That’s what Jeff Jarvis’s new book aims to answer - not just for tech companies, but in many other industries.
In the above video he gives quick examples of this, such as crowd-sourcing automotive design and restaurant menus.
I have to say, those have to be the most un-compelling, and frankly, ill-advised ways to look at your business that he could have stated.
There’s a widely used axiom (source unknown), that goes like this…
If you asked a group of Porsche owners what they wanted they’d tell you things like, “smoother ride, more trunk space, more leg room”
They just designed a Volvo.
While crowd-sourcing can provide critical input, it’s not the formula for brand differentiation.
It’s also not universally loved within Google.
Former Google employee and Lead Designer, Doug Bowman explained his departure from Google on his blog...
“Yes, it’s true that a team at Google couldn’t decide between two blues, so they’re testing 41 shades between each blue to see which one performs better. I had a recent debate over whether a border should be 3, 4 or 5 pixels wide, and was asked to prove my case. I can’t operate in an environment like that. I’ve grown tired of debating such minuscule design decisions. There are more exciting design problems in this world to tackle.”
Putting aside Doug’s interests here, it’s clear that Google has removed the human element, the emotion, out of the design process. Now, maybe this works for a company like Google that creates things for the masses, but there are many many businesses that don’t. And even some that do, such as Apple, wouldn’t be who they are if they democratized their product creation.
For certain companies, and for specific applications, crowd-sourcing can be a powerful tool. It’s working for Google. But that doesn’t mean that it’s the new paradigm, period.
I typically don’t slam a book before I read it. And I’m sure that there’s more to glean from Google than democratized design. But between this video and the Amazon user reviews, I’m having second thoughts about picking this one up.
Great Business Week interview here with Randy Komisar about his new book Getting to Plan B. Komisar redefines Plan B for entrepreneurs and new businesses as a refinement of Plan A - a plan that iterates and improves over time with the input of empirical data. Furthermore he states that studies have shown that businesses that inflexibly stick to Plan A are more likely to fail.
Architectural visualization artist and Grizzly Bear fan Gabe Askew created this fan video for the song Two Weeks.
Gabe produced it in his free time over four months. With the recession squeezing budgets, he wasn’t able to exercise his creative muscles enough at work. He needed to do something for himself.
It’s a great example of the creativity and innovation that is produced during tough economic times.
It’s also a great example of the metamorphosis that the music industry is undergoing. Chris Anderson discusses this extensively in his new book Free.
This Ad Age video talks about how advertisers are now setting their sights on using video game engines to create real-time interactive spots.
Zoic Studios recently created one of said spots for the release of Kill Zone 2 that was broadcasted on the Sony Playstation Network. Playstation viewers were able to manipulate camera angles, view uncomposited layers, and hear commentary - all rendered in real-time.
Technologically speaking, this is huge. How effective is the execution though? Visually, it doesn’t quite do it for me. And I’d imagine that for an audience that spends a lot of time “living” in these virtual worlds, their reaction was probably the same.
That said, this is an early breakthrough. I definitely think there’s potential in the medium. Especially when you think of this stuff coupled with Microsoft’s Project Natal technology. And that includes non-game consumer products. For instance, imagine being able to “get inside” a car and zoom into the dashboard on your HD TV.
It was interesting to hear Zoic co-founder Loni Peristere talk about the creation process. He believes, and I agree, that soon the platforms for creating these experiences will be more in the hands of storytellers than technologists. The technology will be far enough along that creatives can pull from vast digital libraries.
There’s also sure to be ground-level democratized innovation on this platform as the tools become commonplace.
In a recent interview with Nevil Brody on the Design Matters podcast, a caller asked if he thought the proliferation and evolution of digital cameras will bring about the death of film-based photography.
His answer was “yes”, but his worry wasn’t about loss of quality, or the demise of an art form. His concern was that the infinite options that digital enables brings with it an overwhelming amount of choices. And too many options negatively impact the creative process.
“If only my computer had a ‘no’ function and could tell me that I was done”, he wished.
I remember reading an interview in the 80’s with Geddy Lee from the band Rush. He was complaining about the same challenges they had in the studio as they introduced more and more digital into their recording production. They never knew when the record was done.
Very early in my career I founded the short-lived magazine d8. As the founder, Creative Director and primary designer I pretty much had free creative reign. Therein lied my biggest enemy. Without any real limitations I frequently experienced decision anxiety. Looking back at the work it seems as if my design decisions were totally random - they were, actually. And the truth is, back then I lacked the experience and the discipline to create my own boundaries. It was design for design’s sake.
I’m thankful to have experienced a freedom there that most never get outside of art school. But having been there I can tell you that it’s overrated. The greener grass.
Limitations create focus, they channel the mission, they breed innovation.
Whether it’s the budget, the schedule, the client, your team, the medium, or the attention-span of your audience - welcome the limitations. If they’re not there - tighten the brief, push the team, trim the schedule, tie both hands behind your back and put the blindfold on.
Great Business Week interview here with Randy Komisar about his new book 