Hello!
I’ve never really collected anything before. When I was young I tried most things; football cards, stickers, even stamps but I never really saw the point.
The launch of iOS4 on the iphone means that people can now arrange and classify their apps into folders and perhaps most importantly, name them. The ability to add wallpaper also allows people to express their individuality which again is interesting.
‘So what?’ you might think. At first thats what I thought. It wasn’t until I began organising and renaming folders that I began to realise that this process says something about a person. It’s a window into someone’s life and the things they are interested in. Does it also say something about how people compartmentalise their lives?
I decided to create a hashtag on Twitter called #sharemyscreen. I sent the following tweet;
‘I’m building a collection.. if you have iOS4 take a screenshot of your home screen and tweet it with #sharemyscreen hashtag. Pls RT!’
and shared my home screen below;
You’ll notice the way I classify folders isn’t a normal approach but it works for me! Since the, the lovely folk on Twitter have been retweeting my request and theres quite a selection growing. I’m going to share some below, with their owners twitter names so you can follow/sayhi/copy!
@Antalianna
@michaelvermaak
@jamescastleton
@DaveTreadwell
@mazherabidi
@AMonkster
@KDonohoe
@Scott0792
@Warrior7885
@makauk
@ulumarketing
If you’d like to share how you compartmentalise, please post a screenshot on Twitter using the hashtag #sharemyscreen and let me know @richard_baker
© richard baker 2010
It’s not often I come across a product that really impresses me. For me to blog about it is ever rarer.
The Bobble is a simple, elegant and beautifully designed idea that reduces the environmental impact of millions of plastic mineral water bottles. In the UK alone there were 2.09 billion litres drunk last year (source: britishbottledwater.org). Thats a lot of money spent on water!
The bobble is a clear, PET bottle with a coloured carbon filter that filters tap water and can be used over 300 times before a new carbon filter is needed. That’s about two months worth.
Lets say you buy one bottle of mineral water a day. That’s gonna cost you at least £56 every two months compared to the £6.77 plus shipping the Bobble would cost you (and thats the initial cost, the refills cost even less).
But its not the cost that appeals to me, it’s the convenience. If I run out at work, I can just fill it up at a drinking water tap. Same for the gym.
The bottle looks good too, designed by the prolific and gifted designer Karim Rashid who designed, among other things, the Issey Miyake perfume bottle.
Its a cheap, convenient alternative to buying expensive bottled water. I’ve ordered a couple today and I’ll let you know how I get on via Twitter.
waterbobble.com
By Rich Baker
One of the areas I am studying as part of an MBA involves a look at how innovation and creativity manifest themselves in individuals and organisations.
Part of this considers the perception we have of intuition. Rather than it be a ‘magical’ ability that some possess and others do not, it is argued that intuition is more a matter of ‘expert recognition’ i.e. a ‘by-product of of training and experience that has been stored as knowledge’. (Simons, 1988).
Traditionally, in the West we have always sought to rationalise decision making, and this has implications upon the value placed upon both individuals in organisations, and the role they play. I have a friend who has little ‘formal’ education, but is an insightful people manager who always seems to know what to say and when to achieve the best out of people, in sometimes complex political environments. Luckily the organisation in which she works recognises this, and she holds a senior leadership position.
Similarily, our judgement is affected by patterns that might seem rational, are in fact a product of what we might expect to happen.
Try this test;
Which of the following birth orders is more likely?
BGBBGB
or
BBBBGB
Most people assume the first, in actual fact both are as likely to happen.The same would be true if we were to toss coins. This is what is called representativeness bias. (Thanks to the Open University for the exercise).
I’m interested in the impact this has not only on the individual, but also upon decision making in organisations. How do we reduce bias, but harness and leverage intuition?
Thoughts? Does your business/organisation place value upon tacit knowledge or ‘intuition’?
If you are a regular reader of my blog you will know that I eat, sleep and breathe analogue and digital engagement and study the impact it has on people, organisations and wider society.
I’ve been thinking about starting my own business for some time. I’ve had many ideas but never felt my offer or the ethos behind the venture was something people would really value. Until now.
That’s why I’m excited to tell you that my new company – Conversational UK – officially launches within a week. It’s an exhilarating and challenging time for me; I also launch a new website and this blog will become a part of it. There will be a few surprises too…
I’ll keep you informed on progress here and you will be among the first to see the site when I ‘flip the switch’.
Thank you for all your support and encouragement. Please continue to let me know your thoughts and opinions. I value them all.
Wish me luck!
Rich
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