Design Principles for a Postmodern World

I had the honor of speaking at the Seattle Interactive conference this week.  It was a great event and I recommend it for anyone in the technology industry (or thinking of making the switch over). 

As part of my talk I suggested a number of design principles for the postmodern world, which I wanted to share here.  These are simply thought starters.  I would love your feedback and ideas.

Sensational Awareness

• Don’t be afraid of human experiences.
• Allow for sensational data input—especially emotional data.
• Integrate sensational data with quantitative data for deeper context and connections.

Asynchronous Synergy

• Assume a social world.
• Design for chronous and/or kairos, as appropriate.
• Looks for deconstructed ways to sync. 

Inherent Learning

• Think about a world beyond classification.
• Enable unique realizations and learning (both user and system) through pattern recognition.
• Look for data everywhere—from people and from things.

Oh and if you'd like to see my deck, you can find it here.

The Post Modern Reality: Connecting in a Deconstructed World

I am delighted to be speaking at Seattle Interactive Conference this year.  There are some great people speaking and the interactive community is fantastic.  If you're interested in attending, there's still time to register for Seattle Interactive.

Oh, and here's a description of my talk:

The Post Modern Reality: Connecting in a Deconstructed World

You’re constantly on multiple screens! Work-life balance has turned into work-life blending! No one knows how to spell anymore! Could these we signs of the apocalypse? We think not. Rather than suggesting impending doom, these new ways of living are signs that we have entered a post-modern era.  The challenge is that we are resistant to letting go of old norms. Join Laura Porto Stockwell to learn how communication technologies have shaped the way we think about time, space and community over the past 4,000 years; gain insights into how to design for a post-modern world and see how these approaches have been applied to help organizations move boldly into the future.

Coca-Cola and content strategy's watershed moment

Almost 14 years ago I joined a San Fransisco based Web shop called Ikonic Interactive.  It was 1998, but the agency was ahead of its time. I learned a lot about digital during my time there, but most importantly I learned about Content Strategy.

Content Strategy.  

While I had never heard that phrase before--even though I had a journalism degree and had worked at a number of offline and online publications--I knew instantly what it was. You see, content in the digital space is different.  It's not typical "creative" content because it goes beyond the tagline and the 30-second spot. It also isn't typical editorial content, as there is often a marketing bent to it.  Yet it isn't brochureware either, it is more grounded, more genuine. In addition, content in the digital space behaves differently--it can be dynamically delivered, tagged, searched and reused.  It is separate from form, and it is alive.

There's an active and growing content strategy community, but for the most part, content is still a hard sell.  That's why, when I read what Coca-Cola is doing with its Content 2020 initiative, I couldn't help but get excited.

The direction is the brainchild of Jonathan Mildenhall, Coca-Cola's VP Global Advertising Strategy and Creative Excellence. According to Mildenhall, to engage consumers and own a share of the cultural conversation, one must create content  with true editorial value that provokes conversations. That may seem simple, but after 40 years of advertising culture, and an odd obsession with the likes of Don Draper, it's a major shift. 

Mildenhall goes on. Content must provide value and significance. It must tell stories but also be measurable. It must be liquid and sharable across devices. At a high level this may not sound new, but the details of the approach are what make it special.

It's true that other companies have used content in engaging ways in the digital space, but Mildenhall embraces content in a new way. He isn't trying to desperately recreate the 30-second spot but rather move beyond it.   And that is what is so awesome about his plan.

The following videos explain these concepts eloquently.  I encourage you to watch them.  Viva la content strategy!

Why thinking big is so hard in the digital space and why we can't give up

I've been thinking a lot lately about thinking big.  


It's not easy, at least not for most of us, for it requires an abundance of confidence coupled with the tenacity to work though, or at least sit with, uncertainty.


What's made me think about thinking big is an especially exciting project that I've had the opportunity to work on recently with a great team of digital pro's. But we're at that point where it's just frustrating and tough and we all kinda want to give up or give in to a good, but not great, idea.  


Part of what is so challenging is the digital space, meaning that we are ever so aware of  an actual person, that's not us, who will be involved in the experience. Unlike traditional media, interactive can't be pushed on people.  It's not a 10-second spot that someone sits through because they're too lazy to get off the couch. They choose to interact and to get involved ... or to walk away.  


About five years ago I was working on the redesign of a Fortune 10 site.  We developed what we thought was an excellent design.  But when we went into usability, it confused the users.  We watched every single user get frustrated with the experience.  It was so consistent that we had to rethink our entire design. One only needs to sit through a usability study like that once to truly understand that, in the digital space, you are accountable to your user.


And that's great.  It's how it should be.  But it can also be debilitating. It can make you think maybe a bit too much about every single pixel on a page. 


