Russell Davies

real designer of genius

Stefan has been on fire recently. First this brilliant guide to how to win design awards (or at least how to think about what the judges are going through) and then this great advice to young designers. Top stuff.

things collide

The Lovesters are looking for help with a book they're working on - on hybrid culture; the moments where seemingly unconnected things collide and blend together. More details here. Have a look and lend them a hand if you can.

pizza privacy

Click here for a brilliant animated presentation by George Toft about the future of pizza delivery (making a larger point about privacy). A) it's a fantastic way to illustrate a point. Relatively easy to do but hugely compelling. B) it's a great point to make. Goes to show that just because we can do something, doesn't mean we should. And customer service can do easily tip over into customer abuse.

It's been about for ages, but I just heard about it on Culture Shock and found it via this LSE blog. (Culture Shock also features Piers and is well worth listening to.)

football mad

A friend of mine is looking for some help - he wondered if any of you might chip in - here's what he's after:

We need to find the best football related websites in the world. Where do people go if they are into football? They can be manufacturer brands, TV channel brands, website brands, blogs, fanzines, magazines, newspapers, content providers – anything that you think is worth looking at if you’re into football.

Anyone got any suggestions? (And we mean football as in soccer, not as in gridiron). One randomly selected commenter will win a reasonably desirable football-related prize.

thanks for this.

battle of the album covers

This seems like one of those things that everyone must have seen by now. I feel like I must have just missed it all over the blogosphere. But Stefan sent it me, and it's fantastic so I must share it.

It's a kind of  battle of the album covers and you can watch it here. Directed by Ugly Pictures. Animated by Man vs Magnet.

croquet anyone?

Is there anyone out there who can build us a croquet environment?

TED, guilt, contrition, happiness

The good folk at TED were kind enough to make me an honourary TED blogger a while ago. And it's just occured to me that since getting back from holiday I've been completely slack about posting anything. Apologies to them. As some small measure of penance I'd like to point out that there's a bunch of absolutely top-notch new video on TED talks. My personal favourites are Daniel Gilbert, Mena Trott and, of course, the sainted Malcolm Gladwell. (I know I'm supposed to be able to embed the video in here, they're very good about making that available, and I've done it before, but i can't seem to make it work. Oh well. I'm presuming you all know what video looks like. You know, like photos, but moving.) Check them out. Embed them on your own blogs. Then maybe TED will forgive me.

the next blogosphere over

I've been conscious of late that I'm starting to bore myself with all this talk about brands and marketing and blah blah blah. So God knows what it's doing to you. I'm just not sure there's that much left to say. Doesn't everyone now know what to do? We just have to do it.

So I've been consciously trying to extend out a little into the next streets along on the blogosphere, places that are related enough that I understand what's going on but not so likely to break into reflexive snorts at the mention of One World Equity.

Some of the interesting places I've found in my wandering/wondering are:

         

The Creative Review blog is lovely. Magazines seem to find it hard to know what to do with a blog but CR is doing it really well. This little piece on the aesthetics of myspace is typically smart. (And I stole the idea of using pimpmyspace off them.)

I read The New Yorker a lot (which I realise makes me look rather pretentious). And I'm always excited when an Alex Ross piece crops up. I very rarely understand what he's talking about, I've almost never heard the music he discusses but his intelligence and enthusiasm is energising and infectious. His blog is the same.

It's always a good idea to keep an idea on what Kevin Kelly is keeping an eye on. Cool Tools has been a favourite for a while, there are always things you want but don't need. But in a solid, practical, men and sheds kind of way. But Street Use is genius. See the world through the eyes of technological improvisers.

I just love the way everything on slowmotionlandscape looks. Especially the moleskine notebooks.

Mind Hacks is the blog of the book; "Neuroscience and psychology tricks to find out what's going on inside your brain." There's always something to puzzle or intrigue you. Or failing that something you can mention to someone to look clever.

husbandly pride

I always think it's a shame that Anne doesn't write more on her blog. I like what she writes. But I don't think she has the same ego-need as me to blog her whole life away. Anyway, I felt I had to share this thing she wrote for The Guardian a while ago. If you can't cope with the tiny type in the jpg it's on the Guardian site here. (It's possible I've linked to this before, I was very excited when it came out, but I can't find it, so here it is. Possibly again.)

cup of tea, think

For those that are interested, I've just added a bunch of new places to agoodplaceforacupofteaandathink.com