The Foundation » Interesting articles

Information is Beautiful – Releasing information from the clutches of scientists

Greg — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 15:19:37 +0000

One sunny afternoon at HarperCollins…

‘So Mr. McCandless you want to publish a book, tell me a bit more about it’
‘Well it’s going to be a book full of graphs’
‘Ah, I see. So you are going to create interesting graphs and add some witty, interesting and highly observant prose around them to excite and engage the reader?’
‘No just a book of graphs!’
‘No text at all?’
‘No just graphs’

The conversation with the publisher must have been an interesting one when David McCandless pitched for Information is Beautiful. But the result is an amazing artistic-come-scientific creation. The premise is to bring data to life, to turn it from numbers and accounting to information and insight. David has trawled the internet, research papers and databases to create an array of over 90 visually engaging ‘graphs’ that provide answers to the questions we’ve all been pondering, but have yet to resolve:

1. Which of the popular dietary supplements actually work?
2. Where has time travel occurred in film and how?
3. Which digital media is most distracting?

…ok, so some of the other graphs tackle bigger and more fundamental subjects but each graph is unique. No matter the topic, they’re laid out in a way that best represents the information stored in them. They each release the information, rather than hiding and protecting it like graphs so often do.

So why should you get this book? Because it’s entirely compelling. It’ll open up your mind to a new way of creating narratives around data and information; enable you to see a better way, one where information is accessible to all, and not just the mathmeticians and scientists in white coats.

And what’s the worst case scenario? You’ll look very clever with this on your coffee table.

The $300m button

Lisa — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:38:31 +0000

We love this example of how the apparently subtle act of changing a user interface button on a website from ‘Register’ to ‘Continue’ can result in breath-taking results. A lesson in the importance of understanding your customer and the nature of the relationship they want to have with you.

The issue is that sometimes the problem itself isn’t that obvious – even to the likes of a retailer with a turnover of $25bn. Having the customer’s best intentions at heart unfortunately counts for nothing when you have missed what they really think and feel about the journey you’re sending them on. A great example of how vital it is to truly see the world from the customer’s point of view.

Who would’ve imagined that changing a user interface button from ‘Register’ to ‘Continue’ in an online checkout process could increase sales by $300m in 12 months and the number of customers purchasing by 45%? It was only after the realisation that new users didn’t like the idea of having to form a relationship with the retailer to complete their purchase that the button was changed (along with the addition of a reassurance note to let them know they could make a purchase without registering). As one customer put it “I’m not here to enter into a relationship. I just want to buy something.”

The $300 Miilion Button article

Putting customer value first

Ian — Fri, 14 May 2010 13:41:19 +0000

John Kay has recently written a fantastic book on obliquity. He shows how businesses that focus on customer value (rather than profits) are often the most commercially successful. We’ve recently been working with the Lean Enterprise Academy, who explained how Toyota’s fortunes have changed with this shift of mindset. Until 2005 Toyota had an unwavering focus: reducing unnecessary costs and maximising customer value. This focus took them to the third biggest car company in the world. In 2005 under the direction of a new CEO, their mission changed: they aimed to become the biggest car company in the world. That shift (from customer value to business value) has led to decisions that increased commercial pressures, watered down culture, focused on cost per part rather than value of the whole and reduced quality. The ultimate consequence of this was the recent recall of 8 million cars and substantial damage to the Toyota brand.

Marks & Spencer’s Plan A 2.0

Lisa — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 08:42:55 +0000

It’s not often you see a business stick its neck above the parapet to promise something, that by all accounts, is incredibly difficult to achieve. That’s what our client Marks & Spencer did recently with the launch of its new Plan A ambition – to be the world’s most sustainable retailer by 2015.

Our guess is that if any other major British retailer were to have announced such a stretching ambition we would have seen an uprising in both press and public condemnation – but that is not the case for M&S.

As one of Britain’s best loved retailers, M&S has given itself permission to set these lofty ambitions whilst retaining staff and customer support. Most companies use their CSR initiatives to only talk about the good things they’ve achieved, inviting criticism from the press and public alike who focus on issues the company has yet to tackle. M&S took a much more nuanced approach by thinking big but consistently saying, in the words of Sir Stuart Rose, ‘we’re not where we want to be yet’.

This year Sir Stuart is moving into the role of Chairman but his time as CEO can certainly be characterised by an unerring commitment and ambition for M&S to succeed not just on the balance sheet but also by making a difference to society as a whole – let’s hope the incoming CEO has the same utopian vision.

Ethical Corporation Article

Innovative retail concept alert: the un-inspiring charity shop becomes a fabulous concept store

Kate — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:00:57 +0000

“Merci” in Paris offers designer clothes at discounted price, second hand books (along with the space to curl up and read them in), a perfume bar, a flower shop and a café, all in an amazingly designed and inviting loft space. With all profits going to a cooperative for young women in Madagascar, this new store – through its dynamism and relevance – is redefining the tired charity shop concept of yore:

http://www.heralddeparis.com/29702/29702

Mobile movements

Kate — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 10:59:40 +0000

A couple of articles that we’ve picked up recently, which for us really highlight the power plays going in the mobile market and the need for networks to be crystal clear on how they are choosing to play competitively, both against other operators but also the wider industry.

FT article – on changing the basis of competition in the market / open & closed models:
http://blogs.ft.com/techblog/2010/01/john-gapper-google’s-open-battle-with-apple/

Google phone could up-end mobile space with ads:
http://digitalmedia.strategyeye.com/article/MFYZrnxLimo/2010/01/06/google_phone_could_upend_mobile_space_with_ads/

Microsoft and HP to join tablet frenzy:
http://digitalmedia.strategyeye.com/article/XdFP7zL2Iw/2010/01/06/microsoft_and_hp_to_join_tablet_frenzy/

Google supports Apple-Quattro deal:
http://digitalmedia.strategyeye.com/article/K2AZhEXVRpo/2010/01/06/google_says_it_supports_apple-quattro_deal/

Management Guff Awards

Kate — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 10:56:34 +0000

Very funny. Though not sure what’s so irritating about “hope that helps”.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/25ead124-f70e-11de-9fb5-00144feab49a.html?nclick_check=1

Sleeping in sustainable luxury

Kate — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 10:55:31 +0000

Did you hear about Hotel Rafayel? It is London’s first sustainable luxury hotel.

http://www.hotelrafayel.com/

Are we too professional?

Kate — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 16:16:33 +0000

Brilliant article from writer and ex-cricketer Ed Smith in the latest edition of Intelligent Life.

http://www.moreintelligentlife.com/content/ed-smith/are-we-too-professional

“Measurement is another fetish of professionalism, as if something that cannot be measured isn’t quite real.”