In Grok the Gestalt of Teams, Diego Rodriguez says effective teams often have common approaches to work habits: An effective innovation team is composed of people who are really good at what they were put on earth to do, but also share a common way of getting things done in the world. Princeton WordNet defines…
Pete Blackshaw, executive vice president of NM Incite and author of “Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3,000” (DoubleDay), explains why your website is still the most important digital asset you own amidst the rising drumbeat of social media: A smart website feeds and refreshes the brand stands. It anchors the brand database,…
Look around the next time you’re in a coffee shop or airport terminal. You’ll see laptops, cameras, and cell phones with nothing more than the manufacturer’s name as an identifier. By contrast, any device made by Apple has only the iconic, instantly recognizable apple with a bite taken out of the right side. Even though…
Joshua Becker on seeking a life of significance: Live a life worth copying. Live with character, integrity, and morality. Your life should look the same in private as it does in public. And while no one is perfect, just begin striving for a life of integrity. It will be noticed.
In a 2007 interview, Gothamist asked Michael Hertz, designer of the New York City Subway Map, “What is the one thing that you are most proud of about your 30-year-old design?”: That it IS a 30 year-old design. This kind of longevity is virtually unheard of in the transit business with the exception of London….
Dr. Richard Jackson, author of the book Urban Sprawl and Public Health, on the health value of good urban planning: At the annual meeting of the Congress of the New Urbanism in Atlanta, [Dr. Richard Jackson] informed a roomful of planners and architects, “You who create places that promote and protect health are probably doing…
City Room looks at how New York City Transit uses Twitter to post service updates, information on weekend maintenance, and even trivia about the nation’s largest subway system. On the agency’s account, @NYCTSubway, service advisories and updates are posted frequently during morning and afternoon rush hour, and customer questions are answered by staff. Supporting an…
After a week driving cross-country with an iPad, here are some thoughts on its usefulness: Car Charging – We had an iGo Car Charger and an Apple USB to iPad cable, but neither one was able to charge the iPad, probably because the car’s power sources (cigarette lighter and USB port) didn’t provide sufficient wattage….
Hello from Nevada, on day two of a cross-country road trip from San Francisco to New York. This is the first entry here written entirely on an iPad. So what convinced me? TSA Friendly – According to the Transportation Security Administration blog, the iPad doesn’t have to be removed from luggage at airport security checkpoints….
From The Guts of a New Machine, the 2003 New York Times article that profiled Apple just as the iPod was becoming recognized as a cultural phenomenon: ”Most people make the mistake of thinking design is what it looks like,” says Steve Jobs, Apple’s C.E.O. ”People think it’s this veneer — that the designers are…
What’s in the health Care Bill? Nancy-Ann DeParle, White House Director of Health Reform, outlined some of the main benefits Americans will start to see this year: This year, children with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied health insurance coverage. Once the new health insurance exchanges begin in the coming years, pre-existing condition discrimination…
The story of the London Underground typeface is important to urban history because it set the standard for identity and communication in railway systems around the world. It starts with Frank Pick, publicity manager for the London Underground. Pick himself was not a designer, but he understood the importance of good design: Corporate Design, Pick…
Apple retail chief Ron Johnson, speaking to an investment group in 2006 about the company’s philosophy on store location: If you want to enrich their lives, you can’t be in a parking lot, off a highway. You gotta be where they live their life. You gotta be right where they work, where they play, where…
Anyone who does anything with information these days should know this entire quote. Many people know the famous short version: “Information wants to be free.” but the rest of the quote makes those first five words sound naive and utopian. The rest of the quote is what industries from the obvious – media and publishing…