I've moved my blogs to my own site:
or my image tumblr:
TMC Furniture now offers their Flick Chair in a collection of screen printed chair backs. You can choose one of these fantastic illustrations or upload and create your own. It is interesting to see how furniture manufactures are finally adopting low cost ways to product differentiate and address the consumer’s need to self-express and customize.
TMC Furniture calls it: “the power of personal visual expression.”
via http://www.tmcfurniture.com/ImPrinted_adult_artist_series.htm
I finally read The Talent Innovation Imperative. It is a quick read on how to effectively maintain a productive team. How do you complete when other companies can give their employees substantial perks and great work environments? How do you attract and retain talent? The answer is relatively simple… you engage and cultivate leaders.
Below is a list of qualities employees should be looking to obtain and business should be looking at providing:
Some traditional leadership characteristics, such as a strong sense of vision and the ability to inspire others, are still important. But leaders today must first and foremost be able to master enormous complexity. They must appreciate and accommodate different perspectives and interpersonal dynamics, integrate multiple disciplines, work across cultures, and interpret diverse and multiple streams of information.
High-potential leaders should receive a variety of developmental experiences: general management experience, cross-functional opportunities, global assignments, and opportunities to manage change and develop other talent themselves.
Engaged employees are far more productive and committed. They are more likely to make progress toward company goals, as well as the goals of their own group. Four factors predominate: (1) Whether employees feel respected, valued, and recognized; (2) Whether they perceive their job to be important to the success of the enterprise; (3) How much pride they feel about the company and what it stands for; (4) How much trust and confidence they have in company leadership.
A coworker recently brought this documentary on conducting business in China to my attention. These videos depict the experiences of three different gentlemen as they set off to build their new empires. I enjoyed the film and recommend watching if you have a spare hour. Although most working in the Product Development field are probably familiar with how business is conducted in Asia by now, for some these videos might be a really good first time experience. I've spent a good amount of time in China on a couple of different trips. I can hardly say I have seen it all, but I have seen enough. These videos nail down the Chinese essence right from the well connected, chain smoking factory owners to the little perfume bottles on the car’s dashboards. I hope you enjoy.
Brits Get Rich in China Part 1
Brits Get Rich in China Part 2
Brits Get Rich in China Part 3
Brits Get Rich in China Part 4
Brits Get Rich in China Part 5
Brits Get Rich in China Part 6
Brits Get Rich in China Part 7
Haworth’s well-designed light series LIM is my favorite product at NeoCon this year. Designed by Pablo Pardo of Pablo Designs and Ralph Reddig of Haworth, LIM (Light In Motion) is a LED multi-task light that is perfect for a number of different industries like office, home, or healthcare. The product is constructed out of extruded aluminum, blent, and then machined in a way that allows the light bar to be installed and sit flush on the underside surface. The connection between lamp base and desk mount is made through two neodymium magnets. This clever relationship allows the lamp to be easliy reconfigured to a number of different mouning options which is something nobody in this industry is doing. LIM also has an impressive green report card being fabricated out of 29% recycled material and is 98% recycable at the end of it’s life. The product ships in either a white, black, or brushed finish. I spent some time with Ralph who, like his design, is super cool, refined, and humble.
“A proven material in other industries, H-Alloy aluminum has never been used in a chair. But, to us, this material made perfect sense for our base. Not only is it durable and anti-corrosive, the unpolished and uncoated aesthetic means no added labor or harmful toxins. The result—less eco impact and a lighter carbon footprint.” –HM
Although H-Alloy is a generic term used to identify the aluminum’s temper, not finishing the parts definitely gives the product a unique look. What do you think? Are the die cast parts refined or do they look incomplete?
Bummer, this elegant and simple clothes hanger is just a concept. I wonder if the designer thought about how a manufacture would weld that top bar onto the side frames? Visible weld would definitely ruin the entire look of the product. I suppose you could punch or drill a hole in the bar stock of the side pieces and then weld from underneath, but then that would leave an open hole in the frame. What do you think?
