When I was a student, there was a girl in the swim team. She was beautiful. But she never really spoke to anyone. We all thought she wanted to keep to herself and had a hidden clique of equally beautiful and cool friends she'd rather be with. We thought she just came to swim. Until…

I was at an excellent Future Foundation conference this week. You don't usually say that about trends companies, but this one bases their stuff on data and is good at proper digging. And it's more about what people care about, rather than what's cool. Come to think about it, that's a decent descriptor to good…

I was at an excellent Future Foundation conference this week. You don't usually say that about trends companies, but this one bases their stuff on data and is good at proper digging. And it's more about what people care about, rather than what's cool. Come to think about it, that's a decent descriptor to good…

Part sponge, part despot, part aggressive protector of team, part diplomat, part crafts-person, part researcher, mostly ideas fountain Never undermines their team, looks to build their confidence, leads by example and guides rather than tells Sometimes not a little bit frightening Excellent judge of strategy and ideas, even better at presenting them Never says 'No'…

What you wear matters. You may well be one of those people who thinks it's silly to be bothered with what your clothes and shoes say about you, but it's simply a fact of the human condition. Most of human communication is non-verbal. We respond to how people appear, how they make us feel. Not…

Let's be honest, agency folk come in two types. The ones who think planners are a pain but necessary. The ones who think planners are a pain and complete waste of time. But if you're moderately nice to a planner, and even treat them from time to time as someone who is occasionally helpful, they'll…

Daniel Miller's The Comfort of Things is one of those books every planner, in the UK at least, should read. The analysis of the contents of 30 households in London exposes so much about what we really care about. It paints a true picture of the drama of everyday life, where nothing happens yet everything…

   Batman: Then why do you want to kill me? Joker: I don’t want to kill you! What would I do without you? Go back to ripping off mob dealers? No, no, you … complete me. Nothing provokes greatness like a great nemesis. They force you to challenge yourself. They provide focus. They unite a…

"Opening his eyes, he would know the place by the rythm of movements in the street long before he caught any characteristic detail" Robert Musil, The Man Without Qualities. Every place people come together has it's own, unspoken body language. If you're prepared to listen, it can tell you all sorts of things. If you're…

Let me start by saying I have a deep and abiding admiration for great designers and great design.  Great design, how something looks and how we experience it greatly matter to how we feel about it and how it matters in our lives. The Iphone is an obvious example of experience and aesthetics married beatifully.…