Stanford University announced its new President this week. Marc Tessier-Lavigne is a "pioneering neuroscientist, former Stanford faculty member and outspoken advocate for higher education". More importantly, in keeping with Stanford's reputation as a crucible for entrepreneurial creativity, he has been executive vice president for research and chief scientific officer at Genentech, leading work on disease … Continue reading Four For Friday (37)
Luxury products, it seems, are being trampled over by technology-enabled products enticing luxury customers. Apple created its own version of ceramic enforced gold. The real number of the Apple watches in gold casing shipped remains a mystery although an estimated total of 10M pieces are expected to have shipped by the end of 2015. Apple … Continue reading Luxury watches and tech: who is driving whom?
I occasionally play a game with my friends, where I rapidly say some words aloud and they respond with the first visual image that pops up in their minds. It is a rough version of the IAT and some fascinating conversations result from there. With the word "creativity". I hear responses ranging from names of … Continue reading Four For Friday (32)
This week's links on design-thinking and design come right after I shared some observations made on a recent trip to India. Apple is giving design a bad name, writes Don Norman, who established the User Experience Architect's Office later becoming Vice President of Apple's Advanced Technology Group. His co author is Bruce Tognazzini, a usability … Continue reading Four For Friday (31)
This series took two weeks off due to urgent travels, but we are back now. This week's readings discuss Purpose and Meaning. Fast Company interviewed several entrepreneurs who believe they have created businesses that mean something to their customers. These are not just stories about underserved consumers; these are stories about people who could not … Continue reading Four For Friday (30)
The luxury sector is negotiating the tight rope between its traditional exclusivity and the open-all-hours, democratising nature of the web. It is a fascinating space to watch as new ways of enticing and engaging with the customer emerge. This long Luxury Society piece explores the emerging influencers and how brands are finding their feet in … Continue reading Four For Friday (29)
This was a week of critical reading of articles discussing the nature of work, the workplace and the worker. The customer should be the centre piece in any discussions about the workplace. That does not seem to be the case. We must redefine employment and work, argues Andrei Hagiu in this op-ed. His piece frames … Continue reading Four For Friday (27)
For me, this was a week full of books, reading about books, and headlines about publishing. A new publishing house, called Juggernaut Books, was launched in India with unusual fanfare. There is much promise, albeit not much detail made public yet, of revolutionising publishing using the magic of tech. The business is of interest to … Continue reading Four For Friday (26)
"My Spotify drains my phone battery", she said. "Do you listen to it on streaming or offline?", I asked. "Why, yes I do listen to it on streaming!" "So you see both the 3G access you are using and the app itself use battery. You can see battery use by app and make choices accordingly … Continue reading The age of un-empathy
"You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely take care of it for the next generation.” This well-known Patek Philippe tag line tells its customers that the brand's heritage could be part of their own as they bequeath their Patek timepieces to their future generations. (Patek Philippe's famous next-generation ad (c) Patek Philippe) One … Continue reading Luxury’s other heritage challenge
