Apperceptions

Badges!?! We DO need some stinking badges!

I've been talking with renegade at Luxomedia about the idea of some sort of playing or trading card for vloggers.  I think it would be fun to come up with something in time for the next Vloggercon.

Rene just turned me on to a related idea: Flickr Badges.  Very cool.  I gotta make one.

Here's renegade's.

I agree, "Vive la Rene-zistance!"

Biz Cards Continued

I didn't say I wasn't going to put up ANY biz cards, just not my own for a while.

I DO want to continue talking about biz cards however, as I am interested in them as an art form and I find it challenging to try and create something "out of the box" considering how much thought people have already put into it.

Also, I'd like to share stories about some of the interesting people I meet when appropriate.

Here is the "back" of a biz card from a very interesting person (Cherie) that I met during our E3 trip to LA.  I'll post the front later and tell that story then (you can peek ahead on flickr if you like).

One thing that interests me is the dimensions.  The standard business card  I have encountered is two inches by three and one-half inches.  This one is 1.75" (45mm) by about 4" (10cm).  (Click the pic to enlarge it)

This interests me because the first questions that occur to me in "card design" concern the shape and dimensions.  I seem to think that there is a cost associated with breaking away from the standard size and shape.  I guess I'm too anal. I like all the cards to stack up.

When I asked Cherie how she felt about the shape, she indicated that she liked that it stuck out from a stack (still fitting within the normal "width" of two inches).

So maybe it's "ok" to exceed one dimension.  What about two?  Is it still a "biz card" or does it become a postcard at some point?

Seems like there could be interesting possible connections between biz cards and mail art.

I want a to create a new spinflow card.  I have only a vague idea so far and think I will initially work within the "standard" size for the moment, but I want them to be viral (preferably fun or interesting) and so I am thinking of a perforated set of two or three cards that fold into standard shape, present a triptych and yet stand alone and are something you either want to pass on or are so fun that you want to keep the whole set (I think that could be viral in it's own way).

What do you use for a biz card?  Send me one and share a good story and I'll post it for you.

I know jack about biz card design.  Anyone know of some great related articles.  I know; google it!

Click the pic to view the photo(s).

Addendum: Jan is talking about stamps and that is also on my mind.

New Outhink Biz Cards for E3 - Part II

Ok, so whenever people drag me out of paradise (generally to smooze - i can also count with my hoofs), the question comes up about my title.

At Apperceive, I don't have to worry about this.  Other places, people generally like to refer to me as some some kind of architect.

But my life is changing.  A certain passion for expression has returned and I find I can no longer tolerate spending my time on anything except art.

So two titles...

I declare myself to be an "Application Artist".  Mainly, I intend to create art from applications.  Right now I am working on a piece that combines images, audio and video from various web services.  Technology as medium.

I also take it to mean that any applications I create must also hold to a higher aestetic value than what is accepted today.

The second title simply indicates that I have embraced the notion of spinflow and intend to help others become spinflow masters. 

This is primarily about movement in the way we work and collaborate.  While I recognise that there is a certain attachment here to Outhink and it's marketing, this is something that I truly believe in and think is important aside from any other connotations.

Removing barriers to creativity is not the domain of any one organization.  I propose to attempt elevate this through discipline, practice, example and discussion to the level of an art.

Think of spinflow like a martial art that allows you to move effortlessly within the creative process and allow you to "kick ass", in the words and sense of Kathy Sierra's  Creating Passionate Users weblog.

Ok, enuf talk.  Please keep watching, I hope to show you somethings special...

Click the pic to view the photo(s).

What's On Your Palette?

One of the main ideas voiced in the online video conference the other day was the need for "one click videoblogging".  Michael Verdi and Ryanne Hodson have put together a great resource at freevlog.org, but more will be required if it is to be accessable to a far greater number of people (MV and RH are doing that too! They are constantly thinking of new ways to take videoblogging to the people).

But it's still a long chain of skills and tools one must master in order to vlog, from OurMedia to Feedster and more.  Most people will just want to shot, maybe quick edit on the camera, maybe transfer to their computers for more post processing, but then easy publication (note I did not just say "upload", I want the whole thing: upload, storage, feeds, publicity, etc. all in "one click").

It seems to me that ultimately more people will vlog than blog.  I think most people will ultimately find it easier to express themselves with video than with written words.  Right now, the distribution barrier is higher for video, but I think that will change.

Obviously, many of us will use every media type we can for expressive purposes, but I think that, just as with television, most people will find the video the first "weapon of choice".

Luckily, there are many "weapons" in our "arsenal" to choose as appropriate.  I do prefer a tools metaphor, so let's say "tools in our toolbox".  Or perhaps, the "paints on our palette".

What's on your palette these days?  What are your friends and family doing?  Are you influencing them with your blog or vlog?  Do they like what you are doing?  Do they know?  Do they care?  Do they want to do it too?

Green Thing

I just found out about the Green Thing and need to send off an email to Renegade to ask for a piece to use in making something fun with the new Sanyo Xacti C5 that we just ordered the other day on eBay.

Here's the greenthing Technorati tag.  Click on it to see more green things.