Global Community

Frango Rock! is a photographic collection of people, places, and inspiration from around the world, captured by photographers Mike Vargas and Tat Ho Yee. The two New York-based photographers collaborated on a filmmaking project that took them through Mexico, Chile, and Brazil, but it was Yee’s recent journey through India that inspired both to create Frango Rock!, a culmination of the vibrant scenes they encountered around the globe. Frango Rock! will be on view at the Brecht Forum from July 3 - 23 (don’t miss the opening reception on the 3rd, from 6-11pm with food and drink provided and music by DJ Laylo).

Frango Rock! at the Brecht Forum
451 West Street (between Bank and Bethune)
New York, NY
July 3-23 2008 (opening reception on July 3, 6-11pm)
Frangorock.com

Here’s an interesting study of cellphone carrying behaviors around the world from Jan Chipchase and Fumiko Ichikawa’s presentation to Nike Tokyo Design Studio. We don’t often stop to think about the way we carry our phones, the devices having become second skin to most of us. But here Chipchase, who travels the world conducting research for Nokia Design, sheds light on the variation in these practically unconscious decisions of where we put our phones, how we carry them, and why. Through studying the carrying patterns of thousands of mobile phone owners in Asia, Europe, North and South America, and Africa, Chipchase and Ichikawa reveal some noticeable differences, including:

- 80% of Women in Milan carry their phones in their bags, while only 30% of Women in Los Angeles do (studies also reveal that 50% of people who put their phones in their bags report frequently or always missing calls or SMSes, versus 30% of people who carry them in their pockets)

- In several developing countries, including India, China, and Brazil, many users carry more than one mobile device to optimize their communication costs by buying multiple SIM cards from different operators

- The clamshell phone design is used by domestic Chinese brands to target women, with a large offering of accompanying cases and mini-carriers available to buy at street markets and in stores

One of our favorite slides in the whole presentation, and that serves as a nice summary of what mobile phone designers can learn from these small habits points out, quite simply: “The easiest way to never forget - is to have nothing to remember.”

To learn more, watch the slideshow below, or download it here.

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[via FuturePerfect]

We are very excited to have creative consultant, author, and PSFK friend, George Parker speaking at the upcoming PSFK Conference San Francisco. The last time George spoke at one of our conferences (this is his fourth appearance), he sat across from Missy Suicide and discussed how Suicide Girls has evolved into a well loved brand. This time, George will be moderating our “Using It” panel, which will include Adrian Ho, Mark Lewis (DDB), Lynn Casey (Team Noesis) and Rohit Bhargava (Ogilvy 360 Digital Influence) and discuss how companies and organizations can leverage social media to enhance consumer dialog, evolve product offering and improve sales.

First, who are you and what do you do?

I am an advertising creative consultant with more than thirty years experience working for agencies and clients in Europe and the US. Having experienced the insanities of the ad biz for so long, my profanity laden blog www.adscam.typepad.com is required reading for all those who share my view that much of the business is teetering on the edge of irrelevancy. Attacking BDA’s (Big Dumb Agencies) with relish, AdScam is one of the best read and most commented on Ad Blogs. After my last book, MadScam, I am now putting the finishing touches on my next opus, The Ubiquitous Persuaders, a fifty year update on Vance Packard’s classic, The Hidden persuaders. I guarantee it will be as full of opinionated piss and vinegar as my blog.

You’ll be speaking on our “Using It” panel. Can you sum up your views on how companies and organizations leverage social media to enhance consumer dialogue, evolve product offerings, and improve sales?

With all the hot air being expanded on the subject of “Social Media,” it’s time for us to burst the balloon and honestly face up to the fact that most companies and organizations don’t have a clue about using social media in an effective way.

Five websites that provide you with inspiration:

PSFK (Brownie points for that one!!!)
Suicide Girls (Best social network that makes money)
Adverganza (Cathy Taylor, best ad journalist around)
AdAge (Best trade mag for in-depth coverage)
Talent Imitates, Genius Steals (Best “Planner” in the Universe)

Thanks, George!

Like what George has to say? Why not come and hear him speak at the PSFK Conference San Francisco?

