@PSFK » Rob Walker http://www.psfk.com Your Go-To Source For New Ideas And Inspiration Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:42:39 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Can An Annual Report’s Design Influence A Firm’s Valuation? http://www.psfk.com/2011/08/can-an-annual-reports-design-influence-a-firms-valuation.html Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:44:16 +0000 westing_house_annual_report_headerA recent study of the design of annual reports would indicate that their level of attractiveness directly affects a company's perceived valuation.]]> Imagined Developments Symbolize Revival in New Orleans [Pics] http://www.psfk.com/2011/04/imagined-developments-symbolize-revival-in-new-orleans-pics.html Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:17:49 +0000 hypothetical-development-organization-new-orleansHypothetical Development Organization is dreaming up absurd uses of abandoned buildings to inspire urban renewal in New Orleans. ]]> How Digital Presentations Are Replacing Physical Collections http://www.psfk.com/2011/02/how-digital-presentations-are-replacing-physical-collections.html Thu, 17 Feb 2011 21:00:58 +0000 rob walker-new york times magazine-stuff-websites-objectsNew York Times Magazine's columnist Rob Walker concludes his series with some final thoughts on the objects we collect and how.]]> 3 Great Kickstarter Projects To Back http://www.psfk.com/2010/09/3-great-kickstarter-projects-to-back.html Mon, 27 Sep 2010 15:58:20 +0000

PSFK suggests you support Rob Walker's Hypothetical Buildings, Adam Liebsohn's voyurl and Zack Lieberman's EyeWriter projects.

]]> The Hypothetical Development Organization http://www.psfk.com/2010/09/the-hypothetical-development-organization.html Wed, 22 Sep 2010 16:51:15 +0000 The Hypothetical Development Organization-1Rob Walker has launched a fantastic new project designed to paint a brighter hypothetical future for New Orleans.]]> Taking Funny Kitten Videos Seriously http://www.psfk.com/2010/08/taking-funny-kitten-videos-seriously.html Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:04:37 +0000 funny_cat_pictures_092What if the central question of the Internet was not whether it is making society smarter or dumber, but rather, how it reflects us?]]> The Irony Of Digital Technology http://www.psfk.com/2010/07/the-irony-of-digital-technology.html Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:18:58 +0000 According to a recent New York Times article, the more perfect our creative outputs can be, the more imperfect we yearn for them to be.]]> Physical Merit Badges Extend Online Sharing Behaviors http://www.psfk.com/2010/06/physical-merit-badges-extend-online-sharing-behaviors.html Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:54:52 +0000 foursquare merit badgesAs users become familiar with achievement systems and badges, how do these learned behaviors extend into the offline world? ]]> Value, Gift Glutting And The Future Of Facebook http://www.psfk.com/2010/06/value-gift-glutting-and-the-future-of-facebook.html Mon, 07 Jun 2010 10:51:13 +0000 Has the platform fallen to the very expectation it has sought out to provide?]]> (Video) Rob Walker: PSFK Conference New York 2010 http://www.psfk.com/2010/05/video-rob-walker-psfk-conference-new-york-2010.html Mon, 03 May 2010 19:22:02 +0000 Rob Walker discusses Significant Objects, a project aimed at exploring the fluid relationship between objects and value.]]> Rob Walker: Why Cassette Culture? http://www.psfk.com/2010/04/rob-walker-why-cassette-culture.html Thu, 29 Apr 2010 10:30:10 +0000 Does all this nostalgic reference mean we'll see the rebirth of a dated tech?]]> Rob Walker: Ignore The Marketplace – The Story Is The Value http://www.psfk.com/2010/04/rob-walker-ignore-the-marketplace-the-story-is-the-value.html Tue, 13 Apr 2010 18:06:35 +0000 Rob Walker- Ignore The Marketplace - The Story Is The ValueRob Walker started off the day at PSFK's NYC Conference on Friday, April 9 with his presentation on Significant Objects, a project aimed at exploring the fluid relationship between objects and value.]]> Rob Walker Explores Narrative And The Future Of Significant Objects http://www.psfk.com/2010/03/rob-walker-explores-narrative-and-the-future-of-significant-objects.html Wed, 31 Mar 2010 18:16:45 +0000 eBayISAPIWhat do a tiny jar of mayonnaise, a monkey hand puppet and an old pencil case have in common? Rob Walker speaks on the value-added of object storytelling.]]> (Pic) Perpetual Frustration Machine? http://www.psfk.com/2010/03/pic-perpetual-frustration-machine.html Wed, 31 Mar 2010 07:03:38 +0000 Perpetual Frustration MachineIs this tabletop device the most useless machine ever or an interesting glimpse into behavioral mechanics?]]> PSFK Conference Speaker Interview: Rob Walker http://www.psfk.com/2010/03/psfk-conference-speaker-interview-rob-walker.html Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:37:57 +0000 PSFK Conference Speaker Interview- Rob WalkerRob Walker will be one of the speakers at our upcoming PSFK Conference. Rob is the author of Buying In: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are, and his New York Times column "Consumed" offers a unique view of consumption, design and marketing.]]> PSFK Talks To Rob Walker of Significant Objects http://www.psfk.com/2010/01/psfk-talks-to-rob-walker-of-significant-objects.html Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:26:05 +0000 PSFK talks to Rob Walker about Significant Objects Volume 2.]]> Do Make Believe Histories Add Value to Our Objects? http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/significant-objects-do-make-believe-stories-add-value.html Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:36:55 +0000 13a-smilemugWhat adds value to the items we own? Beyond quantifiable and tangible factors like price, performance and comfort, we find slightly more vague notions that rely more on an emotional than intellectual response. Attaching meaning in this way, is a phenomenon Rob Walker calls an object’s narrative, the memories we associate with inanimate things, from their provenance to their mere existence at significant points in our lives. It helps explain why we hang on to wedding dresses when they no longer fit and refer to beat-up caps as our “lucky hats.” But what happens to value when we learn theRead more...]]> The New Agency Model: Doing Good? http://www.psfk.com/2009/02/the-new-agency-model-doing-good.html Thu, 26 Feb 2009 21:24:05 +0000 ad_busters_spoof_adWith ad business drying up as clients cut costs across the board, agencies suddenly find themselves in an industry with a whole lot less of everything to pitch, market and sell. While this is no doubt a bleak prospect for many agencies, author Rob Walker views the current situation as the perfect opportunity for them to work on their own ideas for a change and gasp! – maybe even do some good in the process. His suggestion – pro bono advertising on behalf of socially conscious causes. Think of it as culture jamming from the inside. But it’s not as radicalRead more...]]> The Point of Unconsumed http://www.psfk.com/2009/02/the-point-of-unconsumed.html Tue, 24 Feb 2009 14:00:29 +0000 thesummersover1Rob Walker, author behind “Buying In” and the popular “Consumed” column for the NY Times Magazine, is best known for his work that examines the fluid relationships we have with the objects in our lives – much of it dealing with the ways our purchasing habits affect us emotionally and psychologically.  And though we may have all experienced the rush of buying a pair of designer shoes, what happens when they’ve lost their luster and the “thrill” is finally gone? Whether because they no longer work or simply because we no longer want them anymore, we are constantly faced withRead more...]]> Selling To Avatars http://www.psfk.com/2006/10/selling_to_avatars.html Mon, 02 Oct 2006 15:28:31 +0000 second lifeIn his weekly Consumed column in the NY Times magazine, Rob Walker has provided a great back-to-basics guide to Second Life - for all you folk who just need a recap - with some insights into how brands (real world and Second Life) can benefit the residents.]]>