We need to be design driven, innovation intensive.

Just 5 years ago, creativity was ahead of technology – we aspired to do so much that our platforms could not deliver. Today it’s reversed: Technology is out in front of our creativity, challenging us to tap into the white space it creates on a seemingly continual basis – Torrence Boone, Google

– We’ve talked about this damn it! Today, technology consideration is imperative when it comes to creative thinking. Our creativity is limited only by our own imagination, not technology. As the web evolves uncontrollably into a 3.0 platform and beyond, the world is truly our playground. And with increasingly widespread access, it is now a truly borderless level playing field.

C'mon! I can't do it alone!

A moving collaboration between Dentsu London and Wallpaper.

Relook at print. And relook. And relook. And relook. And never stop looking ;)

Dentsu London ‘Moving Wallpaper’ from Dentsu London on Vimeo.

And learn about the technique:

Junichi Harima "The Technique" from Dentsu London on Vimeo.

Meeting the pop of iPhone, Bob Borchers :)

Great great great inspiring presentation by Bob Borchers on 'Innovation' yesterday at the MMC 10 organised by ADOI.

His advice from conception to delivery: Just remember to etch this four very important rules onto your everyday work habit (but Italic mine):

1) First is overated (first, so what? It's about who scores with the hottie after that!)
2) Change the rules (if you identify the wrong rules, you change the wrong stuff. Still can't get myself to do it right...)
3) Show the obvious benefit (if there are many benefits, then show them all in a single breath!)
4) On going innovation (yea, once isn't enough, keep it going and going and going till it becomes your entire existence is to innovate)

There was a short Q&A session after the presentation which had to be cut short because believe me, it could go on and on and on. I mean Bob was so popular! Like Rihanna! I had a burning question in me but wasn't lucky (or tall) enough to get noticed. So he ended the talk, the crowd poured out of the hall, some went to get his superstar signature and eBay-type photos ;) and I went back in because it was still burning. I had to put it off. So here's my question to Bob.

***

Sparks: Hi Bob, I have a burning question back there but you didn't see my hand.

Bob: Hi, I'm sorry about that. You should have just jumped up! So what was it?

Sparks: Well, my question is purely from a consumer point of view so... am not gonna ask you for any marketing tricks ;) You talked about innovation at the very source which is the conceptualisation of a product and finally creating it. You also mentioned about innovation in communication, to ensure the message gets right through to the consumer before they finally open their little 'Christmas in Spring' shopping bag to reveal their new iPhone.

And if I understand your marketing strategy correctly, since the first iPhone launch, every 1 and a half years or so, there's a new version. Understandable because that's innovation. But as you launch newer and newer versions, your customers are continuously upgrading. And considering our 'over consumed' state of the world, which lead to an inevitable crisis on sustainability issue, what is Apple's stance of innovation in this? So there's innovation in creation and delivery. What about disposal? What happens to all the hardware that we have purchased but are no longer in use? What is Apple's innovation in the last mile of the consumer cycle?

Bob: Well, that's a very good question which I forgot to mention during the presentation. We acknowledge our strong and loyal fan base and that's why our software upgrade is every 3 months. Which means, in order to enjoy the latest features, all they have to do is upgrade their existing softwares. We never tell them they have to purchase the latest version. But we too want them to enjoy the latest from Apple.

Sparks: Yea but what about the hardware? The ones that are no longer in use because there are now spanking newer versions?

Bob: Well, that's a really tricky one because hardwares are important to our business. But we're just saying that, the option of upgrading to the latest version is available to our customers.

Stranger: Hi Bob! Great presentation (squeezed in)

Sparks: Uh, oh, okay, thanks! Yea GREAT presentation :)

***

Well, I think he answered my question: SOFTWARES can play a huge role in sustainable consumption in electronics. But he didn't answer my other question. What innovation is Apple putting in place as part of its responsibility as a global citizen and important economic figure?

Hmm, something to really think about, isn't it?

And to leave you with something entertaining, a hip hop remix of Bob's original presentation of the iPhone :)

Late night.

My eyes're stinging, my mind's out, my breathing's abnormal. But something like that will make anyone smile.Doodle bread. Hmm, hybrid of food and art. Hybrid is a product of which the end value always amount to more than when two items are put together. In a hybrid equation, one plus one never equals two. The third (or subsequent) value is what innovation is about.

