This box of New York garbage, previously priced at $10 and now up to $100/cube, proves that packaging is everything. Past coworkers once commented that packaging design wasn't important, so Justin Gignac sought to prove them wrong. Amazing what a little facelift can do for something that has no value. Design, FTW! Read more at the DieLine. [Source: The DieLine > NPR] The way food is listed on a menu can influence how we order. If prices are placed all along the right column, diners will simply scan them and order the cheapest; whereas if prices are located after a sumptous entree description, guests will be caught up in what sounds the most appealing. The upper right hand corner of a two page menu catches the eye the most, so the more lucrative dishes should be placed there, with cheaper entrees (e.g. chicken) more hidden. And of course, as any good copywriter will prove, words are everything. "What would you rather eat, plain grilled chicken or flame-broiled chicken with a garlic rub? Scrambled eggs or farm-fresh eggs scrambled in butter?" Great TIME magazine article featuring menu engineer Gregg Rapp.
I stumbled upon the blog Stuff Korean Moms Like. Of course you have to take everything with a grain, nay, a chunk of salt, but I thought that #47 Arguing Over the Bill had many gems (including personal truths). Bring on the fight!
Currently listening to: Colors - Amos Lee ft Norah Jones
I'm not much of a design head, but I ardently wish that I could be, so today I wanted to post some fun Hong Kong logos. Chicken on the Run (food joint that offers fresh, never-frozen free range chicken) China Light and Power (中華電力) - I didn't realize until someone pointed it out to me recently that the logo reflects both the Chinese and English name of the company. Look for the character 中 and the intials CLP. In the same vein, the logo for the city incorporates the Chinese characters (香港) into an image of a flying dragon. Environmental Protection Department (EPD) British photographer Tim Flach's stunning Equus work and a piece from his main portfolio. [Source: URLesque > Retarded's Notebook] Yahoo! of course didn't put these up until after I posted yesterday, so I am adding them today. The second Yahoo!News image is of Hong Kong's main financial area, before and during Earth Hour.
Hello my dear friends. I hope you've all had a great Saturday (or are about to have, for those of you just getting started).
Earth Hour just took place! Today I saw ads in the local supermarket (Park N' Shop), Starbucks, and on a bunch of youths' t-shirts.
My family (Dad joined in this year!) spent some good quality time together and, as tradition goes, I did the dishes again. And of course put my camera to work. It's so cool that we can participate together in an event globally. 24 hours of lights off. Seems like there is increased buzz this year, which is fantastic.
Sydney was the first big city to kick off Earth Hour. Check out the article at Yahoo!News. I'm proud to say that even Hong Kong did her part this year, dimming lights of buildings, restaurants, and shops, especially near the harbor. And if you're familiar with HK, you'll know how many bulbs we burn every night.
Let me know if you guys took part as well!
Great TVC about connecting with one "Hello" for Orange (Uganda) by Access Leo Burnett Nairobi and Publicis Conseil Paris.
Earth Hour is tomorrow! McDonald's is joining in on the fun by having 500 Midwest locales dim their golden arches. In Chicago, the Sears Tower spire spotlights will be turned off and the lights at Navy Pier will dim. [Source: AP]
If you will remember, my mom and I did our own candle-lit 60 minutes last year. Turn off your lights at local time 8:30 PM Saturday night and keep your eyes peeled for cities around the world doing the same.
The promo vid features some nice graphic design and, strangely, Coldplay's Fix You.
There is even a themed Super Mario-esque game that lets you turn off lights and race against the clock at Lights Out. German police realized that they've been tracking a serial killer who may not actually exist! Police have been after the assailant, dubbed the "phantom of Heilbronn" and "woman without a face," for over 15 years, only to discover recently that their DNA swabs may have been contaminated from the beginning, possibly by a factory worker. Read more at BBC News.
Incredible article about Jane Elliott, an Iowan teacher who conducted a racism lesson with her third graders in 1968. Living in a town that knew little about and had little empathy for being black in America, Elliott decided to show her students by dictating that the ones with brown eyes were superior to their blue eyed classmates. Elliott relays that the latter became scared and weary, while brown eyed students "became domineering and arrogant...and smart!...All of a sudden, disabled readers were reading." It baffles my mind that she pioneered and broke down barriers forty years ago, the day after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. [Source: C~ > LA Times]
(Brown eyed students in the front and the noticeably more timid blue eyed students in the back.)
