Recently about Popular Culture

I'd like to think that one of Apple's biggest announcements recently is one of the smallest, most overlooked ones. I'm loving that they just came out with a well-thought-out AA battery charging system. Not that I need a new one. But Apple has a way of making rabid fanboys out of even the simplest things. If they can successfully make rechargeable batteries seem cool to the tech set - like they do with almost everything they touch - it could be one of the best things they have ever done for the environment.

Our officemates at HWKN just launched a cool new web site: Architizer - social media for architects and architecture enthusiasts. Go poke around and learn about some great architecture from around the globe - like Rem Koolhaas' amazing CCTV headquarters in Beijing, or the undulating Aqua Tower which I watched go up in Chicago last year. And of course, I'm partial to this one.

Some intriguing ideas coming out of the TEDMED conference. Like Intel's Eric Dishman's call for healthcare to make the shift from the mainframe (hospital) to personal (home). Follow the stream of tweets. 

We are strong believers in the power of design to shape the ability to comprehend information. We have been known to get as excited about designing an infographic or clinical form as we have about a logo or brochure. Which is why I love the Op-Ed piece from Design for Democracy that appeared in the NY Times this weekend. It parallels the need for clear information on Credit Card disclosures with the design of Nutrition Facts on food packaging. These days, financial health is just as important as physical health, but the choices have gotten infinitely more complicated.

The UltraVirgo team will be heading to Bruce Levingston's The Sacred + The Surreal performance at St. Bart's this Thursday. The program features eight piano pieces with three world premieres, as well as screenings of three surreal short films including a Salvador Dali home movie. Come join us! Drop me a line if you're interested.

Happy Earth day from Ultra Virgo! While we're firm believers in practicing sustainability year round, it's always nice to celebrate our mother. Check out some of the green events around town here, here and here  or take the opportunity to join Repower America

A lesson in brand equity: Freshening up a dated design is often a good idea. But if you have one of the most identifiable images in your industry (like Tropicana's straw-in-the-orange) don't dump it. Your consumers do care. p.s. To designers: After communicating what the product is, the most important challenge in packaging design is differentiation: stand out from the competition and clarify distinctions within the product line.

Paid a visit to the Brooklyn Historical Society this weekend to see their show, "Counter/Culture: The Disappearing Face of the Brooklyn Storefront" it was interesting to see photos of the blocks I know in a constant state of flux. Also learned that the world's first teddy bear was created at a little mom and pop store in Williamsberg, the Ideal Novelty and Toy Co.
Also very well done (and timely on this Veteran's day) was their exhibit "In Our Own Words," which features life size portraits of Vietnam vets, as you approach the paintings, viewers stand in footprints which activate speakers above to play their recorded stories.

Wow, I can't believe the election is just six days away! Thought we should do our part in the Get out the Vote effort and point out a couple of really easy places that you can check your registration status, see if you're eligible for early voting and check your polling place.
Just think, we may be able to start talking about something else soon.

I've just returned freshly inspired from a visit to New Orleans, where the city is beginning to buzz with preparations for the Prospect 1 Biennial opening in 1 month. I was down there working on the open air project, sponsered by the Arts Council of New Orleans and opening concurrently. A friend's gallery/experiment was just written up in the style section of the NY times. KK Projects has taken over a block of hurricane destroyed houses and given a new life and a little magic to the area.

Following up on my last post musing about when people can understand warning and bathroom signs, here's a light hearted site about them, should you need a warning sign of your own. Alert the world to Godzilla, gas masks, or what looks to me like a flashing fairy wand. Or check out Speak Up for more about pictograms.

Check out the video preview of Marion Bataille's book ABC3D a gorgeous alphabet pop-up book with a swing soundtrack.

UVC client The Sex-Positive Journalism Awards (aka "The Sexies") just announced the 2008 winners. A varied, and incredibly interesting, group of topics.

As we pass the 1-year anniversary of the iPhone launch, the flood of so-called "wannabe" iPhones is coming in. And of course the press compares them all to Apple's device: mentioning how the new offering is feature-packed and great, but falls short. (Of note: In Mossberg's WSJ review of the Instinct, the iPhone is mentioned 29 times, the Instinct itself only 16.) Why? Across the board it is the design. It's the ease-of-use and polish of Apple's User Interface that still trumps even products with much better specs.