Personalized Mass Customization : Creating intrinsically personalized products for a mass audience
LOL (Layers of Links) : Partnership Development with the use of Informatics/ Interactive data mapping
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
A tweet is ... metaphorically speaking, and why it matters.
Take a few tasks in your workday:
The essence of conveying information
The transfer of one skill to another person
The explanation of a topic.
How many times is the same information relayed, re-relayed, documented, explained, re-explained, edited, versioned, changed, chatted about, bastardized in conversation, ad nauseum? Think back at your last conversation in a group where about half of the audience collectively was muttering in their minds "what is she talking about?"
These conversations stem from lack of in-depth understanding of the task at hand. Each component of the task seems distinct, disjointed, and divisional, whereby people seek a document to explain the steps. I call to reference our tax code and April 15th activities.
Often when we present an idea, we begin by stating its obvious benefits, its numerous qualities, its sustainable lifespan, or its beneficial impact on the listeners/ your audience. And very often, if this is a new idea, the listener (your audience) is still trying to figure out what it is you are talking about three quarters of the way into your conversation.
Build into you conversations, your instructions, and your passionate pleas, a strong analogy or metaphor that your listener can grab a hold of immediately. Does the task have 5 points of interest? Utilize the construction of a star with its five points.
Does the concept have an unlimited number of outcomes based on a decision? Discuss the trunk of a tree with the branched (current day metaphor) outcomes as the physical branches.
When you create this metaphor to be able for people to connect with your idea, use it! Develop it. Do not simply use it as an icon. Explain procedures, tasks, sub-points in the context. It will allow your audience to map (both conceptually and biologically physically in their brains) a memory and a connection to the topic. Problem solutions, adjunct ideas are then seen in context of the metaphor.
Think back at some of the most powerful metaphors you have used, believed in, or utilize to get things done. Perhaps a a certain piece of software is like a movie ... it opens to a curtain call, has a plot, and then delivers its result. Perhaps you use the image of a sports event to judge whether an activity was good. Touchdown or Fumble, anyone?
Speaking of such things, what was 'having a photographic memory' called before cameras?
The essence of conveying information
The transfer of one skill to another person
The explanation of a topic.
How many times is the same information relayed, re-relayed, documented, explained, re-explained, edited, versioned, changed, chatted about, bastardized in conversation, ad nauseum? Think back at your last conversation in a group where about half of the audience collectively was muttering in their minds "what is she talking about?"
These conversations stem from lack of in-depth understanding of the task at hand. Each component of the task seems distinct, disjointed, and divisional, whereby people seek a document to explain the steps. I call to reference our tax code and April 15th activities.
Often when we present an idea, we begin by stating its obvious benefits, its numerous qualities, its sustainable lifespan, or its beneficial impact on the listeners/ your audience. And very often, if this is a new idea, the listener (your audience) is still trying to figure out what it is you are talking about three quarters of the way into your conversation.
Build into you conversations, your instructions, and your passionate pleas, a strong analogy or metaphor that your listener can grab a hold of immediately. Does the task have 5 points of interest? Utilize the construction of a star with its five points.
Does the concept have an unlimited number of outcomes based on a decision? Discuss the trunk of a tree with the branched (current day metaphor) outcomes as the physical branches.
When you create this metaphor to be able for people to connect with your idea, use it! Develop it. Do not simply use it as an icon. Explain procedures, tasks, sub-points in the context. It will allow your audience to map (both conceptually and biologically physically in their brains) a memory and a connection to the topic. Problem solutions, adjunct ideas are then seen in context of the metaphor.
Think back at some of the most powerful metaphors you have used, believed in, or utilize to get things done. Perhaps a a certain piece of software is like a movie ... it opens to a curtain call, has a plot, and then delivers its result. Perhaps you use the image of a sports event to judge whether an activity was good. Touchdown or Fumble, anyone?
Speaking of such things, what was 'having a photographic memory' called before cameras?
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Big Bird is 46: Speaking to Venn Diagrams
The interconnection between perceived audience and presentation.
Sesame Street (http://www.sesameworkshop.org/)is 40 years old. For a product that addresses an incredibly maturing fickle audience, this is an incredible feat. Who is the audience of Sesame Street? Obviously children from the age of 4 to 8, correct? However, as most know, the audience who watches, interacts with, and uses Sesame Street is a much wider net (parents and/or consumers).
It is intriguing to examine briefly how this is done. Sesame Street uses a number of techniques to draw in its core audience (a center circle of the 4-8 year olds) with a sustainable definitive product (creative educational content). It (or more suitably ‘they') then augment this base material with additional connections that speak to a generationally different audience (Venn Circle 2). It is important to note that the message/content to the 2nd audience is not the same material delivered to the core audience, yet it is delivered at the same time – the material has layers.
When presenting (ideas, messages, products), acknowledge that there are distinct groups that will hear the message. Create layers of intelligence, and actual different messages that are interwoven that can draw others, especially antagonists to your ideas. Make people think about the message and allow them to ‘argue’ or play with the message. This creates conversation and infusion of your ideas.
Closing thought… as an observant child, did you wonder why the muppets only had four fingers? Did this stretch your mind while watching? Or was it a diversion that made you miss the message?
Sesame Street (http://www.sesameworkshop.org/)is 40 years old. For a product that addresses an incredibly maturing fickle audience, this is an incredible feat. Who is the audience of Sesame Street? Obviously children from the age of 4 to 8, correct? However, as most know, the audience who watches, interacts with, and uses Sesame Street is a much wider net (parents and/or consumers).
It is intriguing to examine briefly how this is done. Sesame Street uses a number of techniques to draw in its core audience (a center circle of the 4-8 year olds) with a sustainable definitive product (creative educational content). It (or more suitably ‘they') then augment this base material with additional connections that speak to a generationally different audience (Venn Circle 2). It is important to note that the message/content to the 2nd audience is not the same material delivered to the core audience, yet it is delivered at the same time – the material has layers.
When presenting (ideas, messages, products), acknowledge that there are distinct groups that will hear the message. Create layers of intelligence, and actual different messages that are interwoven that can draw others, especially antagonists to your ideas. Make people think about the message and allow them to ‘argue’ or play with the message. This creates conversation and infusion of your ideas.
Closing thought… as an observant child, did you wonder why the muppets only had four fingers? Did this stretch your mind while watching? Or was it a diversion that made you miss the message?
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