Today is really heavy on the news so I'm breaking it up with the weekly FFFF. Meet the apricot (杏子)! Perhaps not as exciting as some of the other FF, but this is the first time I've had this kind fresh. Reminds me of the baby mangoes you can find here. Skin is hard to peel and flesh is glassier.
Currently listening to: Soundtrack from Notte Sento (a silent short film composed entirely of stitched photos, like Slumdog Millionaire's crowd scene technique - Canon FTW!) - been searching for the Sigur Ros-ish end title song everywhere!
YT makes another small change to its interface. The text and buttons are too small for my liking though. New trailer for the Spike Jonze directed Where the Wild Things Are. I'm not sure how I feel about the voice, but it looks like it could be a fun movie. I'm interested to see how it comes out, as the book is pretty hard to top.
93 year old Tsutomu Yamaguchi is the only known survivor of both WWII nuclear bombs. BBC News reports that he was on a business trip in Hiroshima when the first bomb hit, seriously injuring him. Yamaguchi later returned home to Nagasaki, only to have Fat Man arrive on the 9th. Incredible. I would like to just sit for a couple hours and listen to his experience.
Met one of Hong Kong's top designers today. Not gonna lie, I was nervous about the appointment and just a little bit starstuck! What a wonderful person and a rare and precious experience!
Currently listening to: Knock You Down - Keri Hilson ft. Ne-Yo and Kanye West
I saved this to post half a year ago (I wish I were kidding) and kept forgetting to. So, after much delay, check out Chinese artist Liu Bo Lin's very cool camouflage work. [Source: DesignBoom > Galerie Bertin] Three of Sufjan Stevens' albums, including Illinoise, get an interesting remixing by Canadian producer Tor. Check out and download the whole album for free here. Joining the choose-your-own-radio phenomenon is Blip.fm. Add songs and comments, browse through others' playlists, and share with friends. Pandora meets Twitter. [Source: J~] Speaking of Twitter, I found out tonight that a good friend of mine Tweets. Exciting! I wanted to post this in case you haven't seen it yet. This Current TV vid has been roaming around for a couple of days and is a great Twitter101 guide. Tiny bit of colorful language.
Coldplay is playing tonight (and one night only). I'm so bummed that I can't make the concert because I'm pretty sure it will be incredible.
Currently listening to: Grace is Gone - Dave Matthews Band (this is surprisingly a new fave)
Great TED talk by behavioral economist Dan Ariely on cheating and why we sometimes think it's okay to do it. It runs about 18 min but I recommend watching. Hope TED is China government proof, unlike YouTube.
I get such a kick out of this Milky Way seatbelt! Wonder if it's real or just spec work. [Source: Advertka] Nicely executed flip-book style TVC for the Audi Q5. [Source: Advertka]
Today a Thai fire fighter dressed up as Spider Man to save a boy who had perched himself on a third floor school window ledge. The child, who is autistic, refused to listen to his teachers' pleas but came back willingly upon seeing his superhero. The fire fighter usually keeps the costume in his station locker for school drills. To catch more and see the picture, check out BBC News.
Currently listening to: Crash Into Me(Dave Matthews Band cover) - WFU Innuendo A Cappella
(post for Monday) Have been wanting to post but so little time! John Krasinski (from The Office) and SNL alum Maya Rudolph star in the Sam Mendes directed filmAway We Go. The two stars play a couple who take a roadtrip around the country to find the perfect place to raise their baby. Little Miss Sunshine meets Juno?
Life in mathematical equations by Craig Damrauer. A new one every Monday. Here are my favorites. The modern art one is so true. [Source: Advertka]
Currently listening to: Beautiful - Akon and Half Asleep - School of Seven Bells
For those of you tired of the same mainstream Christian music playing on repeat, check out The Bored-Again Christian. The free podcast "rewrites the notion of Christian music" and features some great lesser-known talent. Hosted by Just Pete, check it out on iTunes or on their website. I'm excited about this find! Birch, a SF shop that does flower arrangements and event decoration, uses some beautiful color palettes. (Or perhaps the ones I'm attracted to are orange, blue, and brown.) I'm almost a year late, but I just heard about the idea of clean tagging, or reverse graffiti. In a guerrilla brand stunt for Clorox's Green Works (plant-based cleaners), DDB featured artist Moose, who "makes pictures by cleaning"- creating art by washing off the dirt and grime from walls. Check out the YT vid of his San Francisco Broadway Tunnel project here.
