com/talks/shawn_achor_the_happy_secret_to_better_work.html
Beth’s Insight:
Pinterest has been a topic of discussion this past week at the office. I personally don’t use it, but after reading about Chobani’s success (via @fastcompany) and then seeing this infographic about Pinterest’s social stake in online retail, I started thinking about what kind of tool Pinterest is for companies, not just everyday users.
Pinterest isn’t successful because it capitalizes on users’ innate need to share content on the Web, instead it’s successful because it has provided a new outlet for the information they are already sharing. Brand’s get to host user-generated content that not only promotes their products but also encourages others to try them, love them, and talk about their experiences with them. Could the UX community turn this into a bigger strategy engagement with clients to gather original data in the process of creating a broader social network? http://columnfivemedia.com/work-items/monetate-infographic-is-pinterest-the-next-social-commerce-game-changer/
Michael’s Insights:
I do love infographics. But a good chunk of the ones you see out in the wild seem like they’re just short, bullet-pointed articles with some clipart inserted to pretty it up. More like a PowerPoint slideshow with all of the slides printed and stapled together top to bottom. This article goes into what separates sets good infographics apart. The key, to me, is the non-linear way that they read. The viewer is free to explore the information in their own way; I think that’s really empowering! Here are a few of my favorites – http://www.fastcodesign.com/1668987/why-infographic-thinking-is-the-future-not-a-fad
A representation of what flavor combinations go well with one another. I want a big print of this in my kitchen – http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/taste-buds/.
A nice, succinct explanation of the political spectrum in the US. It’s interesting to see where both sides are similar and yet how the differences set them apart – http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/left-vs-right-us/.
If you can’t tell by now, I’m a fan of Information is Beatiful. This is a timeline of “global media scares.” Interesting to see how things can get overblown – http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/mountains-out-of-molehills/.
And, since it’s Friday, a fun one. But also a nice reminder to get to work. :) – http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/the-hierarchy-of-digital-distractions/.
Lindsey’s Insight:
This is not intended to be a political statement, so please don’t get caught up in the polarizing nature of the article’s content. What is interesting is the premise. Think about it in the context of something you feel strongly about. Is there data that could change your mind?
The blog post quotes from Charles Murray’s new book, Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960 – 2010 ”Try to think of any new data that would change your position on abortion, the death penalty, legalization of marijuana, same-sex marriage or the inheritance tax. If you cannot, you are not necessarily being unreasonable.”
I don’t want to say too much, but I think the (very simple) idea that emotion drives our opinions and not data is an interesting thing to muse on, especially given our seemingly cultural addiction to statistics (I am serious. It is criminal the mount of data an individual is assaulted with on an average day). Would the world be a better place if we let the data have the final word? Are there data-dependent facets of our society that could use a human touch?
I present the article without further interpretation, I will leave it to you to draw an opinion, data-driven or otherwise: http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2012/02/empiricism-politics?fsrc=scn/tw/te/bl/onopinionsbeyondthereachofdata
Talk to Lindsey @lindsey_bean.
Rachel’s Insight:
Ahh, Pinterest. It seems like everyone is jumping on board. I’ve had training sessions with friends, clients and coworkers. So often I get the question, “What is Pinterest all about? I don’t get it.” I saw this cartoon the other day and thought it was so appropriate, for those of you that are on Pinterest…Enjoy! (For those of you who aren’t – this too can be you. Give me a call –I’ll give you a tutorial!)
