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September 4, 2015 - No Comments!

Friday Link Bait: Ikea Nakedness, Bootstrap Alternatives and Some Seriously Hot Books

Welcome to Friday Link Bait - September 4, 2015.

Every week, we are inundated at the office with links to technology, programming and design. We decided to put some links together for you every Friday to give you something to actually do on your weekends besides live a life. Enjoy and see you next week.

  • Ikea Bizarro Ad Campaign - The manufacturer of fantastically complex and brittle hipster furniture clearly had a conversation with their agency (in this case, Paris-based Buzzman that went something like this: "Viral is important! Viral is how you reach people and sell stuff! Show us something so perplexing and wildly preposterous that the kids will blindly share it...Bring the weirdness, you hipster design donkeys!" Said agency responds with nudity, creeps and the terror of summer camp. Viral gold, baby! Gold!!
  • Frameworks That Can (Potentially) Take over Bootstrap - We passed this along to our development department and they are investigating between afternoon shots of pop-rocks and Pepsi. Notably Foundation uses Reams to measure instead of pixels, and has UI elements baked right in – to ensure that the web will continue to look like one great big universally similar mess.
  • Founded by Victor Cheung in 2001 (same year we were founded, you rascal!), viction:ary books specializes in visual arts and design books, and boy are these books sweet. We'd like to visit them in Hong Kong and buy everything, but sadly that would mean that we would have to sell everything we own and eventually build a shelter right on Shell Street in North Point, Hong Kong – from the books we purchased. Check out the work though. Breathtaking.
  • Speaking of China...China, China, China. Donald Trump is either behind this or enjoying this 15 minutes of political viral fame. Either way, it digs into your brain like a Ceti eel from Start Trek, The Wrath of Khan.

July 3, 2014 - Comments Off on The Process of Pomp, Parade and Illuminations

The Process of Pomp, Parade and Illuminations

RoyalFireworks

Despite some historians, who have argued that India first invented fireworks, it appears that the world's largest manufacturer, and (not surprisingly) the largest exporter of fireworks - is China. Likely conceived as a means to frighten evil spirits with a loud sound (known as "bian pao"), the earliest documentation of fireworks usage dates back to 7th century China. They are generally classified as either ground or aerial, both of which I assume you can figure out.

Designing a unique fireworks display generally follows a process, whereby location plans are reviewed, an estimate is prepared and pyrotechnic designers utilize their knowledge of the correct chemicals to produce the correct mix of mojo to delight your eyes and deafen the ears. Clients review the designs and the compositions are tested before deployment into the stratosphere.

It all makes good sense, and as I've mentioned in the past, the process of creation is no more than a calculated and rational march toward the eventual delight or detriment of your intended audience. Whether it's a fireworks display or a digital experience, both have one chance to hit the mark. If it doesn't work right the first time, your crowd - whether digital or in person - will move on to the next town for their dose of delight.

If you're in America, enjoy the day off and mind your “tablet-tapping fingers” around those pesky firecrackers. John Adams envisioned fireworks to be part of the festivities of what became the Fourth of July - before the Declaration of Independence was even signed. In a letter to Abigail Adams on July 3, 1776, he noted that the occasion should be commemorated “with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”

...Let's hope your next #digitalexperience does the same for you.

Published by: davefletcher in The Thinking Mechanism
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