Nur Ahmad Furlong

Category: Creative Thinking

Ad Designed with no electricity, Ogilvy tackles Power Crisis
I found this interesting story on biz-community.com
Ogilvy Cape Town’s art director Jennifer Macfarlane and copy writer Cuan Cronwright are the winners of The Times Young Creatives Competition, held 23 â€“ 26 February 2008 at this year’s Design Indaba Expo.

A PR stunt no doubt saw creatives pitting their skills against each other in a fishbowl style space with Public onlookers. Pity the procedings had to be screened on Plasma screens which would have used a fair amount of power themselves. Kind of defeats the purpose a little but I suppose it was about driving a message home and this little stunt certainly did that.
The winning agency was rewarded with a full page ad they can use for any pro bono client of their choice worth about R50000. Check out the article with all the details.
February 29, 2008
Why use Design in business
The Business Case for developing a more Design Centric Operation
The aim of this article is to bring out some of the benefits of having a design centric operation, one which appreciates the value design has to offer to all aspects of ones business, and using design as an integral part of a profit generating strategy.
As a designer I am always questioned about the need for design within a business and the value or purpose it serves. A discussion with one of my peers lead to some introspection and research to uncover the facts behind this supposed mystery.
How do we quantify Design Value?
To many business people it’s difficult to quantify the effect design might have on their business. This is true for all aspects of the business and all forms of design, be it web, print, internal(within the company), external(customer focused), for products, services, communication and aesthetic purposes. The best way to quantify the value design has to offer is to analyse how design has added value to companies who are Design Centric. Design Centris meaning those who appreciate and employ design to enhance business value.
Insights from US & UK Design Research
Research done in both the US and Britain have shown conclusively that design has a positive impact on the performance, profitability and positive image of companies across a wide spectrum of industries. The “Value of Design Fact Finder” study, done in the UK, had the following to say about the impact of design on business performance:
Businesses which use design perform better than their rivals. There’s unmistakable proof of that in our Value of Design Factfinder, a unique online information tool.
The Value of Design Factfinder was launched in June 2006 and shows the positive impact of design on practically every measure of business performance, including market share, growth, productivity, share price and competitiveness.
In businesses where design is integral to operations, over three quarters say they’ve increased their competitiveness and turnover through design. Similarly, four out of five (79%) businesses that believe design is integral to their business think that design’s importance to competitiveness has risen over the past decade.
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February 15, 2008
Simple resources to combat Global Warming
Working on the SA Climate Crisis logo design for Andre Bothma, lead me to finding some interesting resources online. There’s a ton of stuff out there to help us focus on cutting down our carbon footprints and live a life which is less taxing on the environment. One site in particular, live-the-solution.com, has a collection of resources which though very simplistic in nature does an excellent job in conveying the appropriate information without all the jargon and confusing bar charts.
The following mind map is an excellent example and is available for free to download, spread and share with everyone. It gives simple practical solutions we can all identify with and can definitely start working on right now.
A Few other mindmaps found on the same site explain the impact and science of Global Warming in a plain and simple manner. These can all be found on a mind maps page which conveys a straightforward yet highly effective message in a visual language we can all understand.
Why use Mindmaps?
Mind maps are an excellent tool for conveying a mixture of elements & ideas especially when these ideas are linked together. A mind map can condense a whole body of knowledge into a single diagram thereby shorting the time it takes to explain something complex in a dragged out step by step manner.
The mind-maps have been collated and expanded upon in the e-book developed by Jane Genovese, public speaker, university graduate of Law and Arts and passionate global warming advocate.
The drawings and mind maps developed to convey her message connect with the viewer even though they have been roughly sketched with simple ink pens found in any child’s stationery kit.
It shows the author’s deep understanding of the subject and appreciation for human interaction and communication.
The structure of this beautifully put together little e-book is another point to note. It takes the reader through a necessary cycle from the point of apathy, to the wake up call, why there is a need to change, what to change and how to change it. The author’s understanding of psychology helps her get inside the mind of the person on the street and understand the thought processes and emotions involved in this issue.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
Why We Need Change
Chapter 1: Waking Up
Chapter 2: Understanding Global Warming
Chapter 3: The Big Polluters
Chapter 4: Too Close for Comfort: Overpopulation
What to Change
Chapter 5: You Have the Power!
Chapter 6: What about the Government?
How to Change
Chapter 7: Itâ€™s Time for Change
Chapter 8: Goal Setting for a Liveable Planet
Chapter 9: Connecting with Nature
Who Has Changed
Chapter 10: Itâ€™s OK, Youâ€™re Not Alone!
It goes to show that big budgets are not necessarily a major requirement to producing and spreading ideas which can change the world.
Spread the word
I recommend taking a look at live-the-solution.com, viewing the mind maps page , downloading the e-book and maybe sharing it with your friends, family, colleagues, whoever. Blog about it, print the mind maps and stick them up somewhere where they could make a difference.
A huge thanks to Jane Genovese for the excellent work put into producing such engaging content for such an important issue.
February 5, 2008
An e-Napkin for those coffee shop Brainstorms – I’d buy one of these
Yanko Design is one of my Favourite sources of juicy product design from the drawing boards of some of the most forward thinking product designers out there. Design Sojourn drew my attention to another insanely cool product idea they’re showcasing. Recently I blogged about Sustainable sneakers, e-Write Boards and the MacBook Air but this next product is in a whole other league. Pity it doesn’t really exist, but we can play pretend can’t we.
A high tech e-Napkin design tablet thinga majig.
It’s an idea I’m sure many a designer has day-dreamed about,imagining what a utopian dream world they could create if only their tools were … “Hey, snap out of it”. Ok Ok, I know it’s just an idea, but you have to give it to the people who put this presentation together, very slick. We have to think big and dare to be different before we can really achieve something truly innovative. Someone has to be willing to start putting the pen to paper on these crazy cool ideas and motivating the scientists to get their nano’s in order. Check these out.
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January 27, 2008
Macbook Air, a breath of freshness
Can someone hire me for a high paying project right now please so I can order one of these beauties. I’ve been waiting for ages for a notebook which is as light and easy to carrying around as this one. There loads of tablet PC’s and other mini-laptop types out there but this one is a breath of fresh air. Apple just keep pushing it and don’t seem to have a sniff of competition when it comes to design, visual design that is.
MacBook Air takes light & slick to a new level
So what’s so cool about this new edition to the Mac family. Well, it’s the thinnest notebook I’ve ever seen, nearly as thin as your index finger according to Apple, depends on the size of your fingers I suppose.
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January 22, 2008
Brand? Branding? branded? What is a Brand?
With all the talk about Brands, Branding, Brand Building, Brand Strategy you’d think that the meaning of the word Brand was clear, and that this crucial aspect of business would be one which is clearly understood.
The reality, however, is very different. Many business people are still struggling to come to terms with exactly what a Brand is and how to build it. I just “AskedWiki” the question: What is a Brand?, and this is what they served up:
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol, or other feature that distinguishes products and services from competitive offerings, as defined by the American Marketing Association; however, according to The Chartered Institute of Marketing, a brand represents the consumers’ experience with an organization, product, or service.
The roots of Branding – a little history
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December 18, 2007