Time has an interesting piece about the complex situation manufacturers face when dealing with globalized production. Increased demands for cheaper, faster output and unfair labor practices have created a game of cat and mouse between factories and the teams of auditors that monitor them. The task of keeping factories compliant is getting more difficult as dishonest factory owners go all out to hide illegal practices.

Time reports:

A shadowy industry has sprung up in China in recent years that caters to factory owners anxious to disguise breaches of clients’ codes of conduct — illegal overtime, say, or a lack of fire extinguishers on the factory floor. Unscrupulous consultants offer quick fixes before a factory is audited; for a price, they can even pose as a fake management team to convince auditors that a sound leadership structure is in place. Factory owners can also buy computer software that presets the times when workers punch in and out, so no illegal overtime shows up on time cards. Lower-tech tactics, employed across Asia, include keeping double books, coaching workers on correct answers for auditors and paying bonuses to reward workers for passing audits. “It’s like a nuclear arms race,” says Ian Spaulding, managing director of Infact Global Partners, a compliance consultant and former director of global compliance for a large U.S. retailer. “The auditors do one thing, so the factory does another thing.”

Time Magazine: “Manufacturing: The Burden Of Good Intentions”

“Adopting” the fruits of another mans labor is in. Following the idea from the vineyard adoption WineShare, and Nudo the olive oil sharing concept, now you can have your very own premium Maine lobster trap and everything it catches for a year. For just under $3000, your trap will be set and hauled up time and time again – which you can monitor online. As the lobsters are caught you have the option to overnight them (shipping is included in the fee) in batches of four or more to yourself, or anybody else you that you really, really like. They also include clams, mussels and some locally produced desserts, plus information of who caught what, when and where.

Catch A Piece Of Maine

[via springwise]

Indonesian entrepreneur, Singgih Suslo Kartono has started manufacturing radios that use locally-sourced materials, skills and industries to improve economic conditions. Maybe compared to the New Deal program implemented by American President Roosevelt during the Great Depression in the 1930’s, the retro-designed, two-toned wooden radios are built in a village that previously had almost no means of employment.
[via treehugger]

In this video from TED, Susan Blackmore talks about memetics, the theory of memes - and how we should see that memes and genes ensured our survival and evolution. She says that we should think that we are passing on ideas through mimicry - and this mimicry or these memes use us as meme machines. She says that all other species are gene machines, we are gene and meme machines. As soon as our ancestors started imitating there was war - genes that wanted to keep the brain economical and function orientated and memes that wanted to get bigger brains that could copy memes further (memetic drive). That explains how we’ve ended up with such “peculiar brains” she says.

Towards the end she talks about a new meme - the technology meme or teme and that’s when it gets a little bonkers…. worth a watch.

TED
Susan Blackmore

While still popular, Mattel-owned American Girl Dolls were in their prime about a decade or two ago and elementary-aged girls across America clamored for clothing and accessories for the dolls – as well as matching items for themselves. Today’s girls have the same interests in dolls, only the clothing and dolls they’re buying never leave the internet. Forbes reports that while teen-geared stores have experienced lagging sales for the past couple seasons, sales at StarDoll, the online doll community, is booming.

YPulse says:

It is fascinating to me that teens (and parents, who most likely man the money) are willing to fork over a few dollars here and there for virtual clothes, yet they are spending less and less on actual wearable threads. What kind of satisfaction does purchasing online fashion for dolls bring?

Because Stardoll users are mostly tweens and a handful of teens, I think young, wallet-friendly stores like H&M, Forever 21, and even Old Navy would be able to build a new audience and get in-store exposure through the website.

…If these stores could set up direct links that enable users to buy clothes for their Stardolls’ wardrobes and their own closets in one click, it would be incredibly interesting to see what kind of affect this would have on profits.

Forbes: How Technology Can Save Retailers

[via Ypulse]

Several cities around the world have begun refurbishing millions of lamp-posts and street-lamps from incandescent lighting to other technologies, literally halving energy costs in some cases. Oslo, Norway is one of these communities, and they’ve upgraded their 55,000 streetlights to not only provide light, but also weather and traffic monitoring systems. The entire cost of the Echelon-designed system will repay itself in only five years from energy savings.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, we’re not entirely sure Dubai is on board the green-train – seems they’re busy installing air-conditioned bus shelters.

[via triplepundit]