Congratulations

When was the last time you congratulated or acknowledged somebody for their thinking? Not the idea itself, but the actual process of them thinking differently? It is a little understood or acknowledged area of people's development.

We are very quick to compliment someone on an idea, yet we don't think to congratulate them on the thinking process that got them there or the thinking process that in turn stimulated somebody else's thinking to find that idea. The process is the important part - not the end result. Even if you don't like the idea, it is good to acknowledge the direction of someone's thinking, the effort they put in, or the fact they even took the time to ponder a different approach. You have no doubt heard the term "I like the way you think" or even the famous catch-cry of Agent 86 - Maxwell Smart - "Good thinking, 99".

When Apple invented the iPod they said it took a thousand ideas to get there, but everybody acknowledged the iPod as the singularly great idea. In reality it was the culmination of thousands of people thinking differently. The power is in acknowledging and rewarding people's thinking. If you're a parent it is rewarding the way a child thinks as opposed to the ideas themselves, that will spark future genius. 

Flying Foam Logos

We've all seen skywriting, right? Well here is the upgrade.... soap foam mixed with lighter-than-air gasses such as helium. 

Flogos—the result of such a mix—are flying foam logos that float through the sky, as designed by Alabama special effects company Snowmasters.

Available in 12, 36 and 48 inch sizes, Flogos can travel up to 30 miles and float as high as 5,000 feet, depending on their formulation. Most last from 30 to 40 minutes, after which time they evaporate without a trace, making them completely environmentally friendly, the company says.

Flogos customers have included Lindt chocolates, the California Angels, Disney World, Mercedes-Benz and Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, to name just a few. The company has also expanded into 18 offices worldwide, with new locations including China, Japan, Singapore, Mexico, Turkey, England, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Israel, Africa, Australia and Canada.

www.flogos.net

Coffee With an Application

An iPhone application developed for 7-Eleven Sweden combines a store locator with coupons for a free coffee and biscotti. After downloading the app, users plug in their phone number and receive a unique coupon code on their iPhone. To claim their coffee, they just show the code to a 7-Eleven clerk; no purchase necessary. The coupon is only valid once, and free coffee will be followed by free ice cream the next month.

The application, developed by Stockholm-based digital agency Lonely Duck, was downloaded 2,500 times in the week it launched—a considerable number given the size of the Swedish iPhone community, and enough to place it in the top 10 of free app downloads.

It's a smart example for other iPhone-loving retailers to follow: don't just help consumers find your store, but give them a good reason to visit. 

Click here for website

Trash to Treasure

The concept of XSProject originated in the mid-1990's when artist and activist, Ann Wizer was living in the Philippines. As an expression against ongoing ecological abuse from industry and rampant consumerism, Wizer started using trash as her primary material in costumes and installations. The first tote bags made from trash were accessories to her trash costumes used in performances.

In 2002, Wizer created XSProject in Jakarta – an out-of-studio “intervention” involving poor communities of trash pickers and focusing on the development of sustainable solutions to the problem of unmanaged consumer waste. Wizer’s quirky use of unlikely materials, including drinking straws and toothpaste tubes, demonstrates a creative way to reduce the increasing mountains of trash found throughout Southeast Asia.

Click here for website

Play Me I'm Yours

How cool is this - an upright piano place outside Liverpool St tube station in London for anyone to play!

Some people just tinker around on it because they can, others can really play and pull a pretty decent crowd.

We just love the fact there is no actual reason for it being there. No other reason but to let people disconnect for the hustle and bustle of the busy tube station and create!

Good or bad, who cares, just hit the ivories and create!