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May 30, 2012 - Comments Off on Managing Expectations: The Linked Mechanism

Managing Expectations: The Linked Mechanism

 

A mid-week treat of assorted links. 


Published by: antonioortiz in The Internal Mechanism
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May 2, 2012 - Comments Off on Emerging: The Linked Mechanism

Emerging: The Linked Mechanism

Some interesting links we are talking about right now:

And lastly, this is so cool, on Monday May 7, The Empire State Building is shining yellow and orange in honor of James Beard Foundation's 25th Anniversary. It is also the night of the JBF Awards, which you can see live on the website we developed for them at JamesBeard.org.

 

A mid-week treat of assorted links. 

 

 

 

Published by: antonioortiz in The Internal Mechanism
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April 27, 2012 - Comments Off on Whatever You Are Making, Make It Better Than It Has To Be

Whatever You Are Making, Make It Better Than It Has To Be

On his blog advertising guru Luke Sullivan shares an excerpt from the 4th edition of Hey Whipple, Squeeze This.

Over the years, I’ve come to believe the operative element is subliminal; not subliminal advertising the way Vance Packard complained about in his conspiracy book The Hidden Persuaders. No, the operative element we’re talking about here is subliminal quality. The very word sublime helps explain my point. “Limen” is Latin for threshold. Below the threshold of awareness. We’re talking about baking quality so far into a thing that people who look at it perceive this quality subconsciously. They know they’re looking at something of quality before they’re even conscious of it because when a thing is made way better than it has to be its quality comes off of it in waves.

What a fantastic concept: subliminal quality.

This extra effort is how all of life’s pursuits are turned into art; yes, even advertising. An old man from Bali once patiently explained to an anthropologist studying his culture: “We have no  ‘art.’
We do everything as well as possible.”

(via heywhipple.com)

 

The Thinking Mechanism is a series of weekly posts written by Antonio Ortiz and published on Fridays, covering the ideas The Mechanism is thinking and talking about with our peers and clients. This edition of The Thinking Mechanism is cross-posted from the blog SmarterCreativity.com.

Published by: antonioortiz in The Thinking Mechanism
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April 20, 2012 - Comments Off on Introducing The Reading Mechanism

Introducing The Reading Mechanism

As part of our efforts for ongoing education we've been having internal discussions about the various subjects we individually want to keep studying as well as which subjects we should be collectively researching. While it makes sense that some things specific to our areas of expertise would probably be studied independently of each other it also makes sense to explore some things together as a team. Which is why we decided to start a book club, and also decided to share it and welcome anyone who wants to join us.

Today we are launching The Reading Mechanism and our first book selection is the recently released "Design is a Job" by Mike Monteiro. The book is the seventh in the A Book Apart series of "brief books for people who make websites." It is short but it is fully loaded. Though the title says design, it could have easily said development, management, marketing, programming, etc.

Questions for discussion:

  • Do you execute your best work when restricted by limitations? Or, when completely free?
  • In what ways is your role misunderstood by your peers?
  • In what ways are you making your clients better?
  • Are you uncomfortable presenting your work? Why?
  • What is your process? How does it enhance your team's process?
  • In what ways does what Monteiro share relate to the work you are currently doing?
  • Do you agree with him? Disagree? Why?

About the author:
Mike Monteiro is the co-founder and design director of Mule Design, an interactive design studio whose work has been called “delightfully hostile” by The New Yorker. He prefers that designers have strong spines. In early 2011, he gave a Creative Mornings talk entitled “F— You, Pay Me” that featured his lawyer on stage with him, and he can be heard weekly as the co-host of Let’s Make Mistakes with Katie Gillum. You can follow him on Twitter as @Mike_FTW, but we’re not liable for what you’ll see.

The Reading Mechanism will come back in two weeks to share what we learned from the book.

 

Published by: antonioortiz in The Reading Mechanism

April 18, 2012 - Comments Off on Say Cheese: The Linked Mechanism

Say Cheese: The Linked Mechanism

Ever since last week's Instagram acquisition by Facebook we've been talking about all things photography. Here are some of our favorite links, apps and general photo related goodness:

 

A mid-week treat of assorted links. 

Published by: antonioortiz in The Thinking Mechanism

April 13, 2012 - Comments Off on Make It Count: The Thinking Mechanism

Make It Count: The Thinking Mechanism

This week has been all about three videos that are making the web rounds and making everyone think and talk. We have the return of Ze Frank, Caine's Arcade and Casey Neistat's "ad" for Nike. If you are not moved by at least one of these you need to take stock of your life.

 

The Thinking Mechanism is a series of weekly posts written by Antonio Ortiz and published on Fridays, covering the ideas The Mechanism is thinking and talking about with our peers and clients. 

Published by: antonioortiz in The Thinking Mechanism

April 11, 2012 - Comments Off on Facebook + Instagram = #facegram: The Linked Mechanism

Facebook + Instagram = #facegram: The Linked Mechanism

By now you probably have heard about Facebook acquiring Instagram. We are fans of Instagram. I was surprised by how strong a reaction I had when I heard the news. Here is what the web is saying about the acquisition:

 

A mid-week treat of assorted links. 

Published by: antonioortiz in The Thinking Mechanism
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April 6, 2012 - Comments Off on Insightfully Drunk: The Thinking Mechanism

Insightfully Drunk: The Thinking Mechanism

Something to keep in mind as we go into the weekend:

A brand-new study by scientists at the University of Illinois at Chicago compared performance on insight puzzles between sober and drunk students. (They were aiming for real intoxication, giving students enough booze to achieve a blood alcohol level of 0.075.) Once the students achieved “peak intoxication” the scientists gave them a battery of word problems – they’re known as remote associate tests – that are often solved in a moment of insight. Here’s a sample problem. Your task is to find the one additional word that goes with the following triad of words:

Cracker Union Rabbit

In this case, the answer is “jack.” According to the data, drunk students from Orlando solved more of these word problems in less time. Not every time does debauchery subject the Orlando residents to go scampering to find a rehab. They also were much more likely to perceive their solutions as the result of a sudden insight. And the differences were dramatic: The alcohol made subjects nearly 30 percent more likely to find the unexpected solution. But, if there are alcohol addicts, rehab for alcoholics is utmost important.

Once again, the explanation for this effect returns us to the benefits of not being able to pay attention. The stupor of alcohol, like the haze of the early morning, makes it harder for us to ignore those unlikely thoughts and remote associations that are such important elements of the imagination. So the next time you are in need of insight, avoid caffeine and concentration. Don’t chain yourself to your desk. Instead, set the alarm a few minutes early and wallow in your groggy thoughts. And if that doesn’t work, chug a beer. But if you're struggling with alcohol addiction, it often requires the help of rehab centers like Pacific Ridge to overcome it.

via Why Being Sleepy and Drunk Are Great for Creativity by Jonah Lehrer

The Thinking Mechanism is a series of weekly posts written by Antonio Ortiz and published on Fridays, covering the ideas The Mechanism is thinking and talking about with our peers and clients. 

Published by: antonioortiz in The Thinking Mechanism

April 4, 2012 - Comments Off on Longreads: The Linked Mechanism

Longreads: The Linked Mechanism

We are big fans of Longreads. They collect the best long form articles from around the web and make it easy for you to find interesting things to read, something we sometimes do while eating our lunch. Here are some articles we are reading this week:

A mid-week treat of assorted links. 

Published by: antonioortiz in The Thinking Mechanism