What the team is up against in the current project is trying to convey a great deal of information in a different type of digital medium (I wish I could say more but I can't). Do we develop a contextual storytelling experience or an experience that is less linear and based more in discovery?  Do we use time as a navigational element to provide context or does that make finding information too cumbersome? These are just a few of the questions we are asking ourselves, or shall I say, spinning out on.


So today we are taking a step back and giving ourselves a little room to think bigger. It's very easy to get into the weeds when designing for interaction but sometimes one can focus too much on one leaf on one branch on one tree ... and lose site of the glorious forest. 


It would be really easy to quit right now as we have a number of solid designs done. But we're missing the big one, the one that will make the user go "aahhhh." If we quit now we would not only fail our client but we would fail ourselves.  


So we're keeping at it.
If you have any ideas on how to think big in the digital space please let us know.  We would be delighted to hear from you.

How to hold the bestest brainstorm ever

As part of my job I hold lots of brainstorms. They're an essential part of the strategic and creative process, as they get a diverse group of people thinking about the same topic in a small space. This inevitably leads to a good cross section of ideas and ultimately sparks new ones.

I believe there's more to holding a brainstorm than simply sending an invite. Here's a seven-step process for holding your "bestest" brainstorm ever.

1. Invite the right people
Your brainstorm is only as good as its attendees.  Make sure you have the right people in the room, and make sure you have a diverse group as well.  Participants should either be subject matter experts in some way (topic, client or technology), or could even be the intended target.

2. Define a purposeWhy are you holding this brainstorm? What are the client's goals? Is it to develop a marketing approach, a social strategy, a creative direction? With limited time it's essential that everyone understands the purpose up front.

3. Provide background
Spending the first 15 to 20 minutes of a brainstorm briefing everyone on the project's background sets the brainstorm up for success. Typically, that includes running the team through a short deck or brief that provides insights into to the the target user, the marketplace (trends, competitors, etc.) and any other key findings. A framework to brainstorm around is also important, as it provides structure for your participants to work within. For example, a "day in the life" in which participants can brainstorm how a user might interact with a brand throughout a typical day.

4. Embrace sticky pads
I'm a big fan of balancing individual contributions with the group's thoughts and I think sticky's are a good way to do this. Typically, I will ask everyone to spend a few minutes writing down their ideas (one per sticky note) and then get them up on the wall so that everyone can look at all of the ideas together. I like having people "cluster" ideas together so it's easy to walk through the ideas at a higher level as a group. In reviewing ideas, be sure to document any new ones that come up.

5. Boil it down
The first round of brainstorming is often a throw away. That's not to say there won't be some good stuff. There may be and I would suggest pulling out a few of the best ideas and prioritizing those. Overall, though, the first round is just your starting point.

6. Pushing for the good stuff
More often than not, the really good ideas come after everyone gets their initial thoughts out. Ironically, this is also the time when people feel like they are all out of good ideas. Push them! That may mean letting the group sit, staring into space, or with pen in hand not sure what else to write. People will most likely get antsy or may even want to leave. Wait it out and be sure to schedule enough time (90-120 minutes) for the session so that you can get past this point.

7. Define next steps
If you have the time I would suggest grouping participants in two's or three's and having them take a few ideas and come back a day or two later with additional thoughts. Following up is key or else you may lose momentum.

That's my approach to a good brainstorm.  Do you have additional ideas? I'd love to hear them!

Mobile is the new cigarette

I’ve long held a theory that the mobile phone is the new cigarette.

I mean, think about it.  Other than the harmful effects to one’s health and the horrible smell, cigarettes could be considered a useful too.  They provide something to do when a person is bored, or needs a break, or fels uncomfortable in a situation and needed something to do. They also provide an excuse to strike up a conversation with a fellow smoker.

That is so often how we use mobile phones. They are a remedy for boredom, stress, awkwardness and loneliness. They are perfect for waiting in line, looking busy at a party where you don’t know anyone or taking a mental break from whatever you are doing.  And they’re even better than smoking because no one knows what you are doing on your phone—you could be checking an important email or you could be playing Angry Birds, who’s to say?

From a brand and marketing standpoint, mobile provides a wonderful opportunity in this way because the goal, when looked at from this standpoint, is to provide someone with a welcome distraction. 

We know that successful apps (and sites) tend to be useful or entertaining.  But they are also often simple.  It’s a different way to think about mobile.  What if you didn’t need to cram every piece of our company’s website into a handheld device, but rather all you needed to do was engage someone on the simplest of terms?  What if you could give them something to help entertain them just for a moment, or feel less alone?

Mobile isn’t easy by any means but when we approach it from this standpoint the challenge may be a bit less daunting.  So how will you provide your users with a welcome distraction?  It’s something to think about.

Why I haven't blogged in 100 days

I'm working on a new post, coming soon. In the meantime, meet Nicholas.