So doodle bread. Bread + art. What's the third value? Eye candy? A playful consumption experience? The praises, oohs and aahs that's gladly received when shared? Hmm.

New law for Malaysian speeding ticket?

I've been thinking and comparing Singapore's drivers point deduction system with whatever existing traffic rule we have in Malaysia. A simple reason why probably Singapore's system will never be effective (or as effective) in our country is because of the rampant 'duit kopi' (in international language: bribery). Not that there's none happening in Singapore (I wouldn't know) but what I'm pretty definite is, none as rampant as Malaysia.

Well, then an idea struck me on how to duplicate this point system and yet keep it in a way that has the least inteference from our so-called law enforcers (and this I mean by majority of them. Not all but majority because we always have a few good men. Too few if you ask me). Imagine a system similar to Singapore's ERP and/or Japan's ETC equivalent. Imagine all Malaysians from now on have to pay an extra credit of RM200 into their driver's license account. Everytime one hit the red light or went over the speed limit, a certain amount of money will be deducted from this 200 bucks automatically. It could be really cheap, I mean RM20 for speeding compared to RM300 if you've really been sent the ticket. But what the positive points which I'd very much like to highlight are:
1) RM20 is BETTER than paying RM50 for you-know-what because in actual fact you never really have to pay that RM300
2) The 'beep' when money is deducted from your account will serve as a life time reminder to never speed when you're not supposed to. Ever
3) It really, really, and I mean REALLY makes you think twice about hitting that red light too
4) Equal treatment and equal punishment for all since the system must also be deployed using special set of traffic lights and speed trackers. This reinforces the importance of enforced law and not chance

Anyway, come to think of it. Instead of paying back the 'rakyat' (people) cash for the recent fuel hike, the government could use this system to reward citizens with good behavior. For those who never gotten their RM200 deducted, will earn interest. So in order to make more money, you've got to stay clean. If at the 11th month of your interest-earning period, you decide to go with the wind on KESAS, then so will your money.

Tell me if you think something like that would work here. Or in your country, wherever you are. Cause I think it's a pretty good idea, no?

The secret of Japan.

Am back. Shop's open, work resumes as per usual. Sigh.

A good sigh for a good trip :)

Anyway, one of the best parts of my trip was to finally be able to articulate what I thought was amiss in my own country. The habit of always, not resting, not giving excuses, not dampening others' efforts, to always, ALWAYS find a solution to every problem. That's the essence of Japan's entire being. The secret to their success. So if you want to be successful, emulate that.

But of course, there are many supporting but significant factors which continuously spur this spirit of innovation. One of the many is volume. With a population size of approximately 127 million, they have enough volume to almost support any sort of invention. Whether or not it takes flight or flop is a different story. The inventions almost always evolve from the initial concept anyway, constantly improved on which explains why everytime you fly with JAL, you'll be pleasantly surprised in the little improvements made here and there. And why everytime you fly with MAS, it's same old same old, you can almost rehearse the safety script with the Malaysian Girl :)

Imagine niche inventions evolving into bigger ones, combining with other concepts, constantly changing and meeting more needs, solving more problems, serving a bigger purpose. Like an amoeba. Except this one, instead of dividing itself to survive, it keeps swallowing the smaller ones causing it to grow bigger and bigger by the day. Countries with the will but not the volume needed to support it, will have to take bigger risks and higher investments to pursue innovative concepts. It could be a longer route (and a more expensive one) but it will get there. Countries such as South Korea maybe? Taiwan? Singapore? But countries with volume that can swallow up the globe, unfortunately may not have the same mindset and/or skill set (yet). They will also take some time to fully realise their potential. India? China? Brazil?

How about Malaysia? Will we one day be able to catch this thinking? Even if we're 100 million heads behind?

The future now.

During my recent trip to Tokyo, I was once again, bewildered with Japan's technology of tomorrow for today's people. As my comrade rightly put it, "Sh*t, this is the future. And it's not even supposed to be here yet!"

Right.

The future is here and now. Digital photoframes that can read memory cards, plug and play with your PC, digicam, whatever. Yes, plug it in and watch each of your captured memory slides in and out of the frame. Your album in one single frame. Your whole life in one single frame.

Now, that's putting a new meaning to: As I watch my life passes me by. How apt.