Posted by Tim Leberecht - January 6, 2009
read more comments (2)
Posted by DONG XI - January 3, 2009
全球化(Globalization)与本地化(Localization)作为两股强大的相对势力，为人们津津乐道，两方阵营都论据充分。日趋快捷的交通和便利的通讯把地球变成一个村，资源全球性调配，充分体现了世界贸易的由来，资源A地和资源B地相互提供产品和服务，扩大了市场，而且资源运用地更有效率。发展至今，离岸经济已经成为保证世界日常运转重要的一环。这不仅对于把呼叫中心放在印度的500强公司很重要，也是Tim Ferriss《每周工作四小时》的奥秘所在。
另一方面，本地化的号角也没有减弱。全球化使得资本化走向极端，压迫发展中国家的资源，挤兑无数发达地区的本地从业人员，带来巨大的危机感和潜在社会问题。Wal-Mart首当其冲，繁盛扩张之时，所到之处，总是引起很多投诉。
read more comments (0)
Posted by Tim Leberecht - January 1, 2009
2009 will be a year of major uncertainty. The doom and gloom of the economic downturn, the deterioration of mass markets, the pervasiveness of the digital lifestyle, a host of explosive political conflicts, and the fragmentation of traditional societal institutions are causing anxiety and propel a new search for simplicity and non-economic value systems.
read more comments (2)
Posted by Tim Leberecht - December 31, 2008
Location matters. Black Swan-author Nassim Nicholas Taleb finds "living in big cities invaluable because you increase the odds of serendipitous encounters – you gain exposure to the envelope of serendipity." That's particularly true for romance. People move to big cities not to advance their careers, party, escape, disappear, be a star, and so on. The chick-flick fan that I am, I remember very well that candid line from Sex and the City (the movie): "I came to New York City to fall in love." Exactly. "Anyone who's predicting the decline of big cities has already met their spouse," writes Clay Shirky.
read more comments (2)
Posted by DONG XI - December 29, 2008
《环球企业家》中国年度最佳产品设计奖
创新助企业成就基业常青。21世纪的工业创新，从上世纪90年代的“科技创新”一变而为“设计创新”，高品质工业产品不仅具有实用性能，而且体现“人性化”理念的卓越设计。立足中国、竞争全球的时代，“中国制造”向“中国创造”全面转型的时机逐步成熟，科技进步致力满足人性需求，外观设计越来越成为企业产品差异化和树立品牌的主要手段之一。
以推动中国商业国际化为依归，在“环球商业，中国创意”的主题下，环球企业家杂志社邀请青蛙设计担任这次“中国年度最佳产品设计奖”的顾问， 本次大奖主要推选以中国市场为服务对象的高水准设计产品和公司，为中国创意工业的崛起提供助力。
read more comments (2)
Posted by Tim Leberecht - December 26, 2008
In reviewing this year’s design highlights, I came across a quite disturbing set of seven portraits originally presented at the Dutch Design Week this Fall. Corpus 2.0 by Marcia Nolte illustrates how the human body could adjust itself to the design of products, including a hole in the lips for smokers (above) and an extended shoulder for holding a phone (below). Product design as body enhancement.
read more comments (0)
Posted by Tim Leberecht - December 23, 2008
frog design was asked by Newsweek magazine to provide ideas and design direction for “resurrecting the Republican brand,” featured in this week's (December 29) print issue. frog was one of four "hot (and nonpartisan) design firms" that Newsweek invited. Besides frog, the full-page feature presents concepts by Pentagram, Razorfish, and The Groop. The article is not available online (yet) so check it out at a news stand (and support print media!).
read more comments (2)
Posted by Tim Leberecht - December 23, 2008
When Twitter made its first big appearance (at SXSW Interactive in 2007), it was a relatively small community of techies and web 2.0 geeks. Now it's mainstream and keeps growing at an explosive rate. HubSpot, the developer of Twitter Grader, just released its "State of the Twittersphere" report. The report reveals that an estimated 5,000-10,000 new Twitter accounts are opened every day.
read more comments (1)
Posted by frogs on the road - December 23, 2008
Design seems to behave in a reactionary manner; a trend towards minimalism will find a reaction in emotive expression, while a push toward digital might be met with a return to analog. This makes sense, as design – as a human phenomenon – is as dialectic as politics or economics. I’m aware of trends that are happening right now, because I’m helping push those trends with my day to day work.
read more comments